Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology

by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words

This page relates ‘Epigraphs from Amaravati (j) The Stupa site’ 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 (j) The Stūpa site

The popularity of the stūpa complex is understood as the donors converged on the stūpa site of Amarāvatī from various towns of India as well as from far off lands.

Some of the epigraphs may be cited in this context.

Text:-

tasa Likhitasa thambo
bhi(khu) dāna paṭalitate
[1]

Translation:-

Pillar of Likhita a monk from Paṭaliputra

Text:-

i) Damila Kanhasa bhātunam ca Culakanhasa Nakhaya ca Dhanamahace
ii) tiyapādamūle Udhaṃpaṭo
[2]

Translation:-

An upright slab at the foot of the great caitya of Dana, gift of Damila Kanha, his brother Culakanha and his sister Nakhā.

Note:-

The stūpa of Amarāvatī received donations from the people of Damila which probably refers to the Tamil country.

Text:-

Bālikāhi sahinatihisa nitya
sa nigama khatana gena
Sahadama deya dhamma
Dhanakakata mahachetiya chetiya paṭā be 2, bataka 3,
datisa pupha gatiya paṭasa….
cha… ha cha nebatasa tha… tha
Raja giriyanan nata vadāre
paditha pita sanasa dānam
chahitasa pathati
[3]

Translation:-

Gift of two caitya slabs (caityapaṭa), three foot prints (pāṭuka) a coping stone (uṣṇīṣa) a slab with a flower vase (pupha-ganiya pata)? and other objects to the great caitya (mahācaitya) at Dhaṃnakaṭa (Dhānyakaṭaka) and erection of some object at (?) the great caitya (mahācaitya) at Rājagiri at the northern door (dara) by some person together with his relative.

Text:-

Sidham Kudūra nivāsikasa bhayata Nāgasa atevāsikasa dahara bhikhusa Vidhikasa ate vāsiṇiya ca Budharakhitaya natiya ca Cūta Vubharakhitaya ca Utarāyake paṭodāna[4]

Translation:-

Success. Gift of a slab at the northern gate by the young monk (daharabhikhu). Vidhika, disciple of revered (bhayata bhadanta) Nāga who resides at Kudura and his female Buddhirakṣita and by her grand daughter Cula Budharakṣita.

Note:-

This is an important inscription as it refers to Kudura/Koddura which is mentioned by Ptolemy as an important port town in the Maisolia region. It is generally identified with Kodura in the Divi Taluk of Kṛṣṇā district.

Text:-

(R) ayasela vāsino vasibhūtasa
(ma) hatherana ayira Bhūtarakhitasa (a)
(te) vāsikasa chula-ay ay(i)rasa ara (ha)
(ta) sa ayira Budhara khitasa atev(a)
(si) niya bhikhuniyā Nadāya thambo dānaṃ.[5]

Translation:-

The pillar, the gift of the worthy Cula, disciple of the great sthavira of self controlled mind. The worthy Bhūtaraksita, resident at Rajaśaila (Rāyasela) and nun Nadā a disciple of the arhat, the worthy Budharaksita.

Note:-

Rajaśaila may be identical with Rājagiri which has been identified as Guḍivāda.

Text:-

Sidham kanṭakasolakasa upāsakasa Utarasa samat(vka)—
sa sabhaginikasa Saputuat Kasa saduhutukasa [dānaṃ]
[6]

Translation:-

Success (gift) of the lay worshipper Utara of Kanṭakasila with the mother, sisters brothers and daughters. (Pl 33c)

Note:-

Here Kanṭakasila is Ghaṇṭaśālā, that is, the pilgrims came from Ghaṇṭaśālā.

Text:-

Sidhaṃ namo bhagavato Vijayapuravathavasa Cada….vaniyiniya
Sidhiya….sa patithavita
[7]

Translation:-

Success! Adoration to the Lord! (This coping stone) was erected by the merchant’s wife (vāniyinī) Sidhi…… of Cada residing at Vijayapura.

Note:-

Here Vijayapura may be identified as Vijayapurī, the ancient Nāgārjunakoṇḍa.

Text:-

(?sa) tutamasa naravasabha Saṃmsambudhādicasa ||
upāskasa Nārasala sa vāniyasa Nagatisasa gharaṇiya Nākhāya saha apano putchi
heraṇikena Budhinā Mūlena….
[8] (Pl 33d)

Translation:-

Adoration to the best, the truely Enlightened, the Sun.

(The gift) of Nākhā, the wife of the merchant Nāgatisa inhabitant of Narasala with her sons, the treasurer (Heraṇika) Budhi, Mula

Note:-

Narasala was a significant market town of Andhra.

Text:-

(Sidham)…. Sabāl (i) (ka) ya Nakabudha (nikāya)[9]

Translation:-

Success! (Gift) of Nakabudha(nika) with her daughter

Note:-

It is Nakabudha, probably the Nakabudha nika of the Jaggayyapeṭa inscription, daughter of avesani (artisan) Sidhāta.

Text:-

Haraānavar (u) no vamakhu āraṇa arayadhama tharāna Dhamasaraya (na?) Apara[10]

Translation:-

…? The elder (Thārana-therana) the noble wife of the forest dweller (ārana arayadhama), Dhamasurayana (Dharmaśrayaṇa).

Note:-

This inscription mentions donation by forest dweller.

Text:-

i) Sidham samyutakabhanakanan Pusakavamavasika mahāth(e) ranam Parivinutanam caranagata at (e) v (a) sikasa
ii) Peṃdapatikasa Mahavana—selavathavasa pasamasa Hamghasa ca deyadhammaima Udha paṭo
[11]

Translation:-

Success! This upright slab is the pious gift of Pesama the mendicant monk (peṃdapāṭika) residing at the Mahāvanasela (great forest) the pupil at the feet of the great elder (mahāthera) Parivinuta living at Pusakavana and the scholar in Saṃyutabhana (Saṃyukta Nikaya) and Haṃgha.

In addition to the above mentioned epigraph another inscription mentioning the name of Gautamīputra Śrī Yajna Sātakarṇi makes reference of upasikā Jayila from Ujjaini who made donations to the mahācaitya of Dhānyakaṭaka.

The Gaḍalādeniya inscription of Dharmmakīrtti from Ceylon was credited for restoration of the image house at Dhānayakataka. This inscription not only proves the survival of the Mahācaitya but also indicates the popularity of the Great Stūpa to the pilgrims of far off lands as late as 14th century C.E.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chanda Ramprasad, Op.cit, No. 3, p 262 Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 19, p 276.

[2]:

Lüders H, Op.cit, No. 1243, p 147 Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 40, p 281.

[3]:

Lüders H, Op.cit, No. 1225, p 144. Rana Jyoti Rohilla, Op.cit, no. 46, p 153

[4]:

Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, No. 99, p 297 Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1295, p 154.

[5]:

Burgess Jas, 1970 (Reprint) Op.cit,, No. 39, p 104.

[6]:

Ibid, No 54, p 106.

[7]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 111, p 300. Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1285, p 153.

[8]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No 97, p 296. Lüders H, Ibid, No. 1239, p 146.

[9]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 117, p 301. Chanda Ramprasad, Op.cit, No. 49, p 272.

[10]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 98, p 297.

[11]:

Sivaramamurti C, Ibid, No. 34, p 279. Lüders H, Op.cit, No. 1272, p 151.

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