Daughter of Muṭasiva, King of Sri Lanka, and wife of Mahānāga, who was brother and sub-king to Devānampiyatissa. With five hundred other women she heard Mahinda teach the Petavatthu, the Vimānavatthu, and the Sacca Saṃyutta, and together with the others became a Stream-winner.¹ Later, hearing the discourse taught by Mahinda in the Mahāmeghavana, she, with others, became a Once-returner, and expressed to the king their wish to receive ordination. It was to enable these to be ordained that Saṅghamittā was sent for.² Until the arrival of Saṅghamittā, Anulā and her companions observed the ten precepts and lived in the Upāsikā-vihāra.³ The Subcommentary (ṭīkā) says they took on the one-sessioner’s practice (ekāsanikaṅga) as well.⁴

After her ordination Anulā became an Arahant ⁵ and was the first woman Arahant in Sri Lanka.