Who among the following was the Buddha's foster mother and the first woman to be ordained as a bhikkhuni?

The correct option is Mahapajapati Gotami.

Explanation

The question pertains to the biographical details of Gautama Buddha and the historical establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha (Order of Nuns). The admission of women into the Buddhist monastic order marked a significant social and religious development in ancient India.

Option Analysis

• Yashodhara Yashodhara: She was the wife of Prince Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha) and the mother of Rahula. While she eventually joined the Sangha and became an arahant, she was not the first woman to be ordained.
• Mahapajapati Gotami Mahapajapati Gotami: Correct. She was the younger sister of Queen Maya and the foster mother (stepmother) of the Buddha, having raised him after Queen Maya's death. She approached the Buddha at Kapilavastu and later at Vaishali to request ordination. After the intervention of Ananda, the Buddha permitted her entry into the Sangha, making her the first bhikkhuni.
• Maya Maya: Queen Maya was the birth mother of the Buddha. She died seven days after his birth and was reborn in the Tushita Heaven. She did not live to see the establishment of the Sangha.
• Punna Punna: In Buddhist literature, Punna refers to a slave girl who offered rice cake to the Buddha or a specific Theri, but she is not the foundational figure for the order of nuns.

Key Takeaway: Mahapajapati Gotami was the first woman admitted to the Buddhist Sangha, an event that occurred at Vaishali following the mediation of Ananda.