Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v1.c5.s7.4

v1.c5.s7.4

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.