Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c15.s2.t5.9

c15.s2.t5.9

5. ARRIVAL OF ASITA :—Buddha's birth was an event of great rejoicings in the heavenly world of the 33 gods (*trayastriṃśa svarga*) and also the royal palace of Kapilavastu. Asita, an old Brahmanical Ṛishi hearing of the news came to the royal palace, cast the horoscope at the request of the king and foretold the future greatness of the child. . The sculptured slab (Longhurst pl. XXI (a) ) shows the scene of the presentation of child Buddha at the Śākyavardhana Chaitya. Queen Māyā Devī is presenting the child to the deity who stands up in a human form and offers his adoration with folded hands to the Bodhisattva whose foot-prints are stamped on a cloth flanked by two Chawri-bearers. On right side under a pavilion is seated king Śuddhodana on a royal throne having a high backed *toraṇa*, a couple of Chawri-bearers stand at the back, Queen Māyā is standing with folded hands, in front is seated an old sage with a spiral pile of matted locks on his head and the child Buddha in his arms shown by two small foot-prints on a scarf.