yazdani ajanta text pt. 2

8/12/2019 Yazdani Ajanta Text Pt. 2

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GOVERNMENT OF IND IA

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOL OGY

CENTRL RCH EOLOGIC LLIBRRY35 o

C J LNo 5J73 93 tD .G . 79.


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J N TTHE COLOUR AND MONOCHROME REPRODUC-TIONS OF THE AJANT FRESCOES BASED ON

PHOTOGRAP HYW ith a xplanatory Text yG. Y ZD N I, M.A.DII .CTOI OP AICliA OLOCY' H.I.H, Ti l l SlZAJ,I'S 00MlS'ION5

and an ppendix on lnscriptiom yJOHN A LL N

OP TH lt.ITSJII XUStUW

35 5

) a . J1:. 1P ART l

T EXT

PUB LISHED UNDER THE SPECIAL AUTHORITYOF HIS E X LTE D HIGH NESS THE NIZ M

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OXFORDUN I VERS ITY

PRESSLONDON

HUMPHREY MJLFORD

I -LU I.Ac r l 3S S )a\. . . 23.I l in 0 i\o 7JZ:

PRINTEDlNGREAT BRITINBY JOHN JOHNSON ATTHE UNIVERSITY PRESS OXFORD


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PREF CET HE welcome offered to Part I of the book by readers in all parts of the world, and thehighly appreciative reviews published by the press have been a great encouragement tome personally, and a source of eminent satisfaction to His Exalted Highness the Nizam sGovernment, who have shown very keen interest in this undertaking from the beginning, andfinanced it most liberally, even at a time when the retrenchment axe is at work in all places.For this policy credit is due largely to Sir Akbar Hydari, the able Finance Minister of HisExalted Highness the Nizam s Government, whose interest and solicitude for the preservationand study of the Ajanta paintings are well known.In the preparation of Plates for Volume II, I have followed, as far as possible, the advice ofsome of my able critics to reproduce the important subjects on a large scale, so that the

technical or artistic detail, which sometimes suffers by reduction, may remain clearly apparent.This principle, although duly observed in the printing of Part I, wherein detailed reproductions of the two Bodhisottvar (Plates XXV and XXXII) and the Blt ck P incm (PlateXXXID) are given, has been followed in a more liberal manner in this volume, and four colourplates XXI, XXXII, XXXVII, and XLI), and two monochromes XIII and XXXI 6 givedetailed reproductions of subjects which, on account of their exceptional qualities, will appealto the artist or to the general reader.

T his volume is devoted to the frescoes of Cave II only, :md as on account of the occupationof the Cave in comparatively recent times by hermits and people of other faiths than Buddhists,tl1e frescoes have suffered much by smoke and fires lit by these unsympathetic occupants, thereproduction of the paintings has been a very difficult problem for us. f t had been a layerof smoke only, the removal would have been an easy matter, but because of the heat of thefire and constant contact witl1 smoke, the colours have perished in many places, and it seemsto be absolutely impossible now to restore them by any scientific process. A great deal ofdamage has also been done by birds and the inclemencies of the weather, and in judging theplates included in this volume, I request my critics kindly to bear all these facts in mind.f some of the plates are found too dark, or indistinct as regards detail, the fault is not to be

found with the photographer or wiili the process-workers, but with the charred surface of thepaintings. Again, i in some plates unsightly scars offend the eye of the artist, he shouldkindly remember that we have reproduced faitl1fully the fresco as it is the damage in theoriginal having been done by birds or insects. In the making of the colour plates of this volume, Messrs. Henry Stone Son, Ltd., of

Banbury and London are associated with Messrs. Bruckmann AG., of Mumch, and of theeighteen plates, nine ,(Nos. VII, IX, XXIX, XXXII, XXXV, XXXIX, XL, 1. 1-I, andXLVII) have been made by the former firm, and nine (X, XX, XXI, XXII, XXX, ~ X X V I IXXXVIII, XLII, and XLV) by the latter. I take this opportunity to thank the D1rectors of


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PREFACEboth these firms for th e ir unfa iling :men tion and kind interest in the accomplishment ofthisd iff icult work. Themonochrome plates, theprinting ofth e tex t, and thebindingofthevolume,have beendone bytheOxfordUniversity P ress,undertheable d irectio n ofDr.J ohn J ohnson, P r in te r to the University .M r. SayedAhmad, theArtist-CuratorofAjanta, has p repared the colourgu ides for this Part , and he has also given most valuable assis tance in comparing the proofs of the colourpla tesw ith theoriginals onthespot. Thephotographingofsome s ubjects, which w ere l eftoutby Mr. E. L . Vasey,hasbeendonebyMr.E . Franswah, theP hotographer oftheDepartment,and how far his work has been successful may bejudged from the Colour Plate sXXI and XXXVIII, showin g AP rincess and A Procession respectively.The inscriptions pa in ted in this cave have been most carefully s tudied by Mr. J. Allan,Keeper ofCoins and Medals in the Briti sh M useum , and are published in the form of anA ppend ix to theExplanato ry T ext. It is hoped that l\ lr. A llans scholarly remarks on thepalaeography of these inscrip tionswill be of in terest not only to studentsof th is subject, but to thegeneral reader w ho is anxious to knowthe probab le dateof the pain t in gsof thiscave.As am not a Sanskrit s cholar, thespelling ofSanskritic names and termswas a d ifficul ttask for me, but fo r tuna te ly have been guided in th is and othermatters by kind friends,and in th is connexion I have to thankMr. C .A. Rylands, Lecturerin Sanskrit at theSchoolofO rientalS tudies, London , and alsoMr. C. E.A. W,Oldham,C .S .I ., whohasassisted mein passing theproofs throughthePress. ;\J r . R yla nds has k ind ly p repared for me a summary ofthePiirlaAvadi111a which h as been incorpora ted in thefo rm ofaf ootnote.I amalso indebted to D r. L. D. Bamett for e xpert advicea nd he lp in the preparation of this work.

FoRSTH ILL S.E . 3zot StptmiiJtr, 932

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G. YAZDANI


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ONTENTSP reface .

EXPLANATORY TEXTGeneral Remarks.Arlrots Kinnoros and otherMyth ical Beings adoring the B odhl-

satt vaVota ries b r ing ing Offeringsa nd Adoring t he B uddhaIndraand theFour rahlrosFlyingFig ures, FloralD esigns , ando ther Artistic M otifs .TheExile ofa LadyStory ofthe Golden G oose : Molrillramsa Jata koTheralulrosand ralulririsTheBir th ofthe B uddhaVotaries bringing Offe ringsVota ri es brin gin g O fferi ngsD ragons,G eese, and o ther DecorativeMotifs T he B uddhai n Various Att itudesT he B odhlsa ttva Mait reyaTheBuddha in Various A tt it udesCherubs, FloralD esigns, and o th er DecorativeM otifsTheBodhisattva (Avalokit dvara?Votarie sb ringing Off erin gsVota ries bringing Offer ings to the Bodhisattva P a d m a p a ~ ?Haritiand Paiicik a ?) Scu lptureJTidlruropo{lt/ita Jatoko .Sto ry ofaS ea Voyage : Piir{laAvadi111oP iirl)a b ringing Offerings to t he Buddha : Pur{loAvodt1noA Palace Scene . .A Palace Scene : A Lady Kneeling at theF eet ofa Raja in anangrymood . .

A Bodhisa ttva in the T eachin g Attitude Decora tive DesignsN4gos Go{las ando ther Mythical BeingsAPPENDIX: ANote on th e Inscriptions ofCave IIINDEX

ByJohnAllan

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3667912IS16212425262728293031333+36454849s552535767

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AjANTA EXPLANATORY T XTT o the right of the Arhats amidst conventional hills, represented by red, green, and white

blocKS are a Taluha and Taluhi(li, bringing offerings of lotus flowers to the Bodhisattva.These two figures have been painted with great care and feeling. The head of the Taluha isunfortunately damaged, but the treatment of the other limbs, particularly of the fingers, isextremely artistic. The pose is also most graceful ; he has placed one hand on the shoulder ofhis consort, and with the other has made a loop indicating the mystery of life or the wheel offaith, dhannacakra. In the delineation of the hair and the pearl jewellery the artist s skill ismarvellous, the brush lines showing a fineness peculiar to Eastern art. Tbe elfect of thebody being painted in the round has been produced by dark-brown washes along theoutline, and a deep-green background has enhanced the perspective. On the golden brownskin of the Yoksha the pearl-white jewellery looks very beautiful, and the ribbons of the hairknot flying at the back suggest an idea of movement.The Taluhi[li's face shows amazement, evidently resulting from the vision of the Bodhisattvaor the devout teaching of her consort, and it may also be noticed that a tremor has caused

the fall of the blue lotus flowers from her tray of offerings and the sudden parting of herfingers. She is wearing a tight bodice (choli) of blue silk, the short sleeves ofwhich are edgedwith strings of pearls. In the Deccan it is still a fashion among ladies to attach strings of goldbeads to the short sleeves of their cholis. The coiffure of the roluhip1 is most artistic, and anaigrette resembling ajhiimor of modern times adorns her forehe3d.To the right of the Taluhi li in the background, the beautiful clusters of aloka (Saracaindica) leaves and llowers in various tints show the artist s fondness for the study of Nature.

