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Mahāmattā

The wife of King Vaṅkanāsika Tissa. She was the daughter of King Subha, and was given to a friend of his, a brick-worker, who adopted her as his daughter. She used to bring him food at midday. One day, seeing an ascetic in a kadamba (Nauclea cordifolia) thicket, she gave him the food. The brick worker was glad, and asked her to give food regularly to the monk, who prophesied that she would be the queen, and asked her not to forget the kadamba thicket. She had auspicious signs on her body, on account of which she was chosen to be the wife of Vaṅkanāsika. She later remembered the thera’s words and built a vihāra on the site of the kadamba thicket. Mhv.xxxv.101 ff.