Rojā¹

A Malla, inhabitant of Kusinārā. When the Buddha and Ānanda visited Kusinārā, the Malla chieftains decreed that whoever failed to pay homage to the Buddha would be fined five hundred coins. Rojā was Ānanda’s friend, and Ānanda was pleased when he arrived to pay homage to the Buddha, but when Rojā said that he did so only out of regard for his kinsmen’s decree, Ānanda was bitterly disappointed and asked the Buddha to discover some means by which Rojā could be made to become his follower. The Buddha agreed to do this, and by means of the power of his compassion, Rojā was induced to visit him again. The Buddha preached to Rojā, who asked, as a boon, that the monks should accept hospitality only from him. This request was refused by the Buddha, who said that Rojā must take his turn with others in showing hospitality to him and his monks. Finding that he had long to wait for his turn, Rojā made enquiries, and, discovering that the monks had no supply of green vegetables or pastry, he consulted Ānanda, and, with the Buddha’s sanction, offered these things to the Buddha and his monks. Vin.i.247ff.

Once Rojā forced on Ānanda a linen cloth (khomapilotikā); Ānanda had need of it, and accepted it with the Buddha’s permission. Vin.i.296

Rojā²

A class of devas, present at the preaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta. DN.ii.260