The pale brown of the decayed leaves with the light green of the young shoots and splashesof white flowers in different stages bloom delineate admirably the variety of colour whichthis tree offers in spring.Below the pair of the Yaksha and Yoluhi(lr, two heavenly musicians (kifmaras) may be seen.They are dwarfish in size, and have the bust of a human being and the wings and tail of a bird.One of these is playing on a blue Bute, while the other is apparently beating timewith cymbals. The hair of the fiute-player, cut short on the forehead and dressed with amatted elfect, is extremely charming. The head of this figure also represents a fine piece ofdrawing. The wings of these quaint creatures are rather conventional, and are shown bywhitish dots, but the tails arc quite realistic, resembling those of the male birds of thedomestic fowl.

The fresco continues towards the right, and the portion shown as part 6 of this plate ispainted there.

Commencing again from the left, we see the head of a Bodhisattva whose figure wasoriginally delineated on a colossal scale, but almost the whole of it, excepting the few fragments of the head, has perished. The richly bejewelled diadem with its fine pearl stringsshows considerable artistic skill, but the subject must have become quite common so as torequire no originality, as it is repeated in every representation of a prince. The eyebrows ofthe Bodhisattva are raised in the conventional style, and the y s would have been meditative,but they cannot be seen in this fresco because of its damaged condition.

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PLATE Vtra hTo the right of the Bodhisattva the artist has painted another o oka tree, the enthusiasm and

care shown in its delineation being the same as shown in the depiction of the previous tree .The branches of this tree spread behind rocks which are shown conventional y by whitishblocks. On the rocks, two male -figures of a different type of features may be seen, perhapsrepresenting aboriginal inhabitants of India. The )lead of one figure is badly damaged,but that of the other, which is more or less preserved, shows sunken temples, prominentcheek-bones, a dumpy nose, and a t in moustache. The hair of the head seems to be lanky,but as it is adorned with a band of flowers, it cannot be studied closely. The stature is short,and the muscle of the left arm, in which a bow and some arrows re held, shows a developedphysique.' T he wooden plug placed in the hole in the lobe of the car to prevent its closingup is interesting.

To the right of these semi-barbarous people Kiriitas), whom, as shown by the scu lpturesof Siiiichi and Amaravati and the early paintings of Ajanta,' Buddhism embraced in its fold,is a pair of flying figures. The female is gracefully held in the arms of her companion,who has a broader frame, and both are Boating in the air, judging by the movement of theirpearl jewellery. The female is wearing a long skirt of striped sil k, but the upper part of herbody is almost nude, the cho/i (bodice) being of transparent material. The artist has,however, adorned the bust -.vith an abundance of pearl jewellery, sp lashes of which on thegolden-brown skin look charming. The coal-black hair is similarly decorated with jewelleryand white flowers.Below these flying figu res, along the green band, arc two more figures, one of whichrepresents an old monk. T he head of the monk is bald, except for thin grey hair on theback of the skull. T he body is bare to the waist, and the drawing of the shoulder and thecurved back is excellent. Of the other figure, only a part of the head and a portion of thetorso are visible; the rest has perished.

The artistic merits of this fresco do not fall much below those shown in the paintings ofCave I. The colour taste of the artist is exquisite, and the several groups of figures are charming, not only when judged separately, but as forming an impressive ensemble in depictingthe ecstasies of the pious Buddhist.

' This figure resembles very much the Jigure of rheBh l studied in Part I {Text, p. 33, Plltte XXX .2 FrCSCOO Of the Chaitya e a ~ Nos. 9 and I Q.

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PLATES X a-b, XTa-b XII-XIVThe artist s love of humour is better illustrated in subjects XI a and 6. In the former, wesee a pair of wine-bibbers, one of whom is apparently a foreigner, as shown by his featuresand dress. His sunken cheeks and the tuft of beard on his chin have given him a somewhatcomic appearance, and although he is offering a cup of wine to his boon companion,the latter, judging by the gestureof his hand, feels more inclined to pull his beard than to takethe cup. The dress of the foreigner is also more or less in the style of the jokers of the presentday. He is wearing a conical skull cap with a tassel, which is seen hanging behind his head.

The coat and trousers are tight, and on his feet are socks with flaring blue stripes. A scarfappears to be tied round the neck, for its borders are seen fly ing at the back of the figure.The other figure is dressed in the same style, but his features present a great contrast tothose of the foreigner. The former appears to be an inhabitant of Magadhade5a, while the

latter evidently hails from Bactria or some other neighbouring country. In the palmy daysof Ajanta, votaries would have assembled there from different Buddhist countries, and theartist found ample material for his fantastic studies in the variety of their features and thequaintness of their manners and dresses. In this subject the thick, flowing moustache of theBihiiri and his plump oval face are as typical as the thin moustache, sunken cheeks, and scantybeard of the Bactrian.The other subject in this Plate XI 6) represents two pot-bellied friends of dwarfish size,both being in a serio-comic mood. The figure on the right is making a loop with his fingers

to denote the dharmocakra or the riddle of life His companion does not understand thesignificance of the symbol, and in joke has protruded his middle finger, as vulgar people areapt to do n India to tbis day. The style in which the migochha (scarf) is worn round theshoulders by the right figure is very characteristic of the practice of the Bihiiri and OriyaBrahmans even now.

THE EXILE OF A LADY: NOT IDENTIFIEDPlates XII-XIV

Of Ihut thru platll, tht subjutofPlait XII n-b) is painttt/611 tht lift wollof ht rhoptlottht right f ht I J t r n n d ~ .~ sune f Plate X I is tht horl tua/1 of he samt rhaptl,t lht lift f ht ctll d and tht 111h;ut J Plau X IY

tkpided 6n the ,-ight wallof tht chaptl. .tfs tht frlltots of his chaptlart had J dnmagtd, they art rtproduud m monhromt111]

THE Ja t.aka depicted in these frescoes has b:en ~ e n t i l i c d as yet, but the c ~ n c s reproduced in Plates XII and XIII show a lady m ex1le w1th two robbers,or executioners, and

the birth in the jungle of a child who is ultimately thrown into a lotus-pond. The variousincidents have been depicted with great pathos, and ~ o u g h the frescoes are badly damaged,yet the skill and vision of the artist cannot escape notice. . .Beginning at the left, we notice a Bodhisattva in the 6/ziimisporla m ~ d r i i , 1 h1s nght handhanging low towards the earth. The features arc refined, and the e x p r e s s i o n ~ ~ t h ~ face showsthat he is occupied in deep thought. He is sitting on a throne, but the hernut s gudle for the

1 For information regarding the various mudr4s, or attitudes, see Ajanto, i. 3+ footnote 2).c 9


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PLATES XII XIVbaby, who has ~ c e ~ s et a ~ o a t in a. cradle on the waters of the lotus-pond, probably by theruffian. A lady s t t n ~ I a. p e n s ~ e m ~ tn front of the palanquin. She is evidently themother of the ch1ld . and 1s smsttcn wtth grsef at the loss of her baby. The painting of the ladyis indeed a masterp1ece (P late Xil l 6 , and shows what high standards of grace and beautyin the treatment of female figures the artists of Ajanta attained.Below this scene we see a aga king with an elaborate halo of seven hoods, and twoNiiglr apparently his consorts, and two more female figures. The iigar being spirits oftendwelling in lakes,' it appears that their king has been touched by the grief of the mother, orstruck with amazement at the sight of a lovely child floating in the pond, and he has rescuedthe babe. T he fresco is very much damaged in this part, and it is possible that the conjectureabout the Niiga king rescuing the child may not be correct, and that the scene with the iigofigures belongs to another story.As the frescoes on the other walls of this chapel are also much damaged, it can only beconjectured that the previous story has been continued on them. However, on the back wall,to the right of the cell door, the outlines of one white and one pink elephant can be made out,as well as the figure of a horse. The fresco on the right wall of the chapel is comparative yspeaking, better preserved, and we notice a court scene in which a raja is shown sitting on athrone. He is wearing an elaborate crown and ricl1 jewellery, which arc in keeping with theIndian ideals of the dignity of a king. The raja holds a fruit (a mango?) in his right hand.On the left of the raja is the figure of a youth, who is either saluting with both hands joinedand raised towards the forehead, or announcing in a respectful manner the arrival of someimportant personage, for a great cavalcade waits outside the royal pavilion. Behind the youthtwo elephants may be seen, the heads and trunks of which arc excellently drawn. The finebrush-lines depicting the folds of the skin of the lower elephant's trunk are very ingeniouslypainted. On this animal we notice two figures, apparently of ladies. The bodice of the ladyriding in front is very striking on account of its collar and breast bands. She is holding a disk(a shield?) in her left hand, while in her right hand is either a sword or a goad for urging onthe eleph:mt. T he lady behind her is holding a sword (or a dagger) in her right band, withthe point of the weapon downward . Below the figures of these two ladies, two male figuresmay be made out, probably of attendants. One of tl1em is dressed in a long coat with tightsleeves. T he cloth of the coat has a circular design on it.On the neck of the upper elephant a stalwart male figure may be noticed, but the head. ofthis figure is broken. Between the beads of the two elephants, the head and tusk of a th1rdelephant with a rider may also be traced. These figures are too much damaged to studyfurther.

f the subject of this fresco is to be connected with the story of the 'Exile of the Lady', thescene will represent the honourable return of the lady to her father's palace, wtth her consortand the clllld who is now grown up.

