Maha Buddhavamsa - The death of the Bodhisatta's mother Mahamaya Devi

Maha Buddhavamsa
The Great Chronicle of The Buddhas
by Tipitakadhara Mingun Sayadaw

Edited and Translated by
U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin

The death of the Bodhisatta's mother Mahamaya Devi and her rebirth in Tusita abode of Devas

      On the seventh day after the birth of the Bodhisatta Prince, his mother Mahamaya Devi, reaching the end of her life-span, passed away and was reborn in Tusita abode as a Deva bearing the name of Santusita.
      (The mother died not because she had given birth to the Bodhisatta, but because her life-span had come to an end. It may be recalled that even when the Bodhisatta Setaketu Deva made the five great investigations, Mahamaya had only ten months and seven days more to live. Nobody else is worthy of occupying the lotus-like womb of the Bodhisatta's mother, for it is like the perfumed chamber which has housed a Buddha or his statue or an object of worship. Besides, while the Bodhisatta's mother is still alive, it is not appropriate to keep her aside and make another woman Chief Queen. So his the usual course of event (dhammata) that the Bodhisatta's mother should remain alive for only seven days after giving birth to her son. Hence the passing away of the mother at that time.)

The age of Mahamaya Devi at the time of demise

      To the query, "In which period of life did Mahamaya Devi die?", the answer is: "She died in the middle period." To elaborate since desires and passions abound in sentient beings in the first period of life, a woman who conceives in this period cannot take good care of her pregnancy. Accordingly, the baby at that time is susceptible to many diseases. But the womb of the mother remains clean when she passes two thirds of her middle period and reaches the last third. And whoever takes conception in such a clean womb is free from diseases. Therefore the Bodhisatta's mother, after enjoying palatial luxuries in the first period of life, gave birth to her son and died when she came to the third and last stage of her middle period of life (Digha-Nikaya Commentary, Vol.II, in the exposition of Bodhisatta dhammata)
      Strictly following the exposition of' this Commentary, famous teachers of old have composed an aphorism in a verse form to state that the mother of the Bodhisatta passed away when she was precisely fifty six years, four months and twenty seven days old. There is also another one saying that the royal mother conceived at the age of fifty-five years, six months and twenty days.
      Further explanation in brief: At the time when the mother Maya was born as a human being, the general life-span was one hundred years which may be equally divided into three periods, each consisting of thirty—three years and four months She enjoyed her luxurious life in the first period of thirty—three years and four months. If the second period of thirty—three years and four months are made into three portions, each portion covers eleven years, one month and ten days. The sum of the first two portions will then be twenty—two years, two months and twenty days. To his, add the number of years and in months of the first period, and the result is fifty—five years, six months and twenty days. At this age did the mother conceive the Bodhisatta. Hence the second aphorism.
      If and when the ten months' duration of pregnancy as well as the seven days that followed the Bodhisatta's birth are added to the fifty five years, six months and twenty days, the sum total will be fifty-six years, four months and twenty-seven days. Hence the first aphorism.
      (An elaboration of the meaning of the subject—matter under discussion is given in the Samantacakkhu Dipani, Vol.1.)

Whether the royal mother Maya was reborn as a male or a female celestial being

      To the question as to whether the royal mother Maya was reborn as a male or a female celestial being in the abode of Tusita, the answer no doubt should he that she was reborn as a male.
      In this matter, after superficially studying the Pali statement mataram pamukham katva" some scholars say or write that she was reborn as a female deity; but such reliable works as the Theragatha Commentary and others hold that "Maya was only a male deity in Tusita world of gods." Concerning Thera Kaludayis verses in the Dasaka Nipata of the Theragtha Commentary, Vol.II, it is said:
      "devupapatti pana purisabhaven' eva jata, " (Maya's) rebirth in the abode of gods took place only in the form of a male"
      Also in the section on the Bodhisatta's auspicious birth, the Jinalankara Tika, it is mentioned: "Yasma ca Bodhisattena vasitakucchi nama cetiyagabbhasadisa hoti, na sakka annena , sattena avasitum va paribhun va. Tasma Bodhisattamatamata gobbhavutthanato sattame divase kalam katva Tusitapure devaputto hutva nibbatti," "The womb in which the Bodhisatta had stayed was like the chamber of a cetiya: other beings did not deserve to stay there or to use it. Therefore seven days after giving birth, the Bodhisatta's mother died and became 'son of a god' in the celestial city of Tusita."
      Still in the exposition on the Visatigatha of the Manidipa Tika, Vol.1, it is asserted: "Siri, Mahamaya hi Bodhisattam vijayitva sattahamattam thatva ito cavitva Tusitabhavane purisabhaven'eva nibbata, na itthibhavena ti", "Having lived only for seven days after giving birth to the Bodhisatta, Siri Mahamaya passed away from this world and was reborn only as a man (male deity), not as a woman (female deity). It is a regular incident that all the mothers of Bodhisattas should live only seven days after childbirth and that they should all die to be reborn in Tusita Deva abode only as a god and never as a goddess." Therefore the fact that Mahamaya was born only as a male deity (Deva) in Tusita should be accepted without doubt.