Amrapali

This article is about the courtesan and Buddhist disciple. For the 1966 Hindi film, see Amrapali (film). For the Indian television series, see Amrapali (TV series). For the mango cultivar, see Amrapali (mango).
Amrapali
Amrapali greets Buddha", ivory carving, National Museum of New Delhi
Bornc. 500 BCE
Vaishali
Died
Vaishali
Occupationdancer
Known fornagarvadhu (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali

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.[1][2][3] Amrapali also won the title of rajnartaki (court dancer).[4] Following the Buddha's teachings, she became an arahant. She is mentioned in the old Pali texts and Buddhist 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.[5][6][7][8] The legend of Amrapali originated in the Buddhist Jataka Tales some 1500 years ago.

  1. ^ "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum". tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  2. ^ History of Vaishali
  3. ^ "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  4. ^ "Amrapali: Buddha's gorgeous disciple".
  5. ^ Ambapaali vana Pali dictionary
  6. ^ Khanna, p. 45
  7. ^ Ambapaali Sutta Pali dictionary
  8. ^ "Amrapali's Encounter with The Handsome Renunciate". The Times of India. June 30, 2006.