The Beginnings of Buddhist Art and Other Essays in Indian and Central-Asian Archaeology c11.s1.167

c11.s1.167

The principal figure of the south-western, and last, façade is again feminine (pl. XLIV). She is seated in the Indian manner upon a lotus supported by two *nâgas*. The two attributes of the upper pair of hands, on the right the rosary and on the left the book, should indicate the Prajñâpâramitâ with four arms (*ibid.*, pl. IX, 3 and 4). But in that case the normal hands should make the gesture of teaching, instead of that of meditation. Similarly, if she were a four-armed Târâ, the first right hand should make the gesture of charity (*ibid.*, II, p. 65). The symbols and the attitudes combine, therefore, to indicate a second representation of the goddess Cundâ, the form with four arms (ibid., pl. VIII, 3 and figure 24). The two Bodhisattvas, her attendants, reproduce exactly those of her counterpart on the opposite façade. As regards those of the lateral panels, they carry on blue lotuses a sword and a book respectively : we must, therefore, see in them two replicas of the same Mañjuçrî, of whom these are the two traditional emblems (ibid., p. 119).