Satavahanas - Education, Language,

Literature, Art, Architecture

- Sairam Sampatirao
Education - Besides, according to the
Chinese and Tibetan tradition,
- As complementary to the religious developments, the Buddhists established
there was remarkable literary activity during the Universities at Dhanyakataka
Satavahana age. and Sriparvata where they
collected big libraries.
- The princes of the dynasty appear to be highly
enlightened and it is not unreasonable
to suppose the like that contemporary Saka and - The Buddhist acharyas were
Chedi princes, they too were trained interested not only in their
in sabda (grammar), artha (political economy), nyaya
(logic), gana (accountancy),
canonical works but also in
vyvahara(administration), vidhi (legal procedure), several branches of secular
lekha (script), rupa (coinage) and gandharva (music). learning such as astronomy,
astrology, logic and grammar.
- But it is not possible to know about the methods of
teaching and learning.
- In his Ratnavali, Acharya
- The Brahmins might have maintained Asramas and Nagarjuna devoted a chapter
Gurukulas learning was probably by rote. to administration and
- Each Buddhist Vihara was centre of learning. conceives in it some sort of
welfare state.
Prakrit
- Even at the court Prakrit enjoyed liberal
- The Satavahanas continued the use of Prakrit patrongage.
as the official language in which all the
- Hala Satavahana was poet of
inscriptions of the age were recorded.
considerable merit in Prakrit and he
gathered around himself a large number
- Prakrit was especially cultivated by the of poets and poetesses whose
Buddhists. compositions he compiled into
the Saptasati.
- From inscriptions it is learnt that the Buddhist
monks of Andhra had their own versions of the - In the words of poet Banabhatta, the
Vinaya and Abhidhamma Pitakas and the Digha Saptasati is "an immortal and refined
and Majjhima Nikayas them among grew the repository of good sayings".
Prajnaparamitta literature.
- Gunadhya, the scholar-minister
- One of the dignitaries connected with the probably of Kuntala, composed the
Vihara was Dharmakathika who probably Brihatkatha in the Paisachi Prakrit.
propagated the Dharma through the narration of
moral stories. - The Brihatkatha has been the source of
all other stones in Sanskrit including the
Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva.
- This may be the reason for even the artisan
community to the thoroughly acquainted with the - Some critics place Gunadhya by the
Jataka tales as revealed by the sculptures of side of Vyasa and Valmiki, the supposed
Amaravati. authors of the great epics.
Sanskrit

- The story of Sarvavarma's triumph over - The Nasik Prasasti of Bala Sri
Gunadhya and the subsequent ungenerous comparing Gautamiputra with epic
attitude of the king to Prakrit may suggest that and Puranic heroes and the Saptasati
Sanskrit started to assert its position and Prakrit with its gathas embodying many
began to lose royal patronage. Puranic themes are a proof of the
enormous growth of the Hindu
- The Sakas already started issuing their records theological literature by the time of
in Sanskrit. the Satavahanas.

- The inscriptions of Usavadata contain a mixture

of Prakrit and Sanskrit and those of Rudradama - It is further interesting to note that
are in Sanskrit. The vigorous Brahmanical the Tirthas which Usavadata visited
activity should have helped Sanskrit were the same as those extolled by
considerably. the Puranas and the gifts he made
were Included in the Mahadanas.
- In fact, long before the rise of the Satavahanas,
Dakshinapatha had been hospitable to the Vedic - From about the middle of the
scholarship. second century A.D., even the
Buddhists began to prefer Sanskrit.
- The performance of numerous sacrifices not Acharya Nagarjuna and Aryadeva
have been possible unless the Brahmins of the composed their philosohical works in
age were thorough masters of Vedic lore. Sanskrit.
 Desi
- Acharya Nagarjunais Suhrillekha
became popular with both Buddhists - The tradition associated with
Gunadhya states that besides Sanskrit
and non- Buddhists. and Prakrit, there was another
language current in the Deccan known
- In the 7th century A.D., the Chinese as Desi.
traveller l'tsing noted that the school-
going children were getting Suhrillekha - The term Desi may mean 'native
language' or the language of the
by heart and the adults were spending
common man, and it should have been
a life time in discussing its contents. the parent of the Indian languages like
Telugu and Kannada.
- Sarvavarma's Katantra Vyakarna
which showed an easy way of learning - The Gathasaptasati contains many
Sanskrit is an important contribution of Desi words.
the Satavahana age to secular The bilingual silver coins of the later
literature. Satavahanas corroborate the evidence
as to the existence of Desi.
ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE

- Again, religion was the main source of

inspirtion for most of the building and artistic
activity of the Satavahana period.

- No secular buildings of the age have come

down to us and the little knowledge about
them is to be gathered from sculptural
representations.

- The Saptasati mentions the temples of Gauri

and Ganapati, but no traces of them are found
probably for the reason that they were built of
perishable materials.

- The only remains that give us an idea of the

architectural and artistic achievements of
the age are those of the Buddhist
establishments which include the Stupas,
Chaityas and Viharas.
Stupa

- A Stupa is a monument built on the remains of

either the Buddha or any other great teacher.

- By the time of Asoka it assumed a definite form,

with a high and round base, supporting a dome
shaped structure, which in its turn was
surmounted by a casketshaped apex
and was ultimately crowned by an umbrella which
was a symbol of secular as well as spiritual
dignity.