1 See Ajtmto i. t l t2 (footnote 2). The walls of the left chapel of the veranda also hadfres oes which, c e p t or a few tiny pieces somered here

and there have almost completely perished. The piecessurvil'ing o w are described in the A p p e n d ~ x in connexionwith the inscriptions which lu,e b


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STORY OF THE GOLDEN GO OSE: M H H MS J T KPlates XV-XVI

Tht s t ~ r y is tltlintolul qn tlu lift wall I tht ro111 tnlltry I tJu vihAra; tht twololuslolt sunn o qn tht two sitlu tht u/1 and tht two polnu SttntJ on obo u it. As lnr Jrttto hns bun much hlocltntd h tht 1111dt ond htalI a in sothot tht to/ours '' pmshtd, it i rrproduud in monhromr onlyT HE story of e Great Being as the Golden Goose, Dhritarashp-a, with l i ~ t var ations,forms the sub;ect of three Jiitaltar (Nos. 502, 533, and 534).' The vers1on delineatedat A anta has four episodes. In the first, we notice a lake, the waters of which, almost black,are covered with dark green leaves of the lotus (Plate XV a . n the reproduction, however,it is impossible to make out the circular design of the leaves, for on account of smoke and firethe surface of the original fresco has become extremely dark, and it is difficult to discern thegreen patterns of the leaves on the waters even in the original fresco. But the skill andexquisite taste of the artist may still be admired from the variety of lotus flowers and thegreen shoots of the creepers which are springing from the rocks adjoining d1e lake.In the water are two human figures, one of them apparently the fowler, and the other some

important official of the palace, for his features arc highly refined, and he is seen to be occupying a prominent position in the other episodes of the story as well. He has a sword hangingbehind his left shoulder, as indicated by ilie black leailier strap on his arm. The serenity ofhis face and the gesture of his hand indicate that he is occupied in deep thought, caused bythe sight of dle two lovely geese which are floating towards ilie fowler. The figure of the

1 The main theme of the story is as follows: 'QueenKhemA, wife of Samyama the Rlija of Benares, saw in adream that some gol


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AJANTA EXPLANATORY T XTremains. The artist has shown her in a tight klrtle, and to attract attention to the grace of herform has encased the lower part of the body in a network of pearls.The other subject (Plate XVIII a) is painted on the front of the pilaster, and represents aralaha ?or a riijii and his consort. The poses of both these figures show ease combined with

grace. The raktha is squatting with legs crossed, and his elbows resting on them. His rightarm is bent, and he has made a loop with his forefinger and thumb, while the palm of hishand is exposed, and the gesture of his other fingers indicates absorption in deep thought.The left hand of the Yaktha is hanging towards the ground in an indifferent manner, perhapsto confirm the impression given of a meditative mood. The head of the figure is broken, sothat the expression of the face cannot be studied. The drawing of the waist, showing thecurves of the muscles in a slight y inclined pose, is realistic. Among the ornaments the designof the buckle-pattern ch in round the neck of the raktha is worthy of notice.The Yakthi il is sitting with her legs almost doubled up. In her hands she holds a musicalinstrument, over which she has gracefully bent her head while she plays. T he head of this

figure also is damaged, but when intact must have been one of the most charming of thepictures of women at Ajanta. The part which remains shows an almost round face with fulllips and delicate chin. T he subtle beauty of the curls of the hair has been indicated by finebrush-lines along the temple and on the crown and back of the head. Among her ornamentsthe designs of the small ear-rings and of tl1e ltmigans (bracelets) are interesting as they arestill in fashion among the agricultural classes of India. The musical instrument is probablyone with strings, for the position of her left hand shows that she is playing on them. Thethumb of her right hand has comeout through a hole in the lower part of the instrument, andshe has made a loop (dharmacaltra) with it and her middle finger, apparently to show thatshe is playing a tune in harmony with the religious mood of her consort.

THE BIRTH OF THE BUDDHAPlates XVIII6-XXIII

The subjut is pointed ; Ulltral sctnts Dn tht wall I the lift curridr, abovt and aiDng tht sidts I tht first and smndull-dHrs. Tht tw sctnts, lht lnttrprttatiDns IMahff-Mt1ya's drtom I J the BrtThma11s, o11d tht Birth ht Buddha inthe Lumhin; Gardtm, tvhich art , comparntiIJt/y sptaking, bttterprturvtd havt 6un rtprduud in tolur. From thf ormtrsunt thtftgurt I ht prinuss (Mahii-Mt1ytJ1}is reproduud ono largtr scolt als os o uporofl tolour plait. Tht rtmoiningtpisodts I the stqry orr rtprDduud in mmxhromt.

HE birth of the Buddha, like the Nativity, is associated with a number of tales andlegendsdescribing the miraculous incidentswhich took place on the auspicious occasion.'Several of them have been painted by the artists of Ajanta. Commencing from the left side

of the first cell-door, we notice a lady (Maha-Maya) lying on her left side on a couch. Theupper part of the figure is much injured, but a part of the head and the left elbow and hand1 The incidents described in the Introduction to the roar took place and the gods of all the thousand worlds

Jtitolo (ed. by V. Fausboll, r877-91) may be summed waited on the Future Buddha, who w s then dwelling inup as follows: Before the birth of the Buddha a great up- the u ~ i t a heaven, and said to him, 'Sire, the rime and fit16


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AJANTA EXPLANATORY TEXTmood. The fourth, at the extreme right end of the balcony, has clasped the pillar with bothhands, and is looking at the people below.

Farther to the right the artist has painted clouds in piles of dark green with silvery outlines.The delineation, in spite of its conventionality, is quite effective. Among these clouds the bustof a Yaksha is seen, holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left. In front of himis a pair of flying figures. The female figure is gracefully held in the arm of her consort, andboth are gently Boating in the air. The male carries an upright sword in his right band.

VOTARI S BRINGING OFFERINGSPlate XXV

This swrt is paintttl qn tht right wallo the rhaptl the lift ftht anltchambtr and slht ral m ttrt rtrthtr dull it isrtpraductd i m n r h r ~ m t ~ n l yT HE scene is similar to the previous one, only enacted in another part of the same building. The dramatis perso ae are, however, different, but painted in the same vein.Commencing from the left we see a figure whose long body and short legs at once provokelaughter. He is wearing a shirt and also a sash round his back and shoulders, but both fallshort of covering his unshapely belly. The head of this figure is broken, so that the featuresand expression cannot be enjoyed, but they must have been very funny. Close to him, to theright, is a woman of dark green complexion but with very refined features. She has exposedthe palm of her right hand in a manner suggesting that she wants something. The pose andexpression of this woman are extremely graceful. The rich coiffure and tight bodice add tothe charm of the figure. Farther to the right is another woman of a fair complexion, who hasraised her forefinger as if to warn the girl and boy who are by her side. The head and bustof this woman are partly damaged, but the portions which are intact show exquisite workmanship. For example, note the drawing of the right hand and the curve of the waist. The girlnear her is looking sideways, and though her features are not very fine, and are disfigured bythe obliteration of the eyes, the pose is quite good. She apparently holds flowers in her hand.Below the fair lady, in front of her legs, is a boy with a brick-red complexion, with a longtrunk and short legs. He holds a tray of flowers. The figure of the boy has been muchdamaged, and his features and expression cannot be studied with certainty.To the right of this group, in the middle apartment, are five figures, three representingladies, one a girl, and another a boy. Commencing from the left, we notice a lady of clayey

complexion, whose right arm is too long and slender for her body. Perhaps the artist hadthe idea of caricaturing her slimness. The elbow and hand of the green woman to her rightare exquisitely drawn, and show that the artist was not incapable of delineating shapely limbswhen he wanted to do so. To the right of the green woman is another of fair complexion, whohas placed her right hand on the shoulder of the former. The left arm of this woman alsohas been caricatured.

The features of the boy in this group are particularly funny; his nose has a depression in For complexions, see Ajanta i. 8 (footnote 4).


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PLATES XXVII XXVIIIaaround the principal figure. Seven of them are in the top row and six on either side, towardsthe right and left, arranged in three rows in pairs. These figures are n the teaching, assurance, and meditation attitudes.

