Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s22.5

v2.c8.s22.5

In front of the last scene is another in which a boat is attacked by fishes and sea-monsters in the midst of a stormy sea. The painter has shown in this scene the sea voyage of Bhavila, the elder brother of Pūrṇa, whose boat has been caught by a storm raised by the Yaksha Maheśvara. The surf and deep blue water have been rather conventionally shown by curved black and white lines which, however, are not displeasing to the eye. Among the fishes are the figures of two Nāga spirits who have either come to the rescue of the boat or, like the traditional mermaids, have appeared on the scene to beguile the crew by their beauty and charm. The former view seems to be more probable, for in the Buddhist literature the general inclination of the Nāga spirits is for the welfare of man, especially in connexion with their power over the element of water.¹ The painter has delineated these two figures with great imagination and skill. The lower parts of their bodies are coiled like that of a serpent, while the upper parts, which are human in form, have a graceful outline showing much feminine beauty. Their pose is also very striking, being suggestive of rapid movement. One of them has a halo of three serpents’ hoods above her head, probably an emblem of sovereignty. We see another semi-human figure below the boat itself. The lower part of the body of this figure is apparently like that of a fish, but as the fresco is much damaged at this place, it is just possible that this figure may also represent a Nāga spirit, while the part representing a fish may be the body of another sea-animal. We notice a large variety of fishes in the sea, many of them are obviously mythical, but some are real.