Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c9: Appendix: A Note on the Inscriptions of Cave II
Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c9
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Appendix: A Note on the Inscriptions of Cave II
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By JOHN ALLAN
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THERE are a number of inscriptions written on the paintings in Cave II. Several are quite short: others have been of some length but are now in too fragmentary a condition to be restored. With the exception of no. 7, a comparatively modern Kanarese inscription, they are all in Sanskrit in Brāhmī characters and contemporary with the paintings. We have no similar written dated inscriptions elsewhere for comparison, but comparison with rock-cut inscriptions suggests that the date of these inscriptions is the first half of the sixth century. No. 11 may possibly be a trifle earlier, but it is improbable that any are later. These inscriptions have already been published from Paṇḍit Bhagvānlāl Indrajī’s readings by Dr. James Burgess in Memoir no. 10 of the Archaeological Survey of Western India: *Inscriptions from the Cave Temples of Western India*, 1881, pp. 80-2. Some portions of the inscriptions have decayed since he copied them, but they were already very incomplete in his time. They were discussed by Professor H. Lüders in the *Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellsch. d. Wissenschaften of Göttingen*, Phil.-Hist. Klasse, 1902, pp. 758-62, in an article which Burgess translated for the *Indian Antiquary*, 1903, pp. 326-8.
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Professor Lüders pointed out that the scenes represented are from the story of Kṣāntivādin, from the *Jātakamālā* of Ārya Śūra, also found in the Pāli *Jātaka* (ed. Fausböll, iii. 39-43; transl. Cowell, Francis, and Neil, iii. 23-9). The story is briefly as follows.
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In a previous existence the Bodhisattva was a hermit in a forest, whose favourite subject of discourse had earned him the name of Kṣāntivādin, the ‘preacher of patience’. One day the king with some of his queens visited the forest, where he lay down and fell asleep. His queens wandering about the forest came to the hermitage and were at once entertained to a discourse on forbearance which fascinated them. When the king awoke and found himself deserted for a hermit’s discourse his anger knew no bounds. The women pleaded in vain and the hermit urged him to be calm, but he drew his sword and cut the hermit’s limbs off one by one; the earth thereupon swallowed up the king while the dying hermit blessed him and assured the frightened people that they would not be similarly punished for their king’s impiety.
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1. The first inscription is a short one (Burgess, no. 3) painted on a cane stool on the back wall of a chapel to the left of the veranda.¹ It is under the seat to the right of the feet.
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¹ Mr. Yazdani has described the frescoes of this chapel as follows: ‘The walls of the chapel on the left side of the veranda are also painted, but much damage has been done to the frescoes by the percolation of water through a crack, which, however, we have now filled up. As only a few pieces of these frescoes now remain on the walls, it is difficult to identify the Jātakas (Nos. 8 and 28, Jātaka-mālā) in all their details, but the figures which can be traced will be described here. Starting from the back wall of the chapel, we notice above the door of the cell the outline of two heads with fine features. Proceeding towards the right, we see a hermit (the Bodhisattva Kṣāntivādi) sitting on a cane stool (moṇḍhā), the design of which is interesting, as stools of this type are still manufactured in India. An inscription (no. 1) is painted on the lower half of the stool. The feet and toes of the hermit have been drawn with great care, and the figure when complete would have been an excellent specimen of the work of the Ajanta School. In front of the figure of the hermit was painted a woman squatting on the ground, whose elbow, back, and lower part of the body can still be traced. The drawing of this figure also is vigorous. Higher up there was another woman of a dark complexion; only a part of her bust can be made out now. Below the seat of the hermit, on a dark green band which separates the scene above from the one painted below, is a long inscription (no. 2) in two lines.
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क्षान्तिवादि: Kṣāntivādiḥ = ‘preaching patience.’
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Kṣāntivādi (Pāli khantivādi) is synonymous with the more usual term kṣāntivādin = ‘the preacher of patience’, and the person represented was the hermit of the Jātaka discoursing to the king’s wives, traces of one of whom can still be seen opposite the hermit.
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Below the green band we again notice a hermit wearing a rosary of circular and elongated black beads. As the fresco is much damaged, the religious attitude (mudrā) cannot be studied. The hair of the hermit is scattered over his shoulders. In front of the hermit were painted two more figures which have almost perished, and only portions of their heads can now be discerned. Below the feet of the hermit there is another inscription (no. 3) in two lines, relating to the subject which is painted farther down on the wall. The fresco is badly damaged here as well, and we can make out only three figures, one of a tawny-white complexion wearing a pair of necklaces, another, rather faint, to be traced by a portion of the torso, and the third, comparatively prominent on account of the gesture of the fingers, showing amazement.
