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Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t6: Stūpa II

Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t6

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Stūpa II

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Stūpa No. II is next to Stūpa No. I the most important monument at Sanchi. It stands on a small terrace projecting out from the hillside some three-fifty yards down its western slopes. It may be stated that the construction of the three Stūpas was deliberately planned so as to enshrine the relics of the Buddha in Stūpa No. I, built in the most majestic form and sited on the most conspicuous spot, the relics of Buddha's two chief disciples, Sāriputta and Mahā Moggalāyana in Stūpa No. III on the hill-top itself and of the other great teachers and missionaries of religion who worked in the time of Aśoka in a Stūpa now labelled as Stūpa II on an artificially constructed terrace jutting from the hillside towards the plains.

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In size and construction Stūpa II was almost a replica of Stūpa I, the main difference between the two being the decoration of the ground railing. Its diameter exclusive of the processional path and enclosing balustrade, was 47'; its height to the top of the dome 29' and to the top of the crowning umbrella 37'. In the four quadrants of the ground railing there were 88 pillars. There were three railings, the one as the ground balustrade, the second the berm railing approached by stairways and the third on the top round the harmikā. But the ground railing is carved with many reliefs which give the balustrade its unique value and make it an outstanding landmark in the history of Indian art no less than of Buddhism. The subjects portrayed are generally similar to those on the gateways of the Great Stūpa. Among them, the four chief events of the Buddha's life are conspicuous: his birth (Jāti), his enlightenment (Sambodhi), his first sermon (Dharmachakra-pravartana), and his death (Parinirvāṇa)—each represented by its own peculiar symbol: the lotus, the Pīpal tree, the Wheel and the Stūpa. Then there are the familiar figures of Yakshas and Yakshiṇīs, many-hooded Nāgas and a host of real and fabulous animals, sometimes with riders and sometimes without, like those which adorn the false capitals on the gateways of the Great Stūpa: elephants, bulls, horses, deer, winged lions, makaras and griffins and other creatures of the fancy, also that do not occur on the gateways, such as horse-headed and fish-tailed men or centaurs with women on their backs (kinnara mithuna). Among plants, the favourite one is the lotus—magic symbol of birth and life and giver of bounteous gifts to mortals—sometimes quite simply treated, sometimes in rich and elaborate devices; among birds, the peacock, the goose, and the Sārasa are prominent; and among characteristic Buddhistic emblems other than those already mentioned, the triratna, nandipada, and śrīvatsa, and pillars crowned by lions or elephants. (Marshall).

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The contingent of decorative designs including flowers, animals, human beings and divine figures was traditional and borrowed from the repertoire that we find in the Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina Āgamic literature. In the description of lotus railing (padmavara vedikā) as given in the Rāyapasenīya Sutta, we find conventionalised lists of such decorative motifs. There seems to be no doubt that these motifs of ornamental decoration were being used in wooden construction for many centuries from where the stone carvers borrowed them with complete facility. The unique charm of such a railing became widely popular and accepted in such art centres as Mathura and Sarnath. The railing pillars of the earlier Jaina Stūpa at Kaṅkālī Ṭilā show as if the ground balustrade of Sanchi Stūpa II was transferred with the variety of its decorative motifs and the simple natural style of carving. The few Śuṅga pillars at Sarnath are also as if replicas of the Sanchi balustrade. The age of these reliefs on the balusrade of Stūpa II may rightly be fixed on the basis of their style and palæography of inscriptions in the last quarter of the 2nd century B. C.

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The smaller balustrades belonging to the stairway, berm and the harmikā are similar to those of Stūpa III both in form and construction. The uprights of the stairway are relieved both on their inner and outer faces with one complete and two half discs of varying patterns. Similar floral rosettes are also carved on the inner face of the landing balustrade but the outer faces are decorated with narrow bands of carving between the rosettes. On the other hand the berm balustrade or pillars of the second parikramā have merely plain disc medallions, on the inner face of which the central ones are sometimes omitted. But the discs on the outer face of the pillars of this projecting ledge are relieved with lotus designs and other floral or animal devices; e. g. a lion, a bull or an elephant. The coping of the harmikā is also decorated on its inner side by a row of full-blown lotuses forming the pushkaraśraj design. The relic box, deposited inside a relic-chamber which itself was placed at two feet distance from the centre, contained four small caskets of steatite with Śarīra dhātu or the bodily relics of the ten missionaries sent by Aśoka to preach the doctrine, some of whom had also taken part in the Third Council of Pāṭaliputra. Although these teachers lived in the time of Aśoka, their relics must have rested for some time at different places until they were assembled to be enshrined together in this Stūpa which seems to have been a recognised practice in the Śuṅga period.

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DECORATION OF THE GROUND RAILING : The main centre of interest lies in the decorative reliefs carved on the inner and outer faces of the upright pillars of the ground railing. As mentioned earlier the subjects shown on the half and full rosettes of the pillars were organised on the basis of the prevailing folk cults interpreted by the artists and sculptors who seem to have taken their inspiration from domestic and folk art. The first thing that impresses is the lotus and its wavy creeper in infinite forms. The lotus is carved in the form of full-blown flowers, buds, leaves and either in a conventionalised form or growing in a natural form, the former as Padma-latā and the latter as Vana-latā. The carving of the lotus creeper and flowers in itself was the outcome of a complex cult of the lotus which had come down from the earliest times. The lotus was associated with the cult of Brahmā who was said to have his seat on pushkara (Brahma ha vai brahmāṇaṃ pushkare sasrije, Gopatha Br., 1. 1. 16) which was the symbol of the cosmos (bhū-padmakośa) and of Fire and Sun, the latter two conceived as blooming lotuses rising from the depths of the primeval water. The conception of a garland of lotuses (pushkarāj) comprising both the earth and the heaven was Vedic. Along with it was the cult of Śrī-Lakshmī having a Vedic origin and the two freely mingled with each other with the positive result that Lakshmī was conceived as Padminī (Goddess of Lotuses) standing amongst lotuses (padme sthitām), wearing a garland of lotuses or holding lotuses in both hands or standing on a Full Vase overflowing with lotus flowers and leaves. She is sometimes sprinkled over with water by elephants, also standing on lotus flowers. These variations are seen in these reliefs.