Near the feet of the Buddha the figure of a votary is seen. He is kneeling, and holds aflower stalk in his right hand. The head of this figure is damaged, so the expression cannotbe studied.Near the bottom in the right-side corner is delineated the figure of another Buddha in theteaching attitude. He has an attendant holding a fly-whisk on either side of him, and below

his throne an inscription is painted.The subject perhaps represents the vision of the Buddha in the Great Miracle of Sravasti:

He appeared before the assembly seated in the attitude of meditation on acolossal lotus Rowerand made to spring from his body a multitude ofBuddha figures in a variety of poses.The delineation of the figures of the Buddha is somewhat poor in this subject, but on the

other hand, the depiction of the foliage of the mango tree and of the stalks of the lotus-creepershows much skill. The cause of this difference is apparently due to the fact that in thetreatment of the figure of the Buddha himself, the artist had to observe certain conventionswhich marred the aesthetic effect of the reproduction.

THE BODHISATTVA MAITREYAPlate XXVIIT a

Tht figurt shlfWn on this Plait is painttd tht front tuallof tht shrint lolht lift o tlu doar As lht colours art faint lhtwhjut ; rtproductd ; , o n ~ r o m t onlyTNSIDE the shrine, the figures of two Bodhisattvas are painted on the front wall, one on.either side of the door. The figures are much damaged, and it is difficult to appreciatethe skill of t11e artist properly, though the feet resting on full-blown lotus-flowers remainintact, and the drawing of the toes shows g r e ~ t care and a keen sense of beauty in execution.

The soles are painted red, and on the big toes rings are seen, which were until quite recentlyworn as an ornament by men in India. The figure on the right probably represented theBodhisattva Avalokitdvara or Padmapal)i, while on the left may be identified the Bodhisattva Maitreya (the Coming Buddha), for he holds a Bask in his hand.The figure to the right of the door, which is not reproduced in this plate, is attended bytwo chauri-bearers one of whom is attired like a prince and is wearing a crown, and the otheris robed like a hermit, with his hair gathered in a tuft at the top of the head.The figure to the left of the door, the Bodhisattva M:titreya, has no chauri-bearers but

on either side of him are votaries adoring him, as shown y their hands raised in supplication. The figures of these votaries are mostly obliterated, but the one on the left is fairlydistinct, and his crouching position cannot escape notice. On the right side of the fresco nearthe feet of ilie Bodhisattva, is a design iliat perhaps represents conventional waves and abover ~ A p p e n d i x See .iljanta i, p. 35 (text and footnote 1 .

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AJANTA: EXPLANATORY T XTthat, a crescent-shaped object which may be a boat. Higher up may be seen a votary whol1as raised his bands in adoration.

Even when intact these figures would have conveyed little of the living imagination of theartist, as they are mainly symbolical, and therefore painted according to a strict convention.

THE BUDDHA IN VARIOUS ATTITUDESPlates XXVIII b-XXIX

Tht figum art painted 61J the right ond ltft wol J i ht shrint. Thm 1t tht right wall bting in o tomporatifJtl] bttt"stolt IpruU'IJation art nproduud in to/our, whilt thou m tht lift tuall, hting domagtd, art shown in mltothromt Ml .IN the delineation of a figure of the Great Being, strict observance of the religious lawwould have left little scope for the artist to display his imagination, though the figurespainted in the shrine are not so sterile in artistic effect as those painted in the antechamberor in other parts of this viluiro.

The drawing and colours of the figures on the left wall have faded considerably (PlateXXVIII b), but those on the right wall are fairly well preserved, and show the skill of theartist in the treatment of this obviously difficult subject.Originally there were sixteen figures, arranged in rows of four on each wall. T he teachingattitude has been selected, but the artist has taken the liberty of delineating the left band intile meditation pose. For the sake of variety tile soles of the feet are turned upwards insome cases and turned sideways in others. The heads of some figures are also inclinedwith the same object. The general expression conveys calm, which, combined with the highlights of the face and the gestures of the fingers, gives a mystic effect.The features are highly refined and the fingers exquisitely drawn, but the treatment ofthe lobes of the ear and the curls of the hair with the tuft (ush[tisho) on the crown is absolutely conventional. The figures are draped with robes, but to conform to the religioustradition, the right arm and chest are exposed in some cases. The delineation of the seatsin the form of lotus-flowers is again conventional/ but in the designs of the cloth of thecushions on which the Buddhas are leaning, the artist has shown his fancy, and we noticeseveral pleasing patterns, apparently representing those in fashion at the time.T he imagination of the artist has also found free play in the delineation of the chouri-I On the wallsof he antechamber one thousand figures

of he Buddhaare reproduced in a conventional style. Theyare cruddy drawn, and possess no artistic merit. Thefigures ore arranged in rows, and some of those which arc~ i n t e d on the front wall to the right of the door haveinscriptions below them. The latter have been studied byMr. J. Allan in the Appendix. There is an inscriptionalso below the seat of the Buddha, ~ i n t e d on the base ofthe left column of the antechamber. Yidt Appendix.

2 According to Buddhist tradition, which was followed28

by Indian artists, the hair of the BuddhA should be short,the curls falling from left to right, and the top-lcnot

( u s h ~ J s h o ) should also e covered with shon curls. Forfurther information see A. Geuy s Tht Gods I mhernBuddhism, pp. 198 9.J The lotuS ptrdmo) was a symbol of s d f c r e a ~ o namong the BuddhislS. Every Buddha or Bodbisanva, e m ~sdJ-existent, is supported by a lotus-Jiower to indicate hiS

divine birth. Ibid., p. 192.


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THE BODHISATTVA AVALOKITESV R ?)Plate XXXI

Tht Iuhjut ii pointed 11 tht tvallof tht back


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AJANTA EXPLANATORY TEXTShe holds a small casket with a semicircular lid. The lid shows ornamentation which mayrepresent chased metal-work. The curves of the waist are most graceful, and the d e l i n e t i o ~of the pearl strings is equally charming.

The limbs of the third lady, who is n the middle, show a better sense of proportion, thoughher left arm is rather exaggerated. Her pose shows great ease, and the position of the legsshows much more artistic skill than do those of the two ladies on either side of her. Thehead of this figure s unfortunately damaged, and the refinement of her features cannot beappreciated.The fourth lady rom the left side seems to be of a nervous temperament, for she has givena peculiar bend to her right leg, and has also twisted her left foot to one side. The left arm,which she has bent up, and the gesture of the fingers also give the same impression. Sheholds a small tray in her right hand. The delineation of the pearl jewellery shows fine brushwork. The head of this figure is also broken.

The fifth lady of the group, who is seen near the conventionalized rocks, is leading a boywith her right hand, while the forefinger of her left hand is raised n a significant wayperhaps to warn the other boy who is following her. Both these boys have sticks betweentheir legs, as if they were pretending to ride. The delineation of the boy who is being ledby the lady is very realistic. The head of the latter figure is damaged in parts, so the features,except for the eyes, cannot be studied. The eyes have a dreamy expression. The head-gearof the lady is very peculiar. t is a conical cap, either embroidered or decorated with Bowersand jewels. The style n which she had tucked up her siiri is rather intriguing.Below the group of ladies are four girls, evidently playing some game, as shown by thepositions of their hands. The girl on the extreme left has raised her right hand as if givingdirections regarding the laws of the game. The girl next to her, in compliance with the n-structions, has taken up a special pose, having doubled up her legs and joined them togetherwhile sitting on the ground, and joined her hands together, interlocking the fingers. The thirdgirl, in front of the latter, has assumed the same pose, except that her hands are apart. Thefourth girl is seated cross-legged like the first, but her hands are apart from one another.The features of the third and fourth girl of the group are rather coarse, and the nose and lipof the fourth areof the 'Dravidian' type. Theelaboratecoilfuresofall four confirm the surmisethat they represent young girls of the Deccan of the period, who were not much differentfrom the girls of the present day.

n the upper part of the fresco, above the blocks of conventional hills, is a pair of asceticsArhatr?) on the left side, and two celestial beings Gandharwu) on the right. Of the twoascetics, one has made a loop with her fingers, while the other has joined his hands as i f n theact of adoration. The heads of the Gandharuas are broken, but the delineation of the lowerparts of their bodjes shows considerable movement.Between these two pairs of heaven y bodies, in the middle of belts of rocks, is a rectangularopening, apparently suggestive of the door of a monastery vihora). The recesses of the sidewalls of the door have been admirably shown by a dark-bluish wash.The most notable feature of this painting is however, the excellent painting of the banana32


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PLATES XXXV XLIThe minister is painted in the middle with his head inclined to one side as if to show thathe is indifferent to the displeasure of the king at his decision. The position of his right hand

is, however, symbolical of the meditative mood, and the expression of his face also gives thesame idea. In the fresco on the left side is the figure of Dhanaiijaya, which has been somewhatdamaged, and his expression of chagrin at the defeat cannot be made out. He is shownsitting on a striped cushion, and there is another behind his back. On the other side of Vidhurapar:u;lita is Piirl)aka, declaring his second triumph, by bending his second finger, at thedecision of the minister. The delineation of the fingers in the whole of this fresco is mostartistic, and the great care which the painter has taken to sugge1;t the meaning of the storyby their gestures is very noticeable. The coiffure and the features of Piirl)aka are alsoworthy of praise.

