Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Division of Relics’ 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.
Division of Relics
[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: Division of Relics]
Story:-
The story of the Master’s death and the division of the bones is given in the Mahā parinirvāṇa Sutra of the Dīghanikāya.[1]
Learning through Ānanda that the Master had passed away, the Mallas of Kusinara lamented and came to the Śāl grove with music and dance for performing his cremation ceremony. The ceremonies lasted a week when finally Buddha’s corpse was carried on a funeral pyre. Mahākassapa arrived and revered the feet of the Master. After the body was burnt, the Mallas of Kusinara surrounded the bones of Buddha in their council hall for seven days. They honoured them with music, dance, garlands and perfumes.
Soon the news reached Ajātsatru, the king of Magadha, Licchavis of Vaiśālī, the Śākyas of Kapilāvastu, Mallas of Pāvā, Koliyas of Rāmagrama, Bulis of Allakappa and Brāhmaṇas of Vethadipa. They sent messengers for a share of the bones of Buddha. The Mallas refused. But a Brāhmaṇa named Doṇa advised them not to quarrel over the Master’s remains.
Mallas now requested Doṇa to divide the relics. He divided them into eight parts and gave the portions away taking the receptacle for himself over which he built a stūpa. The Moriyas of Pipphalivana asked for a share of the remains but it was too late. So they received only the embers[2].
Depiction:-
The lower scene to the right of a coping stone illustrates the funeral ceremony of Buddha. The first panel above this to the right shows Mallas disagreeing to give the remains of Buddha to the applicants. Another noble men visible in an attitude of persuasion is Dona. In the next panel all the applicants are assembled along with Mallas to divide the remains of the Master. Finally the scene to the left shows seven elephants with riders issuing out of the gate way of Kusinara each holding a relic[3]. This specimen is preserved in the Madras Government Museum.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Strong Jhon S, Op.cit, pp 144-146.
[3]:
Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, pp 204-205, pl XLIII, fig 1.