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The frescoes of the right wall of the chapel are even more damaged than those on the back wall. Beginning with the left side of the wall, we observe the branches of a tree, the leaves of which are beautifully painted. Lower down was delineated a herd of cows, of which three are still visible. One is red, another pinkish-white, and the third rather greenish in colour. The pinkish-white cow has an inscription (no. 4) painted on its back. The designs of the chains round the necks of the cows are interesting.
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Proceeding towards the right side, near the ceiling we notice a group of votaries bringing offerings. In this group five figures can be made out, two of them being female and two male. The sāris or dhotis worn by these figures are tucked up to the waist so that the frilled ends hang down in an artistic fashion. A female figure holds a flower, the petals of which are like those of a rose or marigold. Below this scene an inscription (no. 5) is painted on a band.
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Farther down, there is another inscription (no. 6) painted on the seat occupied by a hermit or prince (Bodhisattva?), to whom several persons are making offerings.
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2. On a long band below the cane seat is a long inscription (Burgess, no. 4) in two lines, now much mutilated and completely broken in two: the upper line seems to have been longer than the lower. The text is now quite incoherent. The portion on the left (a) just above the two human heads is
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while the remainder (b) on the right is
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line 1 (a) - - - चव रान्त स - - ष - - - तिम वाप् - - -
(b) - - - सचेन्द्रियै अवक्यमृत्युं करोति यः शुभं - - - - हमेम दंन्यते । line 2 (b) before first gap - सि मन्तभ्रमते सरोर् - - - - at end - - चाहिए - -
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Paṇḍit Bhagvānlāl Indrajī was able to read much more; his lithographed copy of the inscription may be transliterated as follows, dashes being used to indicate missing akṣaras:
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Line 1 (a) - - - yatrava rānta sadgu - bhuṣaṇā tan ma - - - - nājña na - - - - - - agahi - nītim avāpya mānuṣa - - - - -
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(b) pāṭu - - - stachendriyai avakyamṛtyu nnaṁ karoti yaḥ śubhaṁ - - - - - chā - kyaham ema damnyate.
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Line 2 (a) - - - yanta kusumair mahitahā - - dāguse - - - ntin(ā) ghanā sarāsī mantabhramatessaroru - - - rvvicāva - - - kṣā hiṇa.
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The figure of the hermit is almost destroyed, but his legs can be made out. One of them is curved on the seat, and the other rests on the ground. Among the votaries, one of a reddish complexion is presenting something to the hermit and looking with reverence at him. Another, a lady of a pinkish complexion, is presenting a tray of offerings to him. At the back of these two is a third figure, dressed in a white loin cloth.’
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Lüders was able to identify this as three *ślokas* taken with a few copyist’s errors from the Kṣāntijātaka in Ārya Śūra’s *Jātakamālā*, no. XXVIII, pp. 181-92 in Kern’s edition (Harvard Oriental Series, Vol. I), nos. 4, 15, and 19. The first of these is a description of the hermitage of Kṣāntivādin.
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Nivasanti hi yatraiva santaḥ sadguṇabhūṣaṇāḥ
Tan maṅgalyam mano jñam ca tat tīrtham tat tapovanam
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which has been translated by J. S. Speyer (*The Jātakamālā*, Oxford, 1895, p. 254), as follows: ‘For where pious persons, adorned with excellent virtues, have their residence, such a place is a very auspicious and lovely one, a sacred place of pilgrimage (a tīrtha), a hermitage.’
