Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Epigraphs from Amaravati (c) The Heranikas or Treasurer’ 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 (c) The Heraṇikas or Treasurer
The Heraṇikas were also patrons of the Buddhist monument at Amarāvatī. Some donations by this social group confirms this. According to D.C Sircar the word ‘Heraṇika’ comes from ‘hiranyakāra’ a treasurer, a goldsmith or a mint master. They were possibly persons dealing with gold, gold coins, bullions and not merely goldsmiths. Some inscriptions of the Heraṇikas from Amarāvatī may be stated.
Text:-
Budhala gahapatiputasa Heraṇikasa—
sidhathasā samitananibadhavasā suyi dānaṃ.[1]
Note:-
This inscription mentions donation of sūcī by Heraṇika Siddartha, the son of gahapati Budhila with his friends and relatives.
In addition to this the inscription of Nakha mentioned earlier also makes reference of donation by Heraṇika Budhi and Mula.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Burgess Jas, Op.cit, No. 114, pp 25.