Behind the minister the beads of two women may be seen. The features are somewhatobliterated, but an expression of rapt attention can still be discerned from the fresco. Infront of the minister are two more figures, one male and another female. Both of them haveraised three fingers, to indicate perhaps that in addition to the person of the king and theroyal umbrella the life of the minister was also protected under the terms of the wager. Thedrawing of these figures is exceptionally good, and the poses are also most artistic. Theface of the lady, painted in profile, is full of expression.

The figure of a woman is also seen behind the cushion of the king, but the head is bad) ydamaged. The delineation of the torso of thls figure also shows a refined taste combinedwith excellent workmanship.The other scene perhaps represents Vidhurapal)o;lita discoursing to the ladies of the palace

before his departure with Purr;aaka to the iiga world (Plate XXXVI 6 . The figure ofVidhurapal)o;lita in this subject is indeed a masterpiece of Ajanta art. The beautifulround face with its refined features and mystic expression is surely worthy of a Great Beingsuch as the artists of Ajanta painted in the light of the Buddhist canon. The delineation ofthe right hand shows a love for beauty of form and sweetness of effect such as is often metwith in the school of Raphael, though it will be only confusing to look for simi larity in the twoschools in other respects. Vidhurapar;a9ita is holding a lotus flower, which is symbolical of hisdivine birth.Behind Vidhurapal)Qita are three l a d i ~ all of whom are painted with exceptional graceand skill. The one near his right hand has a pathetic expression, which, contrasted with heryouthful form, accentuates the mystic effect of the subject. The bangles on her wristsseem to be of ivory or of conch-shell. Such bangles are still in fashion ~ m o n the pr mitivetribes of India. The other two ladies are also in a pensive mood, but thcrr features, cotffures,and ornaments suggest the greatest care on the part of the artist for delicacy of finish.

On the right side of the painting, near the lady who is holding a flower another femalefigure may be seen in profile. She appears to be carrying a bag on _her back after the fas_hionof tradeswomen of India. But on a close examination of the fresco 11 appears that the pa1nteroriginally wanted to delineate a figure with a curved back, but had to c ~ a n g e his mind owingto lack of space, and the design now looking like a bag is only the outhne of a curved body.

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A]ANTA EXPLANATORY TEXT


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P i i r r ~ a and the scene may refer to his embracing the Buddhist faith. The heads of both figuresare badly damaged, thus preventing a study of the expressions of the faces.In front of the last scene is :10othcr in which a boat is attacked by fishes and sea-monsters

in the midst of a stormy sea. The painter has shown in this scene the sea voyage of Bhavila,the elder brother of PiirQa, whose boat has been caught by a storm raised by the aluhaMahe5vara. The surf and deep blue water have been rather conventionally shown by curvedblack and white lines which, however,arc not displeasing to the eye. Among the fishes are thefigures of two Niiga spirits who have either come to the rescue of the boat or, like the traditional mermaids, have appeared on the scene to beguile the crew by their beauty and charm.The fo rmer view seems to be more probable, for in the Buddhist literature the general inclination of the Niiga spirits is for the welfare of man, especially in connexion with their powerover the element ofwater. ' The painter has delineated these two figures with great imagination and skill. The lower parts of their bodies are coiled like that of a serpent, while theupper parts, which are human in form, have a graceful outline showing much femininebeauty. Their pose is also very striking, being suggestive of rapid movement. One of themhas a halo of three serpents' hoods above her head, probably an emblem of sovereignty.We see another semi-human figure below the boat itself. The lower part of the body of thisfigure is apparently like that of a fish, but as the fresco is much damaged at this place, it is justpossible that this figure may also represent a Niiga spirit, while the part representing a fishmay be the body of another sea-animal. We notice a large variety of fishes in the sea, manyof them are obvious y mythical, but some are real.The boat itselfseems to be massively built, and the presence of twelve large pitchers of freshwater in its bow may indicate the strength of the crew, or suggest that the vessel is bound fora long voyage. A pair of oars is visible, each of which is attached to the side of the boat by a

loop, the ends of the latter for security being passed through two rings fixed ro the boat (PlateXLII . Dragons' heads arc carved both in the front and hind parts of the boat, and thereis a lip-like projection at each end which adds to the picturesqueness of the design, and mighthave been useful for steering purposes as well, especially in shallow waters.Near the oar, on the starboard side, there is a plank frame, which apparently marks theplace whence the captain of the boat regulated the steering. There are three masts, apparentlyof timber, from which sails arc hung. There is a post fixed to a frame in the stern of the boatas well, from which another sail (jib-sail?), fully blown by wind, may be seen.

On the boat we notice Bhavila looking up to heaven for succour, raising his hands in prayer.An angel(?) is painted as if coming down from heaven to the rescue of the boat.3 The wingsof the angel have a remarkable similarity to those shown on a fresco in Sir Aurel Stein'sCollection of Central Asian Antiquities at DeUli . The latter fresco is of course much later

I f/idt Vogel's lndia t Strpml-Lort or Winternit7.'s'Der Sai )XIbali, cin alrindischer Schlangencuh', Milltildtr onthropl Gmllschoft in Wim vol. xviii (1888).

The contrivance is called 'rowlock' in nautimlterminology.

3 Foucber h s identified this figure with M a h d r t r ~ ;but in the fresco this celestial being, descending fromheaven towards Bhavila, whose hands are raised in prayer,seems to be rather a redresser than an aggressor. SeeJ ~ t r Hyd Arch Soc 1919-20, p. 93

PLATE XLII


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than its prototype at Ajanta. A little higher up we see another flying figure. This is evidentlyu n ~ a who, according to the .dvadiina appears on the scene by his supernatural powers. Thefigure of Puroa has been damaged considerably.Above the storm episode there is another scene in which Puroa is shown bringing presentswith a large procession to the Buddha. According to the .dvadiina Piirl)a, on his return toSlirpiiraka, with the co-operation of his brothers and the king, arranged for a reception forthe Buddha. The painter has separated the reception scene from the previous two by deep

green blocks, which represent rocks conventionally. The reception scene shows a monasteryin which we see votaries passing through a portico into a court which is overlooked by a musicgallery and another apartment. The procession ultimately reaches the room where theBuddha is seated, delivering a sermon to the congregation. The various parts of the monastery shown in the fresco have a striking resemblance to the open court, music-gallery, andinner hall of many a temple in India.To describe the figures. Commencing as usual from the left, we notice two ladies of exaltedposition in the portico. Their upper garments are scanty and transparent, so the painter has

taken the opportunity to show their bodily charms by the delicate curves of his brush lines.Their poses and gestures are suggestive of the shyness of Indian women, and one of them hasplaced her hand on the shoulder of her companion who is looking back at her in a gracefulmanner. At the inner entrance of the portico, near the steps, another lady is carrying a trayofofferings on her left shoulder. The features and the expression of the face of this lady showmuch delicate feeling and feminine grace. In front of her, and on the steps, is a girl whosefigure has been spoiled by t11e decay of the fresco.In the court, near the steps, are painted four women, who by their features and styles ofcoiffures seem to be of a lower class, and may be identified with diisls (servant girls). One ofthem, carrying a large tray of presents, has very rough features, resembling those of the Dravidians of South India. Her stooping pose is suggestive of the heavy weight of the presents.In front of these four women is a male figure who, on account of his large size, may beidentified with Purl)a The way in which he wears the large necklace round his arm andshoulders indicates the smartness of his nature, but as the head of this figure is damaged it isimpossible to observe the expression of Ius feelings. Close to Plirl)a, there is another votary.

He is probably his elder brother, BhaviJa, a little smaller in size, but has very refined features.Bhavila is looking at Puroa, apparently for guidance as to what ceremonial should be observedwhen making the offering to the Great Being.

In front of Piirr.la there are four more figures whose crouching poses and timid expressionssuggest that they are servants and ready to carry out his instructions in the performance ofthe ceremony. The features of these figures are coarse, and ilie one wearing a blu: ~ o f i (?)has almost a Dravidian appearance. Another of t11ese servants holds a sword erect m Ius ngbthand and a shield in his left. The design of the latter is somewhat blurred on account of thedecay of the fresco.

The painters ofAjanta often distinguish the principalcharacters of a story by their comparatively larger size.z This figure may be female. The fresco is badly dam

aged so identification is difficult.47


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PLATES XLV-XLV a XLVU


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cord are still made in India. The features of the maid are beautiful, but the expression issomewhat melancholy, evidently because of the angry mood of the raja.To the left of the raja is the figure of a Bhikshu or ofsome religious person, draped in a pale

green robe. The drawing of the bead of this figure is masterly, the wrinkles of the face andthe soft elder y features making him very life-like. The gesture of his hand suggests that heis pointing out a certain course of action to the raja to get rid of the dilemma with which heis faced.Behind the religious person there is a maid who is leaning on the pillar in a graceful manner.Her features are beautiful, but the expression of her face and her pose suggest anxiety. Belowthis figure is a woman of dark complexion whose head and features are too much damaged toindicate her feelings.

