Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c7.158.3

c7.158.3

On the proper left the monkey is kneeling with a bowl in his hands in the act of offering it to the Master. In the centre, he is dancing showing his exultation on account of the acceptance of his offering by the Master. On the extreme right we find the monkey disappearing down a well, which represents his suicide. In the stelæ of the second class this incident is mostly represented in the first row at the bottom. Thus, in No. 3737¹ of the Indian Museum collection, the Master is seated on a lotus, with a bowl in his hands, while the monkey is kneeling with another bowl in front of the pedestal. In No. 3752² the incident is to be found on the same side, but the Master is seated on a raised seat with both legs hanging down. It is to be found in the same place in No. Br. 68,³ of the same collection, where the Master is seated in the same fashion. The monkey is to be seen dancing in front of the pedestal. The incident is to be found represented on the right side of the backslab, in the bottom row, in No. 6264⁴ and on the left side in No. 6265. It is to be found on the right side at the bottom in Nos. 3734, 3755⁵ and 3703.⁶ In No. 3713⁷ it is to be found in the bottom row, on the left, while in No. 3766,⁸ a peculiar stele in which the birth, the death and the illumination are not represented, the representation of this incident is to be found in the second row from the bottom, to the right.