Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''
nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.
Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most bea ...
'' (royal
courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...
) of the republic of
Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
around 500 BC.
Following the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
's teachings, she became an
arahant
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
. She is mentioned in the old
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
texts and
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
traditions (
āgama sutras), particularly in conjunction with the Buddha staying at her mango grove, ''Ambapali vana'', which she later donated to his order and wherein he preached the famous ''Ambapalika
Sutra
''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...
''. The legend of Amrapali originated in the Buddhist
Jataka Tales
The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
some 1500 years ago.
Early life
Amrapali was born around 600-500 BCE, to Mahanama & an unknown mother.
Etymologically
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words an ...
, the variants on her name derive from a combination of two
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
words: ''amra'', meaning
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
, and ''pallawa'', meaning young leaves or sprouts. It is said that she was spontaneously born at the foot of a mango tree in one of the royal gardens in
Vaishali — hence her name.
Even as a young maiden, Amrapali was exceptionally beautiful and ethereal. It is said that a
feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
lord by the name of Mahanaman was so enchanted by the young Amrapali's beauty that he abandoned his kingdom and moved to Ambara village, a small hamlet in Vaishali presently in
Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur () is a city located in Muzaffarpur district in the Tirhut region of the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Tirhut division, the Muzaffarpur district and the Muzaffarpur Railway District. It is the fourth m ...
.
As a courtesan
Vaishali was the capital city of the
Licchavi tribe, one of the eight Khattiya (Sanskrit ''Kshatriya'') clans that had united to form the Vajjian confederacy. The king was elected by an electoral college consisting of princes and nobles from the Kshatriya clans. It was customary that the most beautiful women in the land, rather than marrying one man, dedicated themselves to the pleasure of many.
Amrapali grew up to be a lady of extraordinary charm and grace, and was talented in many art forms.
Many young nobles desired her company. When Manudev, king of Vaishali, saw Amrapali perform a dance in the city, he plotted to "own" her. He murdered Amrapali's childhood love and would-be-groom, Pushpakumar, on the day of their wedding, and afterwards made an official announcement declaring Amrapali as the 'bride' of Vaishali — i.e. the ''
Nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.
Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most bea ...
''. She was also bestowed with the title of ''
Vaishali Janpad Kalayani'',
given to the most beautiful and talented girl of the kingdom for a period of seven years. Amrapali had the right to choose her lovers, but according to the aforementioned custom, she could not be committed to any one man.
After being declared a ''Nagarvadhu'', Amrapali also became the ''Rajanartiki'' or court dancer. Her talent and beauty attracted so many men that the glory of Vaishali during this period is often attributed to Amrapali's fame.
The price to see Amrapali's art form was fifty
Karshapana
Karshapana ( sa, कार्षापण, IAST: ''Kārṣāpaṇa''), according to the Ashtadhyayi of Panini, refers to ancient Indian coins current during the 6th century BCE onwards, which were unstamped and stamped (''āhata'') metallic pi ...
s per night, and her treasury grew much larger than the treasuries of some kings.
Legends associated with Amrapali
Amrapali and Bimbisara
Stories of her beauty travelled to the ears of
Bimbisara
Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE or during the late 5th century BCE) was a King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi ...
, king of the hostile neighbouring kingdom of
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
. He attacked Vaishali, and took refuge in Amrapali's house. Bimbisara was a good musician. Before long, Amrapali and Bimbisara fell in love. When she learned his true identity, Amrapali asked Bimbisara to leave and cease his war. Bimbisara, smitten with love, did as she asked. In the eyes of the people of Vaishali, this incident made him a coward. Later, Amrapali bore him a son named Vimala Kondanna.
Ajatashatru
Ajatasattu (Pāli ) or Ajatashatru (Sanskrit ) in Buddhist tradition, or Kunika () and Kuniya () in the Jain histories, (c. 492 to 460 BCE or early 5th century BCE) was one of the most important kings of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha in East ...
, Bimbisara's son by Queen Chellana (according to Jaina traditions) or Queen Kosala Devi (according to Buddhist traditions), later invaded Vaishali due to a dispute with his brothers. He was so moved by her beauty that when Amrapali was imprisoned, he burned the whole of Vaishali. Almost everyone died in the massacre, except his beloved Amrapali, but when she saw the condition of her motherland, she renounced her love for him.
