Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Kakati 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.
Kākāti Jataka
[Full title: Jātakas and Avadānas in the Amarāvatī Art: Kākāti Jataka]
Story:-
Once Bodhisattva was born as the son of Brahmadatta, the king of Banaras and his beautiful consort Kākāti. One day the Garuda king in disguise of a human being came to Brahmadatta to play the game of dice. There he saw Kākāti and fell in love with her. He carried her off to his palace. Naṭakuvera, the musician of king Brahmadatta was asked to trace the whereabouts of the queen in the empire of Garuda. He found her and requested the Garuda king to restore her to king Brahmadatta. When Garuda king again came to play the dice the minister played his lute at the gambling board which conveyed the message of love of the king for his queen. Garuda king realized his mistake and gave her back to the king Brahmadatta. After this he never came to play the game of dice again[1].
Depiction:-
The jātaka is represented in the static monoscenic mode on a dome frieze from Amarāvatī preserved in the British Museum. The panel portrays the abduction of the wife of Brahmadatta by the Garuda king, trampling the opponents in the palace[2].
This jātaka is also carved on a limestone panel from Nāgārjunakoṇḍa, and Chaṇḍavaram.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cowell E.B, Op.cit, Vol-III-IV, No. 327, pp 60-62
[2]:
Subrahmanyam B, Op.cit, p 120, pl 39, pl 39a.