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Sanghamitta (Sanghamitra in Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
) was the daughter of Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka

Ashoka was an Indian emperor, of the Maurya Empire who ruled from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. Often cited as one of India's as well as world's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests....
 and his Buddhist queen Devi. Together with Venerable Mahinda
Mahinda

Mahinda was a Bhikkhu depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the son of the Mauryan empire Ashoka....
, her twin brother, she entered an order of Buddhist monks. The two siblings later went to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
 to spread the teachings of Buddha. Ashoka was initially reluctant to send his daughter on an overseas mission, but because of the insistence of Sanghamitta herself, he finally agreed.






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Sanghamitta (Sanghamitra in Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
) was the daughter of Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka

Ashoka was an Indian emperor, of the Maurya Empire who ruled from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. Often cited as one of India's as well as world's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests....
 and his Buddhist queen Devi. Together with Venerable Mahinda
Mahinda

Mahinda was a Bhikkhu depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the son of the Mauryan empire Ashoka....
, her twin brother, she entered an order of Buddhist monks. The two siblings later went to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
 to spread the teachings of Buddha. Ashoka was initially reluctant to send his daughter on an overseas mission, but because of the insistence of Sanghamitta herself, he finally agreed. She was sent to Sri Lanka together with several other nuns to start the nun-lineage (Bhikkhuni
Bhikkhuni

A Bhikkhuni is a fully ordained female Buddhism monastic. Male monastics are called Bhikkhus. Both Bhikkunis and Bhikkhus live by the vinaya. Bhikkhuni lineages enjoy a broad basis in Mahayana countries like Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan....
s) after some female royalty from Sri Lanka court requested to be ordained as nuns.

Other sources believe the name to be Sanghmitra (or Sanghamitra or Sangamitra), and that she was the younger offspring of King Ashoka, the elder being Prince Mahindra. After the war of Kalinga, when King Ashoka took the path of Buddhism, along with his Buddhist wife (who named the daughter so, as she wanted the daughter to have a Buddhist name), he decided to send his children away, to foreign land, to preach the teaching of Buddha. Her day of honor is every Winter solstice
Winter solstice

Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice* Winter Solstice *...
.

See also

  • Ashoka
    Ashoka

    Ashoka was an Indian emperor, of the Maurya Empire who ruled from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. Often cited as one of India's as well as world's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests....
  • Bhikkhuni
    Bhikkhuni

    A Bhikkhuni is a fully ordained female Buddhism monastic. Male monastics are called Bhikkhus. Both Bhikkunis and Bhikkhus live by the vinaya. Bhikkhuni lineages enjoy a broad basis in Mahayana countries like Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan....
  • Sri Maha Bodhi
    Sri Maha Bodhi

    Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a Sacred Fig tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is said to be a sapling from the historical Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha became enlightened....


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