Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology

by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words

This page relates ‘Epigraphs from Amaravati (b) The Vaniyas or Merchants’ 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.

Epigraphs from Amarāvatī (b) The Vāṇīyas or Merchants

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Another social group associated with commercial activities was the Vāṇīyas or merchants. They made several donations to the Mahācaitya. Some of the epigraphs from Amarāvatī may be cited in this context:-

Text:-

Sidhaṃ Vāniyasa Kuṭasa sa—
bheriyasa saputakasa saduhu—
Tukasa sana tukasa dakhināya—
ke chetiya gabho sadhādu ko dānaṃ.^[1]

Translation:-

Success! A Chaityagarbha containing a relic (situated) on the southern side, the gift of the merchant Kuṭa, together with his wife, with his sons with his daughters with his grandsons.

Text:-

…Satamasa narvasa bha saṃm [a] saṃbudhādichasa || saghakasa nārasalasa vāniyasa Nagatisa sa
gharaṇiya Nākhāya saha āpano putchi Haṃghikena Budhina Mūlena^[2]

Transaction:-

(Adoration) to the truely enlightened sun, the chief man (narauri sabha) the best… (The gift) of Nākhā, the wife of the merchant Nāgatisa (Nāgatishaya) a member of the community (samgha), a Narasala (?) together with her sons Hanghika, Budhi, Mula…..””

Note:-

This inscription gives information of Nākhā, the wife of merchant Nagatisa from Narasala who made donations with her son and Hamghika, Budhi and Mula.

Text:-

Vāniyiniyā Nakacampakiyā cadasirisa-Siri——
Dhanika saṭha nikāya Budhilaya ca
dhana dhanaṃ Unhisinihi nivide magasa hetukanantana^[3]

Translation:-

Coping gift of the merchants wife Nāka Campaki-Cadaśirī-Siri wife of the rich caravan leader Budhila.

Note:-

From this inscription we derive the information that a merchant’s wife of the name Nakacampaki donated a coping stone with Cadaśirī and Siri, the wife of a rich caravan trader.

Text:-

i) Sidham—
ii) ma(hā) va nasa
iii) malāna sisihasa (sa)
iv) gahagājā kaṃḍasa Dhamilavani
v) yaputasa Gadhikasa Vaniyasa—
vi) rakhitasa sapitukasa samātuka
vii) (bha) riyakasa sa (bha) tukasa sa
viii) putaka (sa) saduhutukasa saghares (uṇhaka)
ix) sa sanatukasa
x) sanatimitabadhava (sa)
xi) padhānama (da) vo-
xii) ……….^[4]

Note:-

This inscription mentions merchant Rakhitasa, a perfume dealer and the son of merchant Dhamila who gifted the main pavilion (padhana madavo) with his family members.