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We also find the Pūrṇakumbha motif also called Mahendrakumbha, covered over with red and blue lotuses (Padmotpalapidhāna); Chakra worship, Stūpa worship, scenes of Uttarakuru, animal motifs, Kinnara-Mithuna, Śrīvatsa, Nāga, and Yaksha figures. Some of them may be noted as follows:

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ŚĀLABHAÑJIKĀ: In ancient railings these were generally sixteen in one quadrant as actually found at Bharhut, making a total of sixty-four in the complete circular railing with twenty more for the re-entrant portion. The female figure in this pose was shown as holding the branch of an Aśoka tree (Vāmahasta-grihitāśoka) with her left hand and standing in a graceful attitude (lilāsupratishṭhita), as depicted on the pillar No. 1 a.

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Śrī-Lakshmī, Śrī-Devī, Gaja-Lakshmī or Lakshmī with two elephants or two lions, with a human couple also standing on two lotuses. [Fig. 75].

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Śrī-Lakshmī on lotus, Lakshmī with lotuses, with two attendants and another woman standing between the door, with two attendants holding Chhatra and Chāmara. [Fig. 76]. Lotus bunch, elephant with lotuses, Lotus bunch from the jaws of a Makara having a Yaksha in the middle section; padmalatā from the mouth of a tortoise; rhinoceros with Padma—and elephant with Padmalatā, Simha with lotus. [Figs. 77 78]. Yaksha on tortoise with lotus stem; Yaksha with Padmalatā; Padmalatā from the navel of a Yaksha. [Figs. 79-80].

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Chakra on four lions placed on the top of a pillar round which are four deer, depicting the Sarnath Pillar, Dharmachakra with eight spokes, Chakra worship, Bodhi Tree worship, Tree-in-railing.

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STŪPA WORSHIP:—The Stūpa is of elongated cylindrical form and not hemispherical. It has the usual three railings but located on a high terrace which is decorated with vertical alternate bands of lotus rosettes and Śrīvatsa symbols both of which point to the assimilating influences of Śrī-Lakṣmī cult with that of the Stūpa. In the lowermost panel is the Śrī-Vṛiksha or Tree-of-Life which also points to the comprehensive nature of the Śrī-Devī worship. [Fig. 81].

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ANIMALS :—Simha Saṅghāta ; lion with lotus ; bull ; elephant with rider ; horse with rider. These were part of the worship of the Four Great Animals, Mahā Ājāneya Paśu, a well-established cult in ancient time from the Indus Valley to the 19th century. [Their symbolism has been explained by us with a long list of references in our book, *Chakradhvaja*]. A two-humped camel (*dvikakudkramelaka*) which was a Central Asian animal, about which the Central Indian sculptors must have received information from some caravan trader. Pair of boars ; combating lion and elephant ; cow suckling the calf.

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Śrīvatsa depicted about a dozen times had already become a sacred symbol and naturally associated with the Śrī-Lakṣmī cult. Tiiratna symbol also depicted about a dozen times was pre-Buddhistic but accepted in the Buddhist, Jaina and Brāhmanical traditions.

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UTTARAKURU :—It is a favourite subject on the Gateways of Stūpa I and is found here depicted in the form of Mithunas and Kalpalatā meanders. [Fig. 82]. Kinnara motif is shown both with Kinnarī riding with her husband or the centaur riding with his wife. [Fig. 83]. This is a motif repeated at Mathura and other places.

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BIRDS :—This was the topic related to the ancient Suparṇa Maha ; we find here Garuḍa holding the Nāga in its beak and the Nāga coiled round the body of the bird, a motif continued in Mathura art ; a pair of Haṃsas (*haṃsa-mithuna*) ; a pair of cranes (*krauñchamithuna*). [Fig. 84].

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YAKSHA : The popularity of the Yaksha cult cast its deep influence on the Stūpas of Bharhut and Sanchi and they are repeated on this railing of Stūpa II also as related to Uttarakuru and water cosmology. Lotus creepers are shown as issuing from the mouth or navel of pot-bellied squatting Yaksha figures. As the followers of Kubera they were accepted as the genii of wealth and auspicious jewels (*nidhi* and *bhadra maṇi*). A very peculiar figure is the Yaksha seated on a tortoise holding a sinuous lotus tree with Haṃsa lodged in it. [Fig. 85]. The main stem of the lotus is seen issuing out from his navel. This illustrates a happy mingling of the elements of the several ancient folk cults, viz. that of the Yakshas, Kūrma, Pushkara and Waters. Another form of Yaksha was that of a stout well-built male figure, resembling a wrestler, probably the same as Nara (as in the medallion on pillar 6a) because of which Kuber was called Naravāhana. On one pillar we find the figure of a king with two queens with three attendants holding an umbrella and flywhisk and at the bottom panel of the same the king driving in a chariot with his minister on an elephant. It recalls the scene of Aśoka going to visit Bodhi shrine at Bodhgaya already depicted on the Western Gateway of the Stūpa I.

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