Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology

by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words

This page relates ‘Vessantara Jataka’ of the study on Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology, including museum exhibitions of the major archeological antiquities. These pages show how the Buddhist establishment of Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) survived from 4th century BCE to 14th century CE. It includes references and translations of episodes of Buddha’s life drawn from the Avadanas and Jatakas which are illustrated in Amaravati art.

[Full title: Jātakas and Avadānas in the Amarāvatī Art: Vessantara Jātaka]

Story:-

The Bodhisattva was born in the Sibi kingdom as prince Vessantara. He was the son of King Sanjaya and Phusati. When Phusati was passing through the vaisya street the Great Being was born. Hence he was named Vessantara. He was very generous from the time of birth. On his birthday a female flying elephant brought forth a young white elephant cub by the name Paccaya and left it in the royal stables. Paccaya had magnificent power to bring rain. At that time there was draught in Kaliṅga. When the king of Kaliṅga asked for the elephant through eight Brāhmiṇs he accepted their request. The citizens of the Sibi kingdom informed the king that the prince had gifted Paccaya. The king was annoyed and banished his son to exile in Vanka’s mountain. He was accompanied by his wife Mādri and his children. While entering the forest some Brāhmiṇs asked for four horses and the chariot. The request was granted. Under Śakra’s orders Viśvakarmā built two hermitages for the prince. At that time in Kalinga lived a wicked Brāhmiṇ called Jujaka who asked for his two children. The request was granted. Then Śakra in the disguise of a Brāhmiṇ asked Vessantara for his precious wife. Again Vessantara parted with his wife. Pleased with prince’s pious and virtuous deeds Śakra restored his wife to him and gave him eight boons. In the meanwhile the wicked Brāhmiṇ once came to the kingdom of Sanjaya with Vessantara’s children. The king recognized his two grand children. He paid the price for Vessantara’s children and rescued them.

King Sanjaya took both his grand children to Vanka’s mountain, met his son and his daughter in law. All of them returned back to the city of Jatuttara. On this occasion Śakra showered precious gold upon the palace so that Vessantara could make donations[1].

Depiction:-

A panel from Amarāvatī preserved in the Madras Government Museum contains scenes of Vessantara Jātaka arranged from right to left. The first scene depicts Vessantara holding a pitcher beside his elephant pouring water into the hands of the Brāhmiṇ who waits for the gift. In the next scene are the people complaining to the king who is seated on the royal throne. The next scene shows Vessantara gifting a cart to the Brāhmiṇ. The prince Vessantara and Mādri are shown carrying their children to the hermitage[2].

Another depiction of the Jātaka in the railing coping from Amarāvatī preserved in the British Museum shows three episodes of the Jātaka. The first episode shows Vessantara giving Paccaya to a pair of Brāhmiṇs. The second scene shows Vessantara in a grove of trees in front of a rustic hut near the mount Vanka. The third scene depicts four male figures with shaven heads at the extreme left of the panel. On the top are four persons. The small figures before Vessantara are his children gifted to the Brāhmiṇ. Though the scenes are chronologically out of sequence it strengthens the ideological concept of the Jātaka[3] (Pl 17c).

Another depiction of the Jātaka is visible on the drum slab of the stūpa preserved in the British Museum. In this static monoscenic narrative depiction of the return of Madri from the forest, the re-union of Vessantara’s father with his grandson, Vessantara pouring water into the hands of Brāhmiṇ before giving the elephant, Vessantara giving his two children to a Brāhmiṇ etc are skillfully delineated[4].

Again Vessantara jataka is portrayed in two panels from Amarāvatī preserved in the Archaeological Museum Amarāvatī. In one relief on the dome slab the prince is portrayed with his wife, servants and sons. The other panel depicts the scene of giving away the sons to jujaka[5].

This jātaka is also depicted in the reliefs at Goli, Gummadidurru and Nāgārjunakoṇḍa (Pl 17d).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cowell E.B, Op.cit, vol V-VI, No. 547, pp 246-305.

[2]:

Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, pl LXIII, fig 5

[3]:

Knox Robert, Op.cit, pp 101-103, pl 42

[4]:

Ibid, p 154, pl 80.

[5]:

Acc No. 1, Limestone, Measurement 95 x 94 x 18 cm, Archaeological Museum, Amaravati, Archaeological Survey of India.

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