The Story of Udayana and his Queens

[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: The Story of Udayana and his Queens]

Story:-

The story is given in Dhammapada-atthakatha. King Udayana of Kosambi had queens named Magandiya, Samavati and Vasuladatta. Magandiya hated Samavati and desired to harm her. First two attempts at poisoning the king’s mind were unsuccessful. After this, she planned a more treacherous plot.

Udayana was fond of music and played vīṇā. He used to spend his days equally among his three consorts. Magandiya on the day previous to his visit to Samavati procured a snake, placed it in the shell of the vīṇā and closed the hole through which she slipped it with a bunch of flowers. She then told the king that she had a bad dream and requested him not to leave her apartments. The king however went to the palace of Samavati carrying his vīṇā. Magandiya followed him. When the king rested on the couch with the vīṇā in Samavatis apartment, Magandiya removed the bunch of flowers and the snake emerged from the hole. The hiss of the snake and Magandiya’s screams convinced the king of the guilt of Samavati. He took his bow and shot a poisoned arrow at her. But Samavati’s love towards the king and co-wives turned the arrow back. This set the king thinking. He understood the goodness of Samavati and threw the bow away. He prostrated himself before her and requested her to be his refuge. But Samavati requested him to seek refuge in Buddha which the king accepted.^[1]

Depiction:-

The lower portion of the upright in the Madras Government Museum shows this scene. Here a pot-bellied man discussing with a woman identified as Magandiya can be visible. The panel beside it shows Udayana going quickly with something in his right hand while a woman and her attendants request him not to go. This is identified as the scene in Magandiya’s palace where after her plot she sheds false tears for his safety^[2].

The part of the upright immediately beneath the half medallion at the top represents the king with a bow in the central panel. The scene includes a woman in a disturbed state identified as Samavati. Beside the king is a woman with a look of satisfaction. She is possibly Magandiya. In the panel to the left is a snake coiled up beside the vīṇā. A woman is standing looking at the snake and conversing with a pot-bellied person. She is Magandiya conversing with her uncle. This is preserved in the Madras Government Museum^[3].

The inner face of a crossbar from the British Museum depicts the story of Udayana. The snake is visible in the scene next to the vīṇā. Behind the chair stands Magandiya. The broken figure of Udayana is sculpted with raised leg as he draws is bow against his second wife.^[4] (Pl 26c)

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, pp 201-204.

[2]:

I bid, pl XXXV, fig 1.

[3]:

I bid, pl XXXIV, fig 1.

[4]:

Knox Robert, Op.cit, p 78, fig 24. (inner face)