Mother of Uttara, who was a son of Udena’s minister. See Uttara (7). She was miserly, and when her son gave alms she abused him, and spoke disparagingly of the holy men who accepted his gifts. On one occasion, however, she approved of a gift of a tuft of peacock’s feathers at the festival of dedication of a vihāra. After death she was born as a peta. Because of her approval of the gift of peacock’s feathers she had lovely hair, but when she stepped into the river to drink water, all the water turned into blood. (She had told her son that his gifts would turn into blood in his nest birth). For fifty-five years she wandered, famished and thirsty, until one day, seeing the elder Kaṅkhā-Revata spending the day on the banks of the Gaṅgā, she approached him, covering her nudity with her hair, and begged him for a drink. The elder, having learnt from her her story, gave food and drink and clothes to the monks on her behalf and she obtained release from her suffering and enjoyed great bliss (Pv.28 f; PvA.140 ff).

According to the Visuddhimagga (ii.382), Uttaramātā was able to go through the sky because of the psychic power inborn in her as a result of Kamma. This probably refers to another woman. (See below 2.)