Amrapali and the Buddha
In Buddhist records, Amrapali is noted as having had the opportunity to serve food to the Buddha during his last visit to Vaishali, shortly before his death.
Amrapali attended his sermon at a nearby grove and was so deeply moved by it that she invited him for a meal at her quarters.
In other accounts, it is stated that the Buddha himself took shelter in her mango groves and was visited by Amrapali who paid her obeisance to him and then extended the invitation.
He consented to her proposal with silence.
On her way back, her chariot collided with that of the princely nobles of Vaishali who were also heading to invite the Buddha to dine with them. They berate her by calling her a 'mango-woman' and ask her, a woman of ill repute, to move aside and let her superiors pass. It is then that she announces that the Buddha was coming to her house for a meal. The princes were upset and offered her gold in return of the privilege of hosting the Buddha but she refuses.
Buddha also turns them down, having already committed to Amrapali.
Buddha recognised her beauty and advised his disciples to be mindful in her presence lest they become infatuated with her.
Amrapali received the Buddha with her retinue in her grand residence which had been specially decorated for the occasion.
It was no less than the palace of any king;
such was the wealth she commanded. At the conclusion of the meal, she offered to the Buddha and his order her entire property including her groves which became the venue for several sermons on mindfulness.
Soon thereafter, she renounced her position as courtesan, accepted the Buddhist way, and remained an active supporter of the Buddhist order. She dedicated her life to the service of the poor and the destitutes.
On growing up, Amrapali's son, Vimala Kondanna also became a Buddhist monk and a renowned elder.
Attitudes towards courtesans in scriptures
The story of Amrapali is significant for understanding contemporary attitudes of courtesans. Though she received much fame as a talented artist,
she was also berated by the noble princes of Vaishali by calling her 'ganika' (i.e. prostitute) which carried derogatory connotations.
However, unlike them, Buddha did not share that kind of prejudice towards her. He ate at her residence and accepted her grove for the Buddhist order. This is often quoted as an example for his unbiased regard towards women.
However, what has been noticed is that with the passage of time and as the Therigatha was collated, this bias also entered the Buddhist fold.
Amrapali's possible alliance with Bimbisara has also survived mainly through an oral tradition and has not found its way into the Pali canon of Buddhism. This is because Bimbisara was a great royal patron of Buddhism and his links with Amrapali may throw a negative light on him.
Amrapali's mention in the canon also focuses mostly on the later part of her life when she converted to Buddhism.
However, records of Chinese travellers who came to India in search of Buddhist texts have made note of Amrapali's early life and her relationship with Bimbisara. The latter is found in the Chinese Recension of the Buddhist tripitaka.
This narrative has been written in the Mahayana tradition and therefore did not have the onus of representing Bimbisara in a positive light.
Hence, their relationship is highlighted.
A third set of scriptures which refer to the story of Amrapali, and do so most elaborately, come from the Gilgit area of Kashmir and are therefore known as the Gilgit Manuscripts.
These are the Tibetan-Sanskrit scriptures of the Mulasarvastivada branch of Buddhism which hold her in high esteem. However, the negative connotation of being a courtesan is still present.
Thus, the cultural memory of a courtesan shows a complex pattern, varying across time and place.
In popular culture
* Amrapali has been the subject of three biographical films: ''Amrapali'' (1945) starring Sabita Devi, Jagdish Sethi, Prem Adeeb, ''Amrapali'' (1959) starring
Supriya Devi
Supriya Devi (Supriya Choudhury; 8 January 1933 – 26 January 2018) was an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema for more than 50 years. She is best known for her portrayal of Neeta in Ritwik Ghatak's Bengali film '' Megh ...
as Amrapali and
Asit Baran
Asit Baran (19 November 1913 – 27 November 1984) was an Indian actor, singer and theater personality.
Early life
Asit Baran was born as Asit Baran Mukherjee in 1913 in Kolkata, British India. His nickname was Kalo. He took up a job in the tele ...
as King Ajatashatru, and ''
Amrapali
Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated '' nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she ...
'' (1966), starring
Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala (born 13 August 1936) is a former Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of thirteen wit ...
as Amrapali and
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful film ...
as King Ajatashatru.