To the right of the raja, near the throne, is an elderly lady draped in a white costume withfull sleeves. Her head is partly damaged, but the features which remain indicate sorrow.Behind the lady is the torso of a pdncess with a golden-brown complexion. A ring and chainare noticeable in her left hand, and lower down we see part of a chased metal vessel hungfrom the chain.

The whole story has been painted with remarkable skill, the feelings of pathos beingapparent from the gesture and expression of each figure.The lower part of this fresco being badly damaged, it is difficult to state whether the figurespainted there represent a continuation of the above story or distinct subjects. In a panel, wenotice a boy with a cock,1 and lower down an elephant with a rider. The figure of the elephanthas been drawn with great vigour and beauty, and shows the painter's delight in showing

the majesty of the animal. In front of the elephant, traces of an attendant's figure can be madeout, and nearby are two horses, one bay and the other grey, which have been painted redand green according to the usual convention.

A BODHISATTVA IN THE TEACHING ATTITUDEPlate XLVI b

ht suhjut is pninttd m tht right wall ht front galt.ry, ID tht right / ht u/1-Mor. It is rtprDduud i mm>


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PLATES XLVII, XL Xd XLVIII-XLIX


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brushwork along the outline of the figure. A jet-black background adds further to the beautyof the colour scheme, while it also shows the design almost in relief.

T he designs and c represent a mermaid and a boar-headed man respectively, and havebeen painted with the same flourishes and colour effect as those shown n the pair of geese. Theselection by the painter of these mythical and real animals for his composition was apparentlydue to their being frequently mentioned in the religious tales extant at the time, though theymight have appealed to his imagination by reason of the grotesqueness of their fo(ms as well.T he design d shows a conch-shell resting on a full-blown white lotus-flower: The lotusflower (padma) being the symbol of self-creation has a religious significance among theBuddhists, but what its combination with the conch impli es is a matter for conjecture. A lotusand a conch associated with Kuvera are considered to signify his inexhaustible treasuries. Have

they the same significance in this device as well? The conch independently is an importantsymbol among the Hindus, and the combination might have acquired a religious significanceat a time whim a fusion of the Buddhist and Brahmanical beliefs was taking place.

The bracket-like device at the top of the conch-shell is rather puzzling, for it is too inelegantto be considered an artistic feature of the scheme.2 The colours of this subject are lovely, thewhite flowers contrasting beautifully with the green leaves, and both of them almost glisteningon a dark background. The red outline of the leaves and the flowers adds to the delicacy andperspective effect of the design.The fifth design {r) represents a young hermit (-drhat?) flying in the air amid whiteclouds.3The features of this figure are very beautiful, and the legs, though rather conventionally bent,give an impression of movement. Movement is also indicated by the borders of the hermit sdhoti waving in the air. He is carrying flowers and a fruit like a mango, probably as an offeringto the Buddha. The delineation of the clouds, though conventional, is pleasing to the eye.

G S, GAJYAS, AND OTHER MYTHICAL BEINGSPlates XLVIII- XLIX

Thtu igures art point.don the ptdeslols of tht back columm o he hall, tmd os the colours lunu much fadul, th1 frmou ttrtrtproduud in monochn;mt only.T HE pedestals of the columns of the hall were originally painted, and the subjects represented Niigas, Ga tas, and other mythical beings included in the host of Buddhistgods by the Mahayaoa School. As some of tl1ese subjects have been painted with admirableskill, six of them are reproduced in these Plates (XLVIII a- d and XLIX a--0 .T he subject XLVIII a represents a palace scene in whicl1 a Niiga king is shown with hisconsort and two female attendants, one of whom is a chauri-bearer and the other a maid-ofhonour, for she is sitting close to the king.4 The latter ho lds a vessel like a wine cup in his right

1 ?idt Coomaraswnmy s rnlios, ii. 13 M Goloubew,on account o these fanciful motifs, has suggested that theceilings of some caves at Ajant:t represent the Paradise ofKuvera.Pidtalso Plate XLIX d.

J Yidt Plate XVII h.4 This episode is painted on the pedestal of the se


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hand, but the serenity of his face and the gesture of his left hand show that he is talking on someserious subject to the Niigi, who is listening with rapt attention to him. The pose andfeatures of the agi are very beautiful, and the expression of her face conveys a double kindof devotion, that of a wife as well as that of a disciple, for the king in those days was not onlythe domestic chief but also the religious lord. The expressions on the faces of the two attendants as well show feelings of calm and repose. It is interesting to note that even in a sceneof amor, where the husband holds a cup of wine and the wife is lovingly reclining on his armand knee, the religious element cl1anges the general effect of the picture.

The next subject (Plate XLVIII b represents a similar episode, but the painter has alteredthe poses of the characters. The iiga raja is shown sitting in a characteristic Indian attitude;the right leg of the raja is bent with the knee upwards, while the other leg s bent but restson the ground. His head is painted in three-quarter profile, and the expression of innerpeace is more pronounced than in the former fresco. He holds a cup of wine in his right hand,while his left, to express feelings of love and intimacy, is placed on the shoulder of his consort.The pose of the Niigi is also slightly different from that of the previous fresco, while theattendant in this painting holds a round vessel (a wine jug?) instead of a fly-whisk.

The third subject (Plate XLVIII c shows a fat figure G a t ~ a ? ) with a fair complexion andgood features.> The palms of the hands being painted red convey an idea of foppishness,which is confirmed by the pose of the head, which is inclined on one side. The gesture ofthe fingers, on the other hand, introduce a religious element, and the general effect of thecomposition thus becomes serio-comic.

The painter s sense of humour is further illustrated by another figure (Plate XLVIII dwhose thin twisted moustache and pose of self-assertion are as ludicrous as the childish gestureof his right hand in protruding the middle finger.l

The fifth subject XLIX a , like the first two, represents a Niiga king and queen with twomaids, one of whom is clinging shyly to the bolster against which the raja is leaning.4 Theother maid holds a vessel with a conical lid in her left hand. The vessel apparently containsdessert, for the Niiga raja has a cup of wine in his right hand. The raja has fondly placed hiselbow on the shoulder of his consort, who is looking at him lovingly. T he gesture of the bandsof the raja, however, suggests the teaching attitude, and a meditative air is apparent from theexpression of his face, as also from the girdle round his back and knees, which is generallyused by hermits when they sit in contemplation. The combination of wine-drinking withreligious devotion might have been a feature of the Niiga cult at the time, and the painter simagination having been struck with it, he has delineated the cult in several scenes (PlatesXLVIII a-b and XLIX a .

To the right of the last subject, on another face of the pedestal of the third back column,This subject is painted to the right of the precedingone, on another face of the same pedest:1lThis figure is painted to the left of XLVIII on thepedestal of the same pillar.

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3 This figure s painted on the pedestalof he same i l l ~ rthe ITcsco facing the antcxhamber.4 This subject is painted on the pedestal of the thirdbaclc column counting from the left corner. The ITcscofaces the hall

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are painted two Ga los. The features of oneof them conv ey a sweet innocence reminiscentofsome of the earl y European delineation sof che rub s Plate XLIX 6. The otherfigure h svery coa rse features, and its broad nose, bent upw ards at tbe tip, and contrac ted eyebrowsprovokela ughter.

On the shafts of the tw o back columns of the ha ll, facing the antechamber, are carvedfigures offour-handed Go los in dancing attitudes P la te XLIXc). The sculptures arera ther rou gh in work manship, but theposition of the hand,stretched in front of the breastof these figures, is inte resting. Theposesu ggests the balancing ofthe body and rapid ity ofm ovement,fe atures whic h are mor epron oun ced at a later date in the sculptures :md bronzesofiv a in this pose


