Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c6.93

c6.93

The majority of inscribed sculptures of the second and third classes belong to the Indian Museum and can be sub-divided into four groups. The first group consists of specimens, in the inscriptions of which the looped form of the palatal *śa* has been used along with another transitional form, in which the cross-bar is present but the upper curve is slightly reduced in size. This transitional form is not noticeable in dated epigraphs of the early Pāla period but is to be found in the Ghosrawan inscription of the time of Devapāla, the third emperor of this dynasty. It is certainly earlier than the pure looped form which we find in the Khalimpur grant of Dharmmapāla and in the Badal pillar inscription of the time of Nārāyaṇapāla¹ and is an intermediate form between this looped form and the ancient Kushān form, in which the cross-bar is parallel to the upper part of the letter, or in that, in which the upper part itself being curved, the cross-bar is perfectly horizontal. Among specimens of this group we find that the older form of the palatal *śa*, in which the cross-bar is parallel to the top of the letter, has been used on one occasion only. This is an image of Lokanātha, standing, with six hands. In this case the Buddhist creed, inscribed on the backslab, contains the older form of the palatal *śa*, while the votive inscription on the pedestal shows the use of the pure looped form. From this votive inscription we learn that the image was dedicated by one Suvarṇṇika, son of the merchant Vajjraka, who was a lay worshipper (*upāsaka*). In two of its left hands the figure holds a rosary (*aksha-sūtra*), and a round indistinct object, the third being in the posture of blessing (*varada-mudrā*). In the right hands he holds (1) a lotus with stalk, (2) a noose (*pāśa*) and (3) a *kamaṇḍalu*. On his left a female stands with hands clasped in adoration, while in the crook of her right hand is the stalk of a lotus. On the right we have a four-armed female figure with a *chaitya* in her headdress. Two of her hands are clasped in front while the other two hold indistinct objects (No. 3860).² In the next five specimens we find the transitional form of the palatal sibilant, which is intermediate between the older form, with the perfectly horizontal cross-bar as well as the pure looped form. In this form the curve in the upper part of the latter is narrowed to form a smaller semi-circle with a portion of the cross-bar as its base. In this category we have the fine image of Buddha (*Vajrāsana-Buddha-Bhaṭṭāraka*) from Kurkihar, in the Gaya District of Bihar and Orissa (Kr. 3).³ From a votive inscription on the pedestal we learn that this image was dedicated by the Buddhist monk Lokeśvaradeva, an inhabitant of the Pāṇḍi Vishaya. In the second image, this transitional form of the palatal sibilant is very distinct. It is an image of Lokanātha with two hands. The god holds a lotus with stalk in his right hand while the left holds an indistinct object. In addition to the two-armed female on the left and the four-armed female on the right, there are a number of subsidiary attendant figures. Thus, we have the figure of the *Dhyāni-Buddha* Amitābha on the headdress and another *Dhyāni-Buddha* in the *bhūmisparśa-mudrā* over his head. On each side of the head we have two seated Bodhisattvas, of which only that on the left is recognisable as being Vajrapāṇi. Over the halo we have the representation of rocks with emaciated figures of Ṛishis coming with offerings. On each side of the Bodhisattva's legs we have two additional figures. On the left we have a preta, with an emaciated body and a protuberant belly, drinking with an upturned face something, which appears to be falling from behind the left hand of the Bodhisattva. On the right we see a dwarfish male rushing out (No. 3807).¹