Ambapali
Encyclopedia
Amrapāli, also known as "Ambapālika" or "Ambapali", was a nagarvadhu
(royal courtesan
) of the republic of Vaishali
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
.
words: "amra", meaning mango
, and "pallawa", meaning young leaves or sprouts.She is known as the most "Beautiful" woman in the History of the whole world.
, 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, Ambapali 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
, Bimbisara's son by another woman, took revenge by invading Vaishali.He was even moved by her beauty and hence when the king of Vaishali send Amrapali to prison,He burned whole Vaishali,almost everyone died in the massacre except his Beloved Amrapali when she saw such condition of her motherland she renounced as as her lover.
At one time, Ambapali desired the privilege of serving food to the Buddha
. The Buddhist traditions state that Buddha accepted the invitation against the wishes of the ruling aristocracy of Vaishali due to King Ajatshatru . Ambapali received the Buddha with her retinue, and offered meals to him. Soon thereafter, she renounced her position as courtesan, accepted the Buddhist way, and remained an active supporter of the Buddhist order.
On growing up, Vimala Kondanna too became a Buddhist monk.
(1966), starring Vyjayanthimala
as Amrapali and Sunil Dutt
as King Ajatshatru.
Bollywood actress Hema Malini
produced, directed, and starred in a TV Series called Women of India which showed the story of Amrapali. The music for the Amrapali segment of the TV Series was composed by composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar, in conjunction with composer Ravindra Jain
.
Nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and it was not considered a taboo. The most beautiful woman was chosen as the Nagarvadhu....
(royal courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
) of the republic of Vaishali
Vaishali (ancient city)
Vaiśālī was the capital city of the Licchavi, one of world's first republics, in the Vajjian Confederacy mahajanapada, around the 6th century BC. It was here in 599 BCE the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Bhagwan Mahavira was born and brought up in Kundalagrama in Vaiśālī republic, which make pious &...
in ancient India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
around 500 BC.. Following the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
's teachings she became an arahant. She is mentioned in the old Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
texts and Buddhist traditions, particularly in conjunction with the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
staying at her mango grove, Ambapali vana which she later donated to his order, and wherein he preached the famous Ambapalika Sutta
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
.
Early life
Ambapali or Amrapali was of unknown parentage, and was given her name because at her birth she was found at the foot of a mango tree in one of the royal gardens in Vaishali. (Etymologically, the variants on her name derive from a combination of two SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
words: "amra", meaning mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, and "pallawa", meaning young leaves or sprouts.She is known as the most "Beautiful" woman in the History of the whole world.
Courtesan
Ambapali grew to be a lady of extraordinary beauty, charm, and grace. Many young nobles of the republic desired her company. To avoid confrontations among her suitors, she was accorded the status of state courtesan of Vaishali. Stories of her beauty travelled to the ears of BimbisaraBimbisara
Bimbisara was a King, and later, Emperor of the Magadha empire from 543 BC to his death and belonged to the Hariyanka dynasty.-Career:There are many accounts of Bimbisara in the Jain texts and the Buddhist Jatakas, since he was a contemporary of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He was the king of...
, king of the hostile neighbouring kingdom of Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
. 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, Ambapali 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
Ajatashatru
Ajatasatru was a king of the Magadha empire in north India. He was the son of King Bimbisara, the Great Monarch of Magadha. He was contemporary to Mahavira and Buddha. He took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father forcefully by imprisoning him...
, Bimbisara's son by another woman, took revenge by invading Vaishali.He was even moved by her beauty and hence when the king of Vaishali send Amrapali to prison,He burned whole Vaishali,almost everyone died in the massacre except his Beloved Amrapali when she saw such condition of her motherland she renounced as as her lover.
At one time, Ambapali desired the privilege of serving food to the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. The Buddhist traditions state that Buddha accepted the invitation against the wishes of the ruling aristocracy of Vaishali due to King Ajatshatru . Ambapali received the Buddha with her retinue, and offered meals to him. Soon thereafter, she renounced her position as courtesan, accepted the Buddhist way, and remained an active supporter of the Buddhist order.
On growing up, Vimala Kondanna too became a Buddhist monk.
In popular culture
Amrapali has also been the subject of a biopic, AmrapaliAmrapali (film)
Amrapali is a 1966 historical Hindi film, directed by Lekh Tandon, starring Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt as leads.It was based on the life of Amrapali , the nagarvadhu of Vaishali, the capital of the Licchavi republic in ancient India around 500 BC and Ajatashatru, the king of the Magadha empire,...
(1966), starring Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala Bali is an Indian film actress, Bharathanatyam dancer, carnatic singer, dance choreographer, golfer and a Parliamentarian....
as Amrapali and Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt , born Sunil Balraj Dutt, was an Indian Hindi movie actor , producer, director and politician. He was the cabinet minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government...
as King Ajatshatru.
Bollywood actress Hema Malini
Hema Malini
Hema Malini is an Indian actress, director and producer, as well as a Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer. Making her acting debut in Sapno Ka Saudagar , she went on to appear in numerous Bollywood films, most notably those with actor and future-husband Dharmendra. She was initially promoted as...
produced, directed, and starred in a TV Series called Women of India which showed the story of Amrapali. The music for the Amrapali segment of the TV Series was composed by composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar, in conjunction with composer Ravindra Jain
Ravindra Jain
Ravindra Jain is an Indian music composer and lyricist. He won the Filmfare Best Music Director Award in 1985.-Early life:...
.