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PPENDIXA NOT ON THE INSCR IPT IONSOFCAVE II

J JOHNA LLAN

TH ERE are a numberof in scriptio ns writ te n onthepain ti ngs in C ave II. Several are quite short: o thers have been ofsome length but are now nto ofr agm entaryaco nditiontoberestored. W ith the exception ofno. 7, a com paratively m odern K anarese inscription, th eyare all in S anskrit in rahmi characters and conte m porary wit h the paintings. We hav e nosim ilarw rit ten d ated in scrip ti ons elsewhere fo r com paris on, but comparison wit h ro ck-cutin scrip tions s uggest s t hat the date of these in scriptions is the first ha lf of the sixth century .No. may po ss ibly be a tr ift e earlier, but it is im probable that any are la ter . Thesein scri ptio ns have already been publi shed fr om Bhag van la l Indraji s re adin gs byDr. J ames B urg ess in M em o ir n o. 1 of th e Archae ologica l Survey ofW estern I nd ia :]mcr iptionr fromthe ow Tem plu of WuternIn dia , 881,pp. So-2 . Som e port io nsofthe in scrip ti ons have d ecayed sin ce h e c opie d t hem , but they w ere a lr eady very i ncom ple te inhis t im e. They were disc ussed b y Profe sso r H. Liiders in th e Nachrichttn 11 ndtrKoniglGuellrch. d Jflim nrchaften of G ottingen , P hil.-His1. K lasse, 1902,p p .758-62, in an ar tic lewhich B urgess t ransla te d fo r th e In dia nAnti l uory, 1903, pp. p6-8 .Professo r L iidcrs pointe dout that thescenes re presenteda re fro m the sto ry offrom th e Jilt akamlll ii of AryaSura, alsofo und in th e Piili Jil taka (ed . Fausboll , iii. 39-43;transl. Cowell , Francis, and N eil , iii . 23-9 . Thesto ry is briefly as follows.I n a p re vio use xistence the Bodhisattva was ahe rm it in a fores t, w hose fa vouri te subje ctofdiscourse had e arned h im the nam eof ~ t i v a d i n the preacher of pati ence . One day thek ing w ith someofhis queens visited thefo rest ,w here he lay down and fe ll a sleep. Hisqueensw andering about thef orest cam eto t he h erm itage a nd were a t on ce ente rta ined to a discou rseonforbearance w hic h fascinated th em . W hen th e k ing a woke a nd fo und h im self deser tedfo r a herm it s disc ourse h is a nger knew no b ounds. T he w om en ple ad ed in v ain a nd th eherm it urged him to be calm , but h e d rew h is sword and cut theherm it s l im bs off one b yon e; theearth thereupon swallowed upthek ing w hil e thedyingherm it blessed h im a ndassured thefr ightened p eople t hat they w ould not be sim il arl y p unished for theirk ing s im piety .

57


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INSCRIPTIONS O CAVE I I


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2. On a long band below the cane se at is a long ins cription (Burge ss, no. 4) in tw o lines,now m uch m util ated and com pletelybrokenin two: the up per l ine seemsto havebeen longerthanth e lower. T hetext is now quite incoherent. Theportiono n th e left a) just above therwo hu m an heads is

w hil e the re mainder b)o n the right is

line 1 a) - - - - 11 111 Wf - fir . (b) ~ F . : f l ~ ' l 1 ~ \ l f i ~ l t (lll itline 2 b) before firs t gap- fu

at e n d

\

I ) Q i t Bhagvanla l Indrajiwas able to read much more; his lithographed cop y of th einscription may be transliterate d as follows, dashes being use to in dicate missing alq arasLine 1 (a) - - - - - yatrava ri inta sadgu - tan m a - - - - najfta na - - - - - - agahi - nltim

avi pya m ~ n u ~ - - - - -b) plltu--- stachendriyai aval..-yam{tY\1nnarilkaroti yab chli.- kyaham em a damnyate.L ine (a) yanta kusumair mahitahll dllgu se--- ntin(a) ghana sarllsi mantabhramatessaroru- rvvidva - - hiJJa.

The figure of th e herm it is almost destroyed, but hi sle ' an d looking with reverenceat him. Another, a l dyof aca n be madeo ut. One of hem is curved on the sea t, and pinkish complexion ,is presen ting a tra yofofferings to him .th eotherreSIS on the ground. A m ong the votaries, one of At th e btckofhese rw ois athirdfigure, dressed in aw hitea reddi


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Liiders was able to iden tify thisas three1/oluut aken w ith a few copyist 's e r rors from theK ant ijataka in Arya ~ l i r a Jiitakamiila, no. XXVIII, pp. r81-92 n Kerns editionHarvard O riental Series, V ol. 1), nos. 4 15,and 9 The firM of these is a description of the he rmi tageof a n t i v a i n .

NiVli.Santi hi yatnivasa ntal) d g w J h u ~ ~Tan maitgalyaril man ojftaril ea tat ttrtharb ta t tapov:111amw hich has been translated by J.S. Speyer (TheJatakonlf7it1, Oxford,1895, p. 2 54),as follows:For w here pious persons, ado r ned wi th excel lent virtues, have their residence, such aplace isa very auspicious and lovely one,a sacred place of p i lgr image (a ti rtha),ahermi tage. '

The accurate tex t of the re m ainder (= lokas 5 and 19 in Kerns edi t io n ) is:agarhitaril av:tpya m a n u an iinabhilvaril patu bhis tathendriyail)av ayamftyur na karotiya1 su bha ril pramadabh:tk praty aham vaiicp te (I$)alathk riyante kusum:Ur mah ru has taQid guoais to yavilambino ghanabsaramsi mattabhram araiJ:t sasoruhairgu1;1air h i g a t tu dehinaJ:t (t 9)

T hese are two verses from the hermit ' s d iscourseto thekings \vives:Hewho, having ob tained the bbmeless hu m a n state, and being born n the full posscsMonof organs and senses sound and vig orous, w i thoutany defect , neglects to do good actionsevery day from lack of a one is much deceived : is benot subject to thenecessity of death? (I 5)

'Blossoms are the ornam en tsof trees, it is flashes of lightningthat adorn the big ra in clouds, the lakes are adorned by lo tuses and waterlilies w i th their into xicated bees: butvir tues brought toperfec t ion arethe prope r o rnam ents of li v ing bein gs. ( 19

3 Equa lly f r agm entaryis the inscription below the figure w ear inga rosary , w ho is againthe hermit . O pposite him is a m ale figure, the king, and betw een them is afemale figure ,oneof his wives, \vitb her hands jo ined nan at ti tude ofsuppl ica t ion, appeal ing to him to bemercifu l. Theupper l ine is il legible except for fragm ents of le tters and the lo wer ends:

\

- -- ----

6o

INSCRIPTIONS OF CAVE II


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The Pa'.l9it (Burge ss, no. 4) was ableto see anum ber of otherokfo ror,but no t sufficien tto make theinscription intelligible to him . Histransc ription maybetranslitera tednatr:tcchedit y chittn tnsya -- - - - pr ltisamnpnamahata rh nasa - - niideva dha - -w hich Liide rs has ident ifiedas1oko 56of theK 4n t ij iltaka, theco rrec ttex t Kern, p .190)ofwhichis:

g:t tm cchede py cit tam rasya k ~ a m ~ r . 1nitsrddubkhari:l pritiyog itn EPalil tu dharm li.d lipaThe pic ture th erefo re repr ese nted th e herm it beinghewn limb from limb by the iratek in gnspit e ofthe appea ls ofoneof hiswives to him to bemerciful.The ilok desc ribes how the herm it never lost his com posure . It maybethus tran slated,fol lowing Speyer (p.266) :In co nse quence of itshabitual kindliness the mind of thatvirtu ous one was inaccessible tothe senseof so rrow on his ownaccount. Even while hesaw his limbsbe ing cut off, his for bearance rem ained uoshaken,but [the fact ]th at he sawth e kinghadfallen from righteousness m ade him sore with grief. '

4 On theback ofa cow painte donth er ig h t wall of the chapel is

. : ; . .

S arasu t i= a Prikrit formofSarasva ti(B urg ess, no 6).

APPENDIX5 O n the sam e wall ar e traces ofanoth er inscriptio n,now illegible, which


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ay bereadfrom theP ai)Qit's tra nscr ip tion(Burges s, no . 8)as. f

11T11Ril : ~ f l ------- -- ----nana prasehemanasvasy atra ivad ul; lk h di - hiwhich Liiders has identif ied s n inaccurat e copy of1/oka44ofA rya Sara 's i tri JalaJ iita ka; in K ern's edit ion, p. 48

udlnapr tyipunal;l punal;lna prasehe manas t sy vig a: hitum which may betranslated, following Speyer( p. 66 ):'A ndthejoywhichhe experien ce d from giv in g left nospace for th e fee lingof pain causedby cutting an d conti nuall y prev en ted his mindfro mbein gplu nged in to grie f.'Thesce ne evidently represented th e kin d-hearte d M aitr ibala giv in g his blood fr om fiveveins in his bo dy toth e Y a k ~ who said they co uld only eat 'raw human flesh freshly cu toff andstill warm , a nd hum anblo od'.6. Onthesame walltheseated figu reisnam ed

Chai tr lbalor ka r: ljiiwhich, sLiiders points out,isan error for '\la it r ib a la ra ja ' , K in g M aitr ibala ' the hero ofthe Jt7 ta ka Thein trusio n ofthe alqararkaisth e writer' s e rro r ,a ndhe clearlywri te sChaifor6z

INSCRIPTIONSOF CAVE II


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ai in the initial syllable. There is no reason to doub t that the scene represented was thetesting of the kindhea.rtedness of .i\Iaitribala. The story is not found in the ali Jt1taka

7 Above the middle chapel door in the left corridor of the interior of Cave Il pa intedabove the four Buddhas is an inscription n Kanarese of qui te recent date apparently the workof somem odern visitor. I have beenunable to find any one who can read it intelligibly.

8. Traces of a lo ng inscription are still visible on the lotus thrones of the Buddhas on theback wall ofthe left corridor in the interior of CaveIT bu t it is impossible to make anythmgcoherent from th em.