- The Stupas were generally built of brick and

mud and those that were at Amaravati, Bhattiprolu
and Jaggayyapeta are the oldest in the south.

- By far the Stupa of Amaravati was the most

magnificent construction with a diameter of 162
feet at the base, supporting a dome of 142 feet in
diameter, At the four cardinal points the base of
the Stupa had projections (ayaka vedikas),
affording support to a group of five monolithic
pillars known as ayaka sthambhas.
- These Ayaka Vedikas and the Ayaka
Sthambhas are believed to be the special
feature of the Stupas of Andhradesa.

- The procession or the circumambulatory

path of the Amaravati Stupa was surrounded
by a marble railing with four gateways
opposite to the four Ayaka Vedikas.

- The Stupa was encased with marble slabs

containing representation of the Stupa,
Jataka tales and scenes from the life of the
Buddha.

- In the words of Yazdani, the Stupa "when in

tact must have represented a vigorous
style of architecture based upon lofty
religious ideals and a highly developed
artistic sense"
Chaitya
- The Chaitya at Karle is the most
- The Chaitya was a Buddhist temple with a Stupa
spacious and the most imposing in
as the object of worship.
regard to its architectural design.
- In the Western Deccan at places like Nasik,
Kanheri, Karle, Bhaja, Bedsa, Junnar, Kuda and - In the Eastern Deccan at places
Mahad the Chaityas are hewn out of rock. like Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda
there were Chaityas which were
- A Chaitya generally contains a long rectangular built of brick.
hall rounded at the rear end and divided
internally into nave, an apse and the side aisle. - The important Chaityaka branches
in Andhra
- The aisles are continued round the apse,
providing thus for circumambulation. 1. Apara Saila:Nagarjuna konda
2. Purva Saila:Amaravati
- The nave is covered by a barrel shaped vault. 3. Uttara Saila:Jaggaiahpet
4. Rajagiraka:Guntupalli
- The door way is opposite the votive Stupa and
5. Siddarthaka:Gudivada
over it appears a huge arched window, shaped
like a horse-shoe.
- The Maha Chaityaka principles
- The window dominated the entire scheme of the later on become Mahayanism.
facade.
Vihara
- In the Eastern Deccan most of the
- The Vihara was a Buddhist monastery where Viharas were brick built.
the monks resided during the rainy season
(Vassavasta). - Each Vihara was complete in itself and
contained as a unit the dwelling place of
- A Vihara built in the midst of a garden was monks or the Vihara proper, one or two
generally known as Sangharama. apsidal Chaityas for prayer and a circular
stupa for worship.
- Most of the Viharas in the west were cut of
rock. - The Vihara proper was a rectangular
courtyard enclosed a brick wall. In the
- Such Viharas open with a verandah and inside centre was a pillared hall, intended
is a hall surrounded on three sides by rows of probably for congregations.
cells each with a stone bench for the monks to
sleep. - All round the enclosure, abutting the
outer walls was a row of cells for the
- Attached of the Vihara, or as parts of it, are monks often with a verandah in front.
bhojanasalas or bhojana chatussalas
(refectory), upathanasalas (hall of reception), - Some of the cells were used as store
paniyapodhis and snanapodhis. rooms.
- Buddhist temples attached to the Viharas are - There was usually one large room which
called Chetiyagharas or Chetiyasalas. served as refectory.
Sculpture

- Especially in the Eastern Deccans associated - Even in depicting the most

with the name of Amaravati, the renowed subtle of the human feelings, he
centre of Buddhism, there flourished an
indegenous school of sculpture during the
displayed wonderful imagination
Satavahana age. and sense of symmetry.

- As already mentioned, the brick-built stupas - Prof. Nihar Ranjan Ray rightly
of Andhradesa were encased marble slabs observes that the Amaravati
containing sculptures depicting the Jataka artist carried on "the traditions
tales and scenes from the life of the Buddha. of early Indian art and serves as
a link between the art of
- The stone railing around the Stupa of
Bharhut, Bodh Gaya and Sanchi
Amaravati was also mostly sculptured.
on the one hand and the later
- In these sculptures the Amaravati artist Gupta and Pallava (and
displayed a wonderful conception of the Chalukya) art on the other.
delicate beauty of human form and a complete
mastery over an advanced technique for the
realisation of that conception in plastic art.
 1. Buddha's birth: Lotus
Amaravati pillar: 2. Mahabhinishkramanam: Horse
3. Enlightenment: Bodhi tree
4. Dharma chakra pravarthanam:
- Before Ashoka, an official named Nagaraju built Dharma chakra
the Amaravati pillar. 5. Niryanam(death): pillar or Stupa

- During the Satavahanas, this pillar was - Ferguson has described Amaravati
developed. sculpture as the crown of Indian
sculpture.
- Amaravati pillar was reconstructed during A.D
150. - Colonel Macanjee found the
Amaravati pillar in 1797.
- The area near the base is 162 feet and the upper
portion is 142 feet. - Amaravati Buddha idol was model for
Buddha statues constructed at various
- There were stages around this pillar on every places.
pillar. The Ayaka pillar was vertical in shape.
- Amaravati construction designs were
- On these Ayaka pillar, 5 important events related followed everywhere, hence it became
to Goutham Buddha were designed. popular Amaravati sculpture.