Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates 鈥楧hanyakataka and other names of Amaravati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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 and other names of 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨
The present geographical location of 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 is identical to 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 frequently mentioned in several literary and epigraphical records[1]. In fact the stupa site is an adjunct of the city site of 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 which is only half a kilometre from it[2]. Sometimes in inscription the name 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 appears with its varied transcriptions, that is, Dh膩nnaka峁璦ka in Pali form, Dh膩mnaka峁璦ka, Dh膩mnaka岣峚 and Dhanakadaka in Prakrit form[3] and 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 in Sanskrit form. Most of the scholars agree that the name 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 might have originated from the paddy cultivation in the area[4]. The Tibetan historian T膩r膩natha refers to Dpal-dan-brass-spun meaning 鈥榓ccumulation of grain鈥�[5].
The earliest name of the place as recorded in an inscription on the sculptural stele is Dh膩mnaka and Dh膩mnaka峁璦ka. Xuan Zang called it To-na-kie-tse-ki/Te-naka-che-ka (顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补). In later inscriptions the place is called 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补, 顿丑腻苍测补kara and 顿丑腻苍测补kapura. The 惭补苍箩耻艣谤墨尘奴濒补迟补苍迟谤补 calls the place 艢r墨 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补. Narapa, the famous 迟腻苍迟谤颈办补 writer of 9th Century C.E called it 艢r墨 顿丑腻苍测补. In Buddhist literature it is mentioned as 艢r墨 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 denoting plenitude of wealth (艢r墨) and paddy(顿丑腻苍测补) and prosperity as a marketing town (碍补峁璦办补) as well as a camping site for armed forces[6]. In addition to it Sri 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 is considered to be 鈥榯he city of Gods鈥� or 鈥榯he abode of immortals鈥� or 鈥榯he city of bliss鈥�-鈥楥haityam atyunnatam Yatra 苍腻苍腻肠颈迟谤补蝉耻-肠颈迟谤颈迟补尘鈥�[7]. 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 has been traditionally believed to be the capital city of Indra, that is, the king of Gods[8]. In Vi峁ａ箛uku峁囜笉in epigraph there is reference to Indrap膩lanagara, another toponym of 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨. In addition to it, the Vi峁ａ箛uku峁囜笉in record also mention Amarapura, that is 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨. T膩r膩natha beautifully defines 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补. He states 鈥榯o write this place, the name of which should be known even to the foolish Tibetans...was called Saddharma megha 惫颈艣腻濒补驳补苍箩补鈥� (In Tibetan Chos鈥揵zamsprin-gyi yam-rdsom) that is, the castle of the cloud of faith[9].
Another nomenclature associated with the area is Dhara峁噄ko峁璦. While mentioning about 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 in 础苍诲丑谤补诲别艣补 Xuan Zang in his Si-Yu-Ki referred to the subsects of 惭补丑腻蝉补峁単丑颈办腻 and the whole 辫颈峁璦办补 of spells or 诲丑腻谤补苍墨蝉 which were preserved in 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补[10]. It is believed that when the region experienced 罢补苍迟谤补测腻苍补 phase of Buddhism it came to be referred as Dhara峁噄ko峁璦. The Kaifiyats, that is, the administrative records of the 碍峁涐梗峁嚹� and Gu峁囜弓ur districts attests that Dhara峁噄ko峁璦 was the other name of 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补[11]. In Sanskrit and Telegu inscriptions it is mentioned as 艢r墨dh膩nya, 艢r墨dh膩na, 顿丑腻苍补, 顿丑腻苍补ka峁璦ka, 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补, 顿丑腻苍测补nkapuri, 顿丑腻苍测补va峁璱ka, Dhann膩de, D膩峁僴alako峁璦, Dhara峁噄ko峁璦 etc. 艢补办辞诲诲别艣腻峁璱办腻, a medieval 迟腻苍迟谤颈办 work mentions it as 艢r墨dh膩nya and in Tibetan Blue Annals it is mentioned as 艢r墨sth膩na[12]. Later on the place came to be known as 础尘补谤别艣惫补谤补puram, anglicized form Amresbury in the British records after the foundation of the 础尘补谤别艣惫补谤补 Temple (Pl 30a). It is also suggested that 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 is a corrupt form of Aramavati which originated from Amr膩r膩ma, one of the five 补谤腻尘补 办峁迟谤补 of 础苍诲丑谤补诲别艣补[13]. Thus it appears that 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补 and Dhara峁噄ko峁璦 was the probably the ancient name of 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨.
There is continuous mention of 顿丑腻苍测补办补峁璦办补, Dhara峁噄ko峁璦 and 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 in various literary and archaeological sources as an eminent religious centre and a megacity over many centuries. These records undoubtedly prove the significance of the place. In fact several benefits prompted royal dynasties to choose it as their capital or mega city. These records are significant as it indicates association of various dynasties with this region and the survival of the monument till 14th Century CE.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ramachandran A, 1996, The Cultural History of Lower 碍峁涐梗峁嚹� Valley, its contacts with South East Asia, Jaipur, p 39.
[2]:
[3]:
, p 281 L眉ders H, Op.cit, No. 1273, pp 151-152.
[4]:
Ramachandran A, Op.cit, p 40.
[6]:
Prasad P.R.K,1991, 鈥楶re-厂腻迟补惫腻丑补苍补 Phase at 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨-Dhara峁噄ko峁璦 in Shastri Ajay Mitra (ed), The Age of the 厂腻迟补惫腻丑补苍补s, vol II, New Delhi, p 328.
[7]:
Ramachandran A, Op.Cit, p 41.
[8]:
Ibid, p 41.
[9]:
Ibid, p 41.
[10]:
[11]:
Ramachandran A, Op.Cit, p 41.
[12]:
Prasad P.R.K, 1991, 鈥楶re-厂腻迟补惫腻丑补苍补 Phase at 础尘补谤腻惫补迟墨 Dhara峁噄ko峁璦鈥� Op.Cit, p 328.