Āmrapālī

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 became an arahant. She is mentioned in the old Pali texts
and Buddhist traditions, 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 Sutta. The legend of Amrapali originated in the
Buddhist Jataka Tales some 1500 years ago.
Early life - Amrapali was born around 600-500 BCE, to Mahanama & an
unknown mother. Etymologically, the variants on her name derive from a
combination of two Sanskrit words: amra, meaning mango, 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. It is said that a feudal lord by
the name of Mahanaman was so enchanted by the young Amrapali’s looks that he
abandoned his kingdom and moved to Ambara village, a small hamlet in Vaishali
presently in Muzaffarpur.
As a courtesan – Vaishali was the capital city of the Lichchavi clan, 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.
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. Amrapali’s price was fifty Karshapanas per
night, and her treasury grew much larger than the treasuries of some kings.
 Legends associated with Amrapali
(a) Amrapali and Bimbisara -Stories of her beauty travelled to the ears
of Bimbisara, king of the hostile neighbouring kingdom of Magadha. 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.
(b) Amrapali and Ajatashatru - 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.
(c) 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 as Amrapali and Asit Baran as King
Ajatshatru, and Amrapali (1966), starring Vyjayanthimala as Amrapali and Sunil
Dutt as King Ajatshatru.
Bollywood actress Hema Malini 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 along with Ravindra Jain.
Amrapali has been the subject of various books, including Vaishali Ki
Nagarvadhu, a 1948 Hindi novel by Acharya Chatursen, and Ambapali, a 1962
novel by Vimala Raina. A recent work in English, The Legend of Amrapali: An
Enchanting Saga Buried Within the Sands of Time, was completed by
author Anurag Anand in 2012. A television series, Amrapali, was telecast on DD
National in 2002.
Amrapali is also mentioned in the book ‘Heroines’ by historian writer Ira
Mukhoty.
Courtsay - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrapali