Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v1.c5.s7: Story of the Serpent : Śaṅkhapāla Jātaka

Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v1.c5.s7

Language: English

Story of the Serpent : Śaṅkhapāla Jātaka

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*The subject is delineated on the back wall of the left aisle, above the first cell-door. It is reproduced in colour.*

THE story agrees with the *Jātaka*¹ and has been depicted in three parts. In the first part, painted in the left top corner, we see the King of Magadha, in an ascetic’s robe, imparting instructions in the Law to Śaṅkhapāla, the *Nāga* king. The figure of the ascetic king has been destroyed, but that of Śaṅkhapāla is fairly intact,² and he is shown sitting on a low cushion, while another is placed behind his back. He is wearing an elaborate crown and rich jewellery, among which pearls and sapphires are prominent. The expression of his face is one of great devotion and humility, which are further demonstrated by his folded hands. Behind the *Nāga* is a princess of great elegance—although her figure is too much obliterated for the full appreciation of her charm. She is listening with interest to the sermon of the ascetic. The style of wearing the pearl-strings (*hār*) on the sides and back is characteristic and resembles the style of wearing flower-strings (*baddhi*) in India up to the present time. Behind the princess is a maid of red complexion, but her figure has been to a considerable degree destroyed, so that a portion of the bust alone can now be traced.

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¹ The *Jātaka* runs as follows: ‘Once upon a time the Bodhisattva was born as the son of a King of Magadha, who ruled in Rajagaha. When the Bodhisattva came of age his father, adopting the religious life, retired to a park and lived as an ascetic. There a chief of the *Nāgas*, Śaṅkhapāla by name, visited the ascetic from time to time and received instructions in Law. The Bodhisattva once visiting his father, saw Śaṅkhapāla with a large retinue, and he was so much struck by the magnificence of the *Nāga* chief that he aspired to be born in the *Nāga* world. At the end of his life the Bodhisattva was reborn as King Śaṅkhapāla, but in course of time he grew sick of the luxury of his life in the *Nāga* world, and by way of penitence he lay on the top of an ant-hill saying, “Let those that want my skin and flesh, let them, I say, take it all.” So one day, when Śaṅkhapāla lay there, a party of hunters who had secured nothing on that day passed that way. On noticing the serpent they said to themselves, “To-day we have not caught so much as a young lizard; we will kill and eat this snake-king.” Thereafter they wounded Śaṅkhapāla and piercing his nostrils with a sharp stake inserted a cord and dragged him along. At this time a landowner, Alāra, was journeying with five hundred wagons in that direction. He was touched by the hunter’s maltreatment of Śaṅkhapāla and he offered to them coins, together with an ox to each, and had Śaṅkhapāla released. The Bodhisattva afterwards returned to the *Nāga* palace and, without any delay, issued forth with a great retinue to welcome Alāra to his abode and conferred on him choice gifts.’ Cowell, op. cit., v. 84–91.

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² There is a halo of the hoods of seven serpents over his head.

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Below the princess is a dwarf, who is bringing a tray of flowers to the ascetic as an offering. His long trunk, short bandy legs, and wild expression introduce a serio-comic effect into the picture. The artists of Ajanta often bring in such characters to soften the otherwise religious austerity of the subject.

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The most notable figure in this group, however, is the woman who is sitting in front of the ascetic. Her pose exhibits great skill and observation. She is squatting, having crossed her legs, and leaning on the left hand, which is placed on the ground, while with the right, which is curved, she is supporting her head in a graceful manner. Although the fresco is somewhat indistinct and partly destroyed, the masterly drawing of the artist in indicating the curves of the body can still be admired. She is wearing a sleeveless, low-necked bodice which looks extremely effective on her graceful form.

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The floor is painted dark red and is bedecked with flowers. The design appears at first sight to represent a carpet, but as at Ajanta the foreground of even silvan scenes is represented in this manner, we gather that the device had become conventional.

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The second episode of the *Jātaka* is painted to the right of the previous one. A large white snake, the ‘Serpent-King’ of the story, is being dragged along by a party of six hunters who have put a rope through its nose. The first hunter, while pulling the rope, has his hands stretched forward and his face turned back; the last, who is holding the end of the rope, has bent down so low that he appears to be almost touching the ground. The position of the bodies and the expression of the faces, indicating great effort, are reminiscent of a tug-of-war scene. Behind the company of hunters we see two figures watching the maltreatment of the serpent. One of them seems to have been touched, as is shown by the gestures of his hands. The head of the other figure is broken, and his expression cannot be studied.

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Just below the serpent we see a figure with a herd of oxen addressing the hunters appealingly. He is probably Alāra, who offers the hunters coins and oxen, one to each hunter, to induce them to release the serpent. The oxen have been painted in a variety of attitudes, and the artist has availed himself of the opportunity to express his knowledge of animal life. The white ox at the extreme end, although its muzzle is destroyed, has its tail raised and twisted in a peculiar manner, and the curve of the neck indicates that it is trampling the ground in fury. Another, below the white one, which is red, has raised its neck as if bellowing. Two, one red and the other white, are galloping; the treatment of the red one is particularly skilful, showing lively movement. These two have black leather collars and brass bells round their necks. Below the red ox we see the muzzle of a pale-brown one, raised up peculiarly. In front of the two galloping oxen we see Alāra going down a vale, and ultimately we notice him (at the left bottom corner of the picture) with the *Nāga* king, Śaṅkhapāla, who has now assumed human form and is showing his rescuer a lotus-lake, symbolically indicating his palace. The features of Śaṅkhapāla, as a Divine Prince (*Bodhisattva*), are extremely graceful, and show a remarkable contrast to the coarse features of the merchant Alāra.

Cites (1)

Jātaka — Pāli