Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Great Departure or Mahabhinishkramana’ 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.
The Great Departure or Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa
[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: The Great Departure or Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa]
Story:-
Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa or the Great Departure is a significant event in the life of Lord Buddha. The discontent or disgust of worldly life provoked his thought of departure from worldly pleasure in search for truth. On the night of his son’s birth Siddhārtha decided to leave the palace. To avoid the noise created by his horse’s hoofs four devatās put their palms beneath each of Kaṇṭhaka’s feet. The scene of Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa is frequently represented in the Amarāvatī Art[1]. The account of Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa is found in the Nidānakatha.[2]
Depiction:-
In an early relief fragment from Amarāvatī the scene is visible. In this relief a rider less horse is seen which looks like a beast of burden. In the groom’s left hand is a circular object which may represent a rein held to lead the horse[3]. The relief lacks the advanced finish witnessed in later specimens.
Again in another relief a rider less horse is depicted and a pair of dancing men is leading the horse. The gestures of the two men in front of the horse indicate effortless gliding in the air like the gandharvas. A man with the parasol is possibly Candaka pulling the horse’s tail. This matches the literary description of the Nidānakathā where Siddhārtha instructed Candaka to lead the horse by holding his tail. This relief is preserved in the Madras Government Museum.[4]
In another sculpture of the Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa episode the focus is on the centrally placed horse and grouping of figures on either side. One attendant is holding the parasol in a standing position behind the horse. In front of him are Candaka in soldier’s dress and a pair of joyous men. Candaka is shown with his left arm bent at the elbow, carrying a circular object in his fist[5]. However, like the previous example here also we find a rider less horse.
In a medallion of the rail pillar preserved in the British Museum the Departure scene is visible. Here the horse with the rider are marching towards the right. Below this composition are three events of the life of the Master[6]. (Pl 21c)
A panel from Amarāvatī preserved in the British Museum consists of four sections. The second section contains the Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa scene. In this relief for the first time nimbate Siddhārtha is seen as the rider of the horse. The staff of the parasol has been made longer in order to make a diagonal on the right side. The joyous figures provide the element of dynamism to the relief[7].
In another representation of Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa scene the prince’s horse Kaṇṭhaka is shown rider less. It wears a simple saddle and its mane is neatly trimmed. Behind the horse is a turbaned male figure holding an umbrella over the horse’s head. The horse is trotting out of an arched gateway[8].
In a frieze in the Archaeological Museum, Amarāvatī one can see the return of Kaṇṭhaka after Siddhārtha’s Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa. The dismissal of Kaṇṭhaka represents end of Bodhisattva’s last tie binding him to his home[9]. (Pl 21d)
The scene of Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa is found in Nāgārjunakoṇḍa (Pl 22a) and Gummadidurru.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Strong John S, Op.cit, pp 54
[2]:
[3]:
Parimoo Ratan, Op.cit, p 177, fig 164
[4]:
[5]:
Parimoo Ratan, Op.cit, p 178, fig 166
[6]:
Knox Robert, Op.cit, p 58, fig 11 (Innerface)
[7]:
Ibid, fig 57
[8]:
Ibid, p 185, fig 103.