APPENDIX9 P ain tedonthe


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tu s-th roneofaBuddhaon theback walltothele ft of theante -chamber may sti ll be seen tracesoflette rswhich seem to show that the Pai)Qit {Burg ess,no .1) wasright in reading the in scri p tion ,somewhat moreleg ib lein his time, as

~ ~ ~ iJ-- -- --------- ---------m -Portionsin brackets are now no longer legib le. The fragmentm ay e translated:This merito riousgift of thegakya hilqu i .e . theBuddhi st monk) the reverend Budhagupta,whatevermerit ofall beings.10. Pa in ted on thelo tu s-th roneof theBuddha on the pedestalof the left p illa r of theantechamber has been a long in scr ip tion in at le ast two lin es, of which tracesofonly a few

chara c ters rem ain .J

];

1. On theback waUoftheante -chamber to the rightoftheshrine doorare pain ted manyfigure sof the Buddha; a long the top isw rit ten a long in scrip tion , now very incompleteapparently record ingthe donation ofthepain ted figures Burg ess, no . 2. 1:: - - [ ]- - - If [- ) 1::- -- - - - - - - ~ ~

0 T he merit orio usgift of the Sakya devotee R - - - - ufdasyafo r u[pa]saasya ).Tracesoffu r ther lin esof in scrip tio ns,probablyone at e ach rowofheads ,aresti ll visible,but i tisim possib leto make anyth ingcoherentfrom them .64


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)


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..


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I

abhaya mudr4, attitude of assurance,23, 35Ahmad, S.yed, vi, 52

Aigrettes, representntions of, 4, 35Ajanra Cave I v 2 3 5 12 n.15 n. 1 7> 19 11

- Cave I: general description, vi,1-3; the veranda, 3-9; the rightveranda chapel, 9-1 1; the leftveranda chapel, 11 n 1, 58-62; thefront g;.llery, 12-14, 51-2; thepilaster between the galleries, 15-16; the left corridor, 1 6:z-3; the antechamber, 63-4; theleft antechamber chapel, 21-6,34-5; the back corridor, 2 ~ 7 30,52-3; the shrine, 27-9; the rightantedlrunber chapel, 31-+; theright corridor, 36-48; the pilasterbetween the back and right corridors, 36 n. ; the third cell-door,48-q; the pilasters between thefTont and right corridors, 49 " ' ;the front corridor, 5o-3; the hall,52-5; the inscriptions, vi, 21 28 "'57-6Allan, ]., on the inscriptions, vi, 2,28 n. , S?-64Amaliivatl, the sculptures of, 5

ang1Jlhh4, scarf, 9. 22111igralhll, coat, 37, 40angfithis, rings, 18Animals, represenmtions of: birds,unspecified, 3, 4, 7, 14; boar, 53;cobra, 8; cocks, 34> 51 ; cows,58n., 6t; cranes, 7; deer, 36n. 1;

dragon' , 25-6, 3511.3, P; duck' ,7, 19, 23; elephantS, 3, 11, 17, 40,51, 52; fishe, 46; geese, 3, 7, 12-13, 26, 52; horses, 3, 11, 38, 40,41, 42, 51; parrots, 7> 35; ram,35; sea-monsters, 46; serpentS, 8,35

- rapping of, 40Apple, cusmrd, represenmtion of the,8

Apsoras, 6Arluzts, 3-5, 32, 48, 53ArmletS, representation of, 18

INDEXArya Sura, the Jatalam4/4 of, 57Ascetics, 32a i o ~ a tree, representati9ns of the, 4,s. 6, 13>33Avalokitdvara (I), the &dhisattva,

27,30Awnings, representations of,-t8Bactria, native of, 9Bamboo basket, 25Banana tree, representation ofa, 32-3Bangles, representations of, 18, 20 n. ' ,

25, 30, 39. +2Barnett, Dr. L. D., viBasketS, representations of, 25, 31,

'33Baton, representationofa, 36 n.1b8zuha11d, armlet, 18Belt, representation of a, 1oBhagvanlal Indraji, P a ~ ; t ~ i t on the

inscriptions, 5?-63Bhavila, 5 n. 46,47Bhilshus, 19,21 n.3, 23, 30, 48,51bhamisparla mudr4, the, 9Bihlirf, a, 9Mndi, forehead mark , 19Birds, representations of, 31 4, 7, 12-

13, 14, 19,23,26,3+>35.52Birth of he Buddha, the, 16-20Boar, representation of a, 53Boars, representations of, 28, 46

.&dhisatcva, a, 36n.' ,+9"' 52". ';mythical bcings ~ d o r i n g a, 3-5;meditating, bringing offeringsro, 48


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INDEX


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I

27; strings of pearls, +, 8, I5, 18,20, 30, 32, 35, 38; tiaras, 29;wristletsJewellery designs, 7, 8, 26, 52- 3

jluJ,tjh, cymbals,f9jhtlnjlton, anklet, fOjhulonill,ear-pendant, f2jhilmnr, head-ornament, fjltumill, car-pendant, f2Johnson, Dr. John, viJugglers, 7Kailisa., Mount, 7 n.Kanarese inscription, a, 57,62langans, bracelets, 16, 18

J o ~ t J . i , neddet, t 8lnrlls, bangles, 18, 30lothol, jack-fruit, 33Khema, Queen, 12 n. 13, If, 15,36 'linoros adoring the Bodhisattva, 3-5Kiriflas, 5Kirtles, representations of, 16

141otivadin, the Bodhisattva, 57,s8luJri, the Gurkha, f lK1mhi pe s nt woman 22Kuru kingdom, the, 36 n.Kuvera, 53loltn{lgll, skirt, 15Lambadis, the, 25Lemon, representations ofa, 33Loin-cloths, representations of, 22,29, 30,44Lokapiilas, the four, 7 n.Lo t1, water-pot, f8Lotus-flowers, representations of, 3,

f, 7> 8, IZ, J 3, 14 21 1 22, 26, 27,29, 33. 39. f2, 53Luders, Prof. H., on the inscriptions,57-3

Lumbinl Grove, the, 17 n. 20Mace, represent:ltion of a, 35Magadht 1, inhabitant of, 9Magical jewel, V a r u t ; ~ a s , ~ 5Maha-Brahma angels, the four, 1711.,20Mohlllronun Jiltoln, the, 12-15Mohojmrola Jlltokn, the, 19 n.

Maha-Maya, Queen, 16-21MaheSvara, the Yaksha, f 5n., 46Maitreya, the Bodhisattva, 27-8Maitr'lbala, 62nu1111 strings ofpearls, 18Mangos, representations of, 7, 11, 26,

7Mat, representation ofa, 33Mattress, representation ofa, 20Mermaids, representations of, 46, 53Mirror, representotion ofa, 37Monastery, representation ofa, f8, f9Monks, 5, 6, 10Musical instruments, representationsof, 16; conch, 49; cymbals,+, f8,f9; drums, 20, f l f8, f9; flutes,4, f' 49; harp, 17; trumpet, 49

Nttgos, 2 , t 1, 46, 53-4Nugfs, 11, 54Necklets and necklaces, representations of, 15, 18, 20 n. 23, f7,58n.Offerings, votaries and others bring-ing, 6, 21-5, 31-4, 48- 6,


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a sea Yoyage, 45-8St nps, represencuiom of, 12, 15Stringsof pearls, reprcscnmtions of,

> 8 15, I8 20, JO, 32,35, 3 8 Suddhodana, King, 17, 18-19Sumukh a, c.plllin ofhe golden geese,12 , '3Suparl ll king, the, 36n.Surpar..ka,+5 47Swing, reprcscntnion of a 4Swords, repr


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(1) TH BODHISATTVAK ANTIVADIInscriptions 1-3

u


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3) M ITRIB L JAT IKAInscriptions and 6


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z0t..:) Clz


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6) THE BUDDHA ND TH E INSCRIPTIONONTHE BACK W LL TO THE LEFT OTHE ANTECHAMBER

rmc riprionno 9


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7) THEBUDDH N DTHEIND ISTIN TINSCRIP TIO N ONTHE LEFT PILLR OFT HE NTECH MBER

In scription no . 1


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8) TilE BUD DHAS AND IN SCRIPTIO NS ON THE BAC K L L OFTHE ANTECHAM BER

Inscriptio no 11


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-. / __/ I I < -. -_ / ~ . / I / / ' , '\. \ \ / I - . ' '

/ - - I \1/ \ / /_ I I - / 1/ \ / /_ . - _ ; \ 1/ \ . /I - - - / - I - / - I I / -I I / :_ ' I :.. / : : : \ I :.. - / -- \ . I - -I .. / \ / /\ / - /\ / I - - /\ // ...- / . I.__ / --- \ / / \ I -:--.... / ---\ / ./ I ' , / I : .. /


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~ /. j ~ \ -\' ~ > / ~ I I - \ .... \ I : I f \ \ -- \ I . ' -- I . . \ \I / , / . ~ - - - -; / / I

Call No 7 5 1 . 730934hz : Auth or- YazdaniTitl e j an tn Text n ~ _

bool:tltati1 h u t bill a bloel:c \ \ Jo.EOLO GJic-1.GOVT. OF INDl..._ . ~

;.;, Deparunent of An:huoloay9 NEW D ELHI. \Please help us to keep the book

cle a n and moving.

yazdani ajanta text pt. 2

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