Epigraphs from Amarāvatī (i) Monks and Nuns

The role of the Buddhist saṅgha was crucial in the maintainance of the religious complex. The prosperity of the monastic establishment and the religious group is also revealed by the large scale donations by the monks and nuns. Approximately 17% of the entire donation belonged to this group. It included monks, nuns and lay disciples of Buddhism. The epigraphical records bear testimony to this. It is interesting to note that monks and nuns also came from far off lands and made gifts. This undoubtedly revealed the popularity of the stupa.

In this regard some epigraphs from Amarāvatī may be cited which indicate donations by monks and nuns from distant places.

Text:-

i) Sidham Jetaparavanavathavaya pavajitikaya sagharakhitāya bālikaya ja
ii) pavajitikaya Haghaya Kumarikāya ja Yavaya dāna deyadhama ūpato.^[1]

Translation:-

Meritorious gift of upright slab (ūpato) by the nun (pavajitika) Sagharakhitā (Samgharakshita) living in Jetaparavana, her daughter, the nun Hamghā and by her latter’s daughter Yavā.

Note:-

This inscription is interesting as it states the tender age of the donors that is balikāya and kumāri. It refers to females having children who have joined the order and are making donations. It refers to donation by Saṅgharakṣitā along with her nun daughters Hamghā and by her nun Yavā.

A number of inscriptions mention donation by lay worshipper along with monks and nuns. However, the place from which they came is not stated.

Text:-

i) Vinayadharasa aya Punavasusa atevāsiniyā uvajhāyiniya Samudiyaya atevāsiniya Malāya peṇḍaka
ii) (dā) na^[2]

Translation:-

Gift of a slab by Malā the female disciple of the female teacher Samudiyā the disciple of the worthy (aya) Punavasu learned in Vināya (texts)

This is a votive inscription.

Text:-

i) … Bhavāta–Dhammasiriaya Pasamayā-Hagas(i) ri-Cadāravisiri uvasaka-ima-patithavi (tu)^[3]

Translation:-

This is erected by the reverent (bhavata) Dhammasiriā, (Dharmaśrikā),

Pasama (Praśāma) Hagisiri (Agniśrī) Cadā (Candrā) and lay worshipper Ravisiri (Raviśrī)

Text:-

……nilikā mahayāya Sujatāmya mahāvasi bhūtaya duhu tāya bhikhuniya Rohāya atholoka dhamma vitivataya dā (na)^[4]

Translation:-

Gift of nun Rohā who has passed beyond the eight worldly conditions, the daughter of the venerable Sujāta of great self control. (Pl 33b)

Text:-

pavicitāya Bhadaya pavacatayo Nakaya doyadhamma nama.^[5]

Translation:-

The meritorious gift of nun Bhadā and the nun Nakā.

Text:-

Theresa Chetiyavada kasa Bhayata Budhino, Bhaginiya Budhaya-cha-dāna deya dhama siha-thāna^[6]

Translation:-

Pious gift of a lion pedestal of Thera Bhayata Budhi, the enlarger of the caitya and of his sister the nun Budha.

Text:-

ya samanikāya
tukāya sabhā
(sa) ghamitaya Sabhātra
(g) inikāya
Dānaṃ^[7]

Translation:-

Gift of the nun (Samanikā) Sanghamitā (Sanghamitrā) with her brothers and sisters

Text:-

……gahapatino Idasa duhutuya gharaṇiya
Kaṇhāya duhutuya upāsikaya Kāmāya saputikā ya sabhātukāya
sabhaginikāya bhikhuniyā ca Nāgamitaya a taya (sukaya ba?)^[8]

Translation:-

(The gift) of the female lay worshipper Kāna, the daughter of housewife Kāmha of the householder Ida with her sons, housewife Kāmha and of the nun Nāgamitā.

Text:-

i) Rajagirinivāsikasa
ii) Vetikānavaka makasa’
iii) theresa bhayata Buddharakhitasa
iv) atevasi-varuṛkaya bhikhunia Budharakhi -ta (ya)
v) sadhutuka-ya-Dhamadinaya Sagharakhi
vi) tasa ca dānaṃ.^[9]

Translation:-

Gift… of the nun (bhikunī) Budharakhita of varuru, the female disciple of the elder (thera) venerable Budharaksita, the overseer of repair works of the rail with her daughter and of Dharmadatta and of Saṅghara ṣitā.

Note:-

The term “vetikā navakamākasa” is read differently by scholars. While Burgess and Luders read it as Chetikā navakammākasa, Sivaramamurti read it as Vetikā, that is, rail (vedikā). From Tārānatha’s account it is learnt that Acārya Nāgārjuna was responsible for the renovation of the railing which was supervised by Buddha-rakhita. Thus this inscription corroborates the account of Tārānatha. However, Budharakhita, the teacher of the donee was the resident of Rājagiri, that is, Guḍivāda.

From the epigraphs it is understood that there existed a hierarchy of the monastic order. The use of epithets like Aya, Bhayata, Bhayanta, Thera, Mahāthera and Navakarmika for the monks is indicative of their position in the saṅgha. The navakarmika or the supervisor of construction and renovation work was done by the senior monk. Budharakhita was a navakarmika. The terms like “pavajitik” or “pavacit” Samanika, Bhikhunī and Uvajhayinī (female teacher) is associated with nuns. The Bhikhus and Bhikhunīs were both involved in making donations and thereby enlarging the stūpa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 31, p 277-278.

[2]:

Lüders H, Op.cit, No. 1286, p 153. Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 70, p 291.

[3]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 112, p 300. Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1284, p 153.

[4]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 74, p 292. Burgess Jas, Op.cit, No. 66 B, p 41.

[5]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 62, p 289. Chanda Ramprasad, Op.cit, No. 58, p 275.

[6]:

Lüders H, Op.cit, No. 1223, p 143.

[7]:

Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1315, p 156. Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 80, p 293.

[8]:

Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1252, p 148. Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No 67, pp 289-90.

[9]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 69, p 290. Lüders H, Ibid, no. 1250, p 148