Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates 鈥極ffering of food by Trapusa and Bhallika鈥� 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鈥檚 life drawn from the Avadanas and Jatakas which are illustrated in Amaravati art.
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Offering of food by Trapusa and Bhallika
[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: Offering of food by Trapusa and Bhallika]
Story:-
Towards the end of the seventh week after Enlightenment, Buddha met two merchants Trapusa [Trapu峁] and Bhallika. During this time Buddha was seated under the 搁腻箩腻测补迟补苍补 tree. They stopped their carts in order to make an offering of food to Buddha. But Buddha did not have any bowl to receive the food. The four divine guardians of four quarters each gave him a bowl. He fused the four bowls into a single receptacle. He consumed merchant鈥檚 offering and thanked them with the words of Dharma, They became his first lay disciples[1]. The event is mentioned in the 惭补丑腻惫补驳驳补[2], 狈颈诲腻苍补办补迟丑腻 and 惭补丑腻惫补蝉迟耻.
Depiction:-
The inner narrative face of the relief of the railing pillar from 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 housed in the British Museum depicts this episode. The relief is set in seven registers. Among them the central roundel depicts the empty throne and foot prints under a bodhi tree worshipped by the devotees including the four 濒辞办补辫腻濒补蝉 presenting the four bowls. At the foot of the throne are two kneeling male figures with offerings held in bowls. They are identified as two merchants Trapusa and Bhallika who gave barley cakes and honey to Buddha[3].
Offering by Trapusa and Bhallika is also visible in a narrative from 狈腻驳腻谤箩耻苍补办辞峁囜笉补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Strong John S, Op.cit, pp 78-79
[2]:
Davids T.W Rhys and Oldenberg Hermann, 1974, Op.cit, pp 81-84.
[3]:
Knox Robert, Op.cit, pp 53-56, fig 8.