* Bollywood actress
Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
produced, directed, and starred in a television series called ''Women of India'', which depicted the story of Amrapali. The music for the Amrapali segment of the series was composed by
Hridaynath Mangeshkar
Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Marathi pronunciation: ɾud̪əjnaːt̪ʰ məŋɡeːʃkəɾ is an Indian music director. He is the only son of musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and younger brother of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. He is popularly kno ...
along with
Ravindra Jain
Ravindra Jain (28 February 1944 – 9 October 2015) was an Indian music composer, lyricist and playback singer. He started his career in the early 1970s by composing for several hit movies. His notable works include '' Chor Machaye Shor'' (19 ...
.
* Amrapali has been the subject of various books, including ''
Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu,'' a 1948
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
novel by
Acharya Chatursen
Acharya Chatursen Shastri (26 August 1891 – 2 February 1960) was an Indian writer of Hindi literature. He wrote many historical fictions, including '' Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu'' adapted into a feature film (1948), ''Vayam Rakshamah'' (1951), ' ...
, and ''Ambapali'', a 1962 novel by Vimala Raina. A recent work in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, ''The Legend of Amrapali: An Enchanting Saga Buried Within the Sands of Time'', was completed by author
Anurag Anand
Anurag Anand (born 2 November 1978) is an Indian artist, corporate professional, and author with several bestselling titles in the self-help, general fiction and historical fiction genres. His corporate experience pans[Amrapali
Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated '' nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she ...]
, was telecast on
DD National
DD National (formerly DD1) is a state-owned public entertainment television channel in India. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, and the oldest and most widely available terrestrial television channel ...
in 2002.
* Amrapali is also mentioned in the book 'Heroines' by historian writer Ira Mukhoty.
See also
*
Nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.
Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most bea ...
*
Buddha (TV series)
''Buddha — Rajaon Ka Raja'' (titled as ''Buddha — The King of Kings'') is an Indian classical drama on Zee TV and DD National, produced by Bhupendra Kumar Modi, under the banner Spice Global. The creative producer of the show is Shetall ...
*
Fa-Hien
Faxian (法顯 ; 337 CE – c. 422 CE), also referred to as Fa-Hien, Fa-hsien and Sehi, was a Chinese Buddhist monk and translator who traveled by foot from China to India to acquire Buddhist texts. Starting his arduous journey about age 60, ...
*
Upagupta
Upagupta (c. 3rd Century BC) was a Buddhist monk. According to some stories in the Sanskrit text Ashokavadana, he was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. In the Sarvāstivādin tradition he is the fifth patriarch after Mahāka ...
*
List of Amar Chitra Katha comics
This is a list of titles in the Indian Amar Chitra Katha comic book series. The table below shows the numbering as part of the old series as well as that of the new series. Titles which were published in only one of the series have been indicate ...
*
Amar Chitra Katha
*
Vasavadatta
:''Vasavadatta is also a character in the Svapnavasavadatta and the Vina-Vasavadatta''
''Vasavadatta'' ( sa, वासवदत्ता, ) is a classical Sanskrit romantic tale (''akhyayika'') written in an ornate style by Subandhu, whose ti ...
References
Notes
*
* Vyasa & Vigneswara Malayalam Novel written by Anand
* Novel: ''Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu'' by
Acharya Chatursen
Acharya Chatursen Shastri (26 August 1891 – 2 February 1960) was an Indian writer of Hindi literature. He wrote many historical fictions, including '' Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu'' adapted into a feature film (1948), ''Vayam Rakshamah'' (1951), ' ...
, 1948
* Khuddaka Nikaya, part 9 (Therigatha) Canto 13
* Digha Nikaya 16 (Mahaparinibbanasutta - part 2, 16-26)
* Malalasekera: Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names (s.v.)
* The Legend of Amrapali by Anurag Anan
* Rev. Osho - A story on Buddha and Amrapali
External links
*
ttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjubrg_amrapali-1_shortfilms Amrapali DD1 serial 1st episode-2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amrapali
Disciples of Gautama Buddha
Indian Buddhists
Indian courtesans
5th-century BC people
Year of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
Ancient Indian women
Indian Buddhist nuns
Arhats
Ancient dancers
5th-century BC women