Sangamitra

Sangamitra Biography

Sangamitra also pronounced as Sangamitta – the daughter of great emperor Ashoka and his first wife, Vidisha Devi, along with her brother Mahendra were the propagators of Buddhism in the country of Sri Lanka, then known by the name Ceylon. She was sent to Ceylon by Ashoka himself to ordain queen Anula and other women of Tissa's court at Anuradhapura to be converted to Buddhism. The siblings played a significant role in establishing Buddhism in Sri Lanka. They spread the teachings of Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa, who was the ruler then.

She brought sapling of the great Bodhi tree in 244 B.C, planted by the King Tissa in Anuradhapura, which still exists after two millenniums! The tree is recorded to the oldest surviving plant of the world. Today the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura is the most sacred and venerated spot in Sri Lanka. The tree is associated with the Buddha culture of Sri Lanka and every year on the Full Moon day of December, "Uduvapa Poya" or "Uposatha Poya" and "Sanghamitta Day" are conducted by Theravada Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Her name is synonymous with "Buddhist Female Monastic Order of Theravada Buddhism", practised in many countries including Sri Lanka, China, Thailand and Myanmar. She spent her whole life in Ceylon in establishing the religion, which prevails still now.

Sangamitra was born in the third century as the daughter of great emperor Ashoka and his first wife, Vidisha Devi, who herself was a Buddhist. Mahendra was her elder brother. She was brn in 3^rd century and 281BC is believed to be her birth year. After Kalinga war when Ashoka embraced Buddhism, he took enough steps to propagate Buddhism not only in India, but also across Asia and other parts of the world. He sent his elder son Mahendra with the same purpose to Ceylon at a time when a religious instability and confusion existed in the kingdom. Mahendra himself established the Bhikkhu Order for men including the king Devanampiya Tissa. But for ladies including royal women, the rituals have to be performed by a priestess or a Theri Arahat. So he advised the king to write to Ashoka to send his younger sister Sangamitra for this purpose.

Though king Ashoka was at first reluctant to send his daughter, Sangamitra herself convinced her father. Thus she started a journey from kingdom at the 12^th year of reign of Ashoka after Kalinga war, to Bodhi tree (from where the sapling from the southern branch was taken) and to Bengal, where she travelled by ship accompanied by a few nuns for 14 days to reach Ceylon. She carried sapling in a golden vase. The king himself welcomed her and after 14 days of rituals at various places, sapling was finally planted in Anuradhapura with a grand ceremony. When the tree blossomed for the first time, its saplings were later planted at eight sacred places in Anuradhapura, Jambukola, Chandanagama and in the village of Brahman Tivakka. Later Sangamitra spent her whole life in Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism and she lived till 79.

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Updated: December 26, 2015