Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Vajrasana and Simhasana’ 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.
Vajrāsana and Siṃhāsana
[Full title: Different symbols visible in the Amarāvatī Art: Vajrāsana and Siṃhāsana]
Significance:-
Vajrāsaṇa or Siṃhāsana is the vacant seat which symbolizes the physical presence of Buddha. According to A.M Hocart the throne shows the king’s moral superiority and symbolizes sovereignty. In the sculptures it look like the Pāda pīṭha, that is, footstool usually seen in the royal court as the object to be touched by the forehead of any vassal.[1] In Buddhism the Master is a spiritual sovereign and hence the vajrāsaṇa is a fitting representation of Buddha
Depiction:-
In a casing slab from Amarāvatī preserved in the Madras Government Museum a Vajrasana can be seen. The frieze actually shows Enlightenment symbolized by the Bodhi tree where beneath the tree rests the Vajrāsaṇa.[2] (Pl 29a). Such depictions are frequently seen in the Amarāvatī ateliar.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, p 58 pl XXI, fig1
[2]:
Ibid, pl XXI, fig1.