Utpalavarṇā (Sanskrit: उत्पलवर्णा; Pali: Uppalavannā; Chinese: 蓮華色, pinyin: Liánhuásè) was a Buddhist bhikkhuni, or nun, who was considered one of the top female disciples of the Buddha.

The earliest known record of Uppalavanna comes from a 3rd century BCE stone engraving, portraying her at the Buddha's descent to Sankassa after he visited his mother in Tavatimsa Heaven as described in Buddhist legend.

Uppalavanna is mentioned in several early Buddhist texts of the Pali Canon, including the Saṃyutta Nikāya, Aṅguttara Nikāya, and the Therīgāthā and Apadāna collections within the Khuddaka Nikaya as well as some early Mahayana texts such as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eighty-thousand Lines and Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom.

[4] According to the Pali Canon, in a previous life Uppalavanna was born a woman in the time of Padumattara Buddha and witnessed him declare one of his nuns foremost in psychic powers.

After hearing the declaration, the woman made the resolve to become the female disciple foremost in psychic powers under a future Buddha and did good deeds for many lifetimes in hopes of becoming one.

Not wanting to disappoint so many people, and fearing a potential conflict between the various wealthy and powerful suitors, he suggested Uppalavanna become a bhikkhuni, or nun, under the Buddha.

Using the fire from the lamp as a kasina, or object of meditation, she entered deeper states of concentration and became a fully enlightened arahant later that night.

The Buddha also praised Uppalavanna for her teaching and leadership skills, declaring her and Khema his chief female disciples that other nuns should take as their model.

Being an enlightened arahant, Uppalavanna sees through the charade and describes her psychic abilities, explaining to Mara that she is the master of her own mind and has nothing to fear.

American bhikkhuni Tathālokā Therī points out that the story of Uppalavanna's rape in the Pali tradition shares a theme with Maha Moggallana, whose psychic powers also suddenly become ineffective on one occasion due to a past karma, which leaves him unable to escape and causes him to get killed by a group of bandits.