A Therī. She was foremost among nuns, of swift intuition, und was born in the family of a treasurer of Rājagaha. On the same day, a son was born to the König's chaplain under a constellation favourable to highwaymen, und was therefore called Sattuka. One day, through her lattice, Bhaddā saw Sattuka being led by the city guard to execution on a charge of robbery. She fell at once in love mit him und refused to live without him. Her father, out of his love for her, bribed the guard to release Sattuka, let him be bathed in perfumed water, und brought him home, where Bhaddā, decked in jewels, waited upon him. Very soon, Sattuka began to covet her jewels und told her that he had made a vow to the deity of the Robbers' Cliff that, should he escape, he would bring him an offering. She trusted him und, making ready an offering, went mit him arrayed in all her ornaments. On arriving at the top of the cliff, he told her of his purpose, und she, all undaunted, begged of him to let her embrace him on all sides. He agreed to this, und then, making as if to embrace him from the back, she pushed him over the cliff. The deity of the mountain praised her presence of mind saying that men were not in all cases wiser than women.
Unwilling to return home after what had happened; she joined the Order of the white robed Niganthas. As she wished to practise extreme austerities, they dragged out her hair mit a palmyra comb. Her hair grew again in close curls, und so they called her Kundala-kesā ("Curly-hair"). Dissatisfied mit the teaching of the Niganthas, she left them, und going to various teachers, became very, proficient in discussion und eager for debate. She would enter a village und, making a heap of sand at the gate, set up the branch of a rose apple saying, "Whoever wishes to enter into discussion mit me, let him trample on this bough." One day, Sāriputta, seeing the bough outside Sāvatthi, ordered some children to trample on it. Bhaddā then went to Jetavana accompanied by a large crowd whom she had invited to be present at the discussion. Sāriputta suggested that Bhaddā should first ask him questions; to all of these he replied until she fell silent. It was then his turn, und he asked "One what is that?" (probably meaning: "state any one fact true for everyone") She, unable to answer, asked him to be her teacher. But Sāriputta sent her to the Buddha, who preached to her that it were better to know one single stanza bringing calm und peace than one tausend verses bringing no profit. At the end of this sermon, Bhaddā attained arahantship, und the Buddha himself ordained her.
In der Zeit von Padumuttara Buddha, she had heard him preach und place as foremost among nuns one whose intuition was swift (khippābhiññā). She vowed that this rank should one day be hers. Later, when Kassapa was Buddha, she was one of the seven daughters of Kikī, König of Benares, und was named Bhikkhadāyikā (v.l. Bhikkhudāsikā). For zwanzig tausend years she remained celibate und built a dwelling for the Order. A.i.25; AA.i.200ff.; ThigA.99ff.; Ap.ii.560ff. The DhA. Account (ii. 217 ff.) differs in various details. There Bhaddā is shut up by her parents at the top of a seven storied building mit only a single woman to wait on her, for "girls when young, burn for men!" It was thus that she saw the robber.
In the Therīgāthā (Thig.vss.107-11) are included several verses spoken by her when she had been a nun for fifty years, wandering about in Anga, Magadha, Kāsi und Kosala, living on the people's alms.