Sanyogita (Buddhist Bhikkhuni)

Arahata Sanyogita
Other names	Sudarshana
Personal
Religion	Buddhism
Parents	Malwarsena (father) Sunanda (mother)
Senior posting
Teacher	Gautama Buddha
Disciple of	Gautama Buddha

Sanyogita, also said, Sayogita or Sahayogita Sanskrit: संयोगिता,Pali Sanskrit:Sanyogitā) was a Buddhist bhikkhuni or nun who was a princess before being a bhikkhuni. She was one of the disciples of Gautama Buddha and the friend of Khema, wife of Bimbisara. She was born in Kundalpura, where her father, Malwarsena was ruling. She was the daughter of King Malwarsena of Kundalpura and mother's name was Queen Sunanda. When she was a little girl, she was interested in listening to Gautama Buddha's voice so she went and became his disciple. Sanyogita declined to be a princess because she didn't like it the most. Bhikkhuni Sanyogita then took the help of her friend, Khema and also Uppalavanna for understanding. She also understood to respect a person even when they used to not respect her by her teacher, Gautama Buddha. Her father wanted her to be a princess, but apart from being a princess, she became a bhikkhuni and her religion was Buddhism.

Birth

A place named Kundalpura and there was a king named Malwarsena and his wife Sunanda. Few years, Queen Sunanda was pregnant and was about to give birth to a daughter. When the daughter was born from her, she was named Sanyogita. The Senapatis and all the priests told him that he would have to decide his daughter will have to become a princess (a Rajkumari) or a sannyasi. But after being a a grown up woman, Sanyogita accepted to be Sannyasi. She left her family and her parents. She also refused to marry and become a mother. She later became a bhikkhuni and became the disciple of Gautama Buddha. She died at the age of 67.

Being the disciple of Buddha

She left her family at the age of 31 and became a Buddhist Bhikkhuni. She is one of the chief female disciples of Buddha. She taught one of the people the way of buddhism. Sanyogita was a religious student of Gautama Buddha. Her story is also mentioned in Mahabharata when Duryodhana saw a beautiful tapaswini doing tapa (penance). He wanted to marry her but Sanyogita showed her diplomatic reaction to Duryodhana. In this story, she is mentioned as a tapaswini but in Buddhism folklores, she is mentioned as the disciple of Buddha. She was not like a ordinary woman who would scream in seeing crown prince Duryodhana but she refrained from marrying him. Thus is because of her teacher Gautama Buddha.

Her religious beliefs are taught by Gautama Buddha and she taught and spread the belief of Buddhism in every population of villages and cities. She was one of the nuns who also spread this message that a pregnant woman should not be kidnapped a person who doesn't knows her. She protected women by doing this and became a religious teacher of the people of population. After being aged still she taught people the way of life. Her course was a scholar, writer and a poet. She died at the age of 67 due to weakness and she did'nt eat nor drank anything. But still, she accepted to be hungry without food and kept on teaching and also she had a interest in teachings. The history of Buddhism has no information about her but her information is mentioned in the Buddhist manuscripts. She had joined Buddhism at the age of 23 and she became a disciple of Buddha but didn't marry.