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The accurate text of the remainder (= *ślokas* 15 and 19 in Kern’s edition) is:
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agarhitāṃ jātim avāpya mānuṣīm anūnabhāvam paṭubhis tathendriyaiḥ
avaśyamṛtyur na karoti yaḥ śubhaṃ pramādabhāk pratyaham eṣa vañcyate (15)
alaṃkriyante kusumair mahīruhās taḍidguṇais toyavilambino ghanāḥ
sarāṃsi mattabhramaraiḥ saroruhair guṇair viśeṣādhigatais tu dehinaḥ (19)
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These are two verses from the hermit’s discourse to the king’s wives: ‘He who, having obtained the blameless human state, and being born in the full possession of organs and senses sound and vigorous, without any defect, neglects to do good actions every day from lack of attention—such a one is much deceived: is he not subject to the necessity of death? (15)
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‘Blossoms are the ornaments of trees, it is flashes of lightning that adorn the big rain-clouds, the lakes are adorned by lotuses and waterlilies with their intoxicated bees: but virtues brought to perfection are the proper ornaments of living beings.’ (19)
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3. Equally fragmentary is the inscription below the figure wearing a rosary, who is again the hermit. Opposite him is a male figure, the king, and between them is a female figure, one of his wives, with her hands joined in an attitude of supplication, appealing to him to be merciful. The upper line is illegible except for fragments of letters and the lower ends:
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- - च - - - चतच - - - - सप्रच - - -
- - - - - तां न - - - च नादेवाध - - - The Paṇḍit (Burgess, no. 4) was able to see a number of other akṣaras, but not sufficient to make the inscription intelligible to him. His transcription may be transliterated
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natracchedity akṣatakṣānticiraṁ chitta tasya prakṣa - - - - -
- - - - prītisamnyāna mahatāṁ nasa - - nātra nādevādhā - -
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which Lüders has identified as *śloka* 56 of the *Kṣāntijātaka*, the correct text (Kern, p. 190) of which is:
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gātracchede 'py akṣatakṣāntidhīraṁ cittaṁ tasya prekṣamāṇasya sādhoḥ
nāsīd duḥkhaṁ prītiyogān nṛpaṁ tu bhraṣṭaṁ dharmād vīkṣya samtāpam āpa
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The picture therefore represented the hermit being hewn limb from limb by the irate king in spite of the appeals of one of his wives to him to be merciful.
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The *śloka* describes how the hermit never lost his composure. It may be thus translated, following Speyer (p. 266):
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‘In consequence of its habitual kindliness the mind of that virtuous one was inaccessible to the sense of sorrow on his own account. Even while he saw his limbs being cut off, his forbearance remained unshaken, but [the fact] that he saw the king had fallen from righteousness made him sore with grief.’
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4. On the back of a cow painted on the right wall of the chapel is
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सरसुति = a Prākṛit form of Sarasvatī (Burgess, no. 6).
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5. On the same wall are traces of another inscription, now illegible, which may be read from the Paṇḍit’s transcription (Burgess, no. 8) as
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नान प्रसेहे मनस्वस्यात्रैव दुःखदि-हि-
- - - nā na prasehe manasvasyātraiva duḥkhādi - hi -
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which Lüders has identified as an inaccurate copy of *śloka* 44 of Ārya Śūra’s *Maitrībala Jātaka*; in Kern’s edition, p. 48
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hriyamāṇāvakāśaṃ tu dānaprītyā punaḥ punaḥ na prasehe manas tasya cchedaduḥkhaṃ vigāhitum
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which may be translated, following Speyer (p. 66): ‘And the joy which he experienced from giving left no space for the feeling of pain caused by cutting and continually prevented his mind from being plunged into grief.’
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The scene evidently represented the kind-hearted Maitrībala giving his blood from five veins in his body to the Yakṣas who said they could only eat ‘raw human flesh freshly cut off and still warm, and human blood’.
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6. On the same wall the seated figure is named
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चैतीबलोर्करराजा = Chaitibalorkarājā
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which, as Lüders points out, is an error for ‘Maitrībalarājā’, ‘King Maitrībala’ the hero of the *Jātaka*. The intrusion of the *akṣara* *rka* is the writer’s error, and he clearly writes *Chai* for *Mai* in the initial syllable. There is no reason to doubt that the scene represented was the testing of the kindheartedness of Maitrībala. The story is not found in the Pāli *Jātaka*.
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7. Above the middle chapel door in the left corridor of the interior of Cave II, painted above the four Buddhas, is an inscription in Kanarese of quite recent date, apparently the work of some modern visitor. I have been unable to find any one who can read it intelligibly.
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8. Traces of a long inscription are still visible on the lotus thrones of the Buddhas on the back wall of the left corridor in the interior of Cave II, but it is impossible to make anything coherent from them.
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*abhaya mudrā*, attitude of assurance, 23, 35 Ahmad, Sayed, vi, 52 Aigrettes, representations of, 4, 35 Ajanta, Cave I, v, 1, 2, 3, 5, 12 *n.*², 15 *n.*, 17, 19 *n.* —, Cave II: general description, vi, 1–3; the veranda, 3–9; the right veranda chapel, 9–11; the left veranda chapel, 11 *n.*², 58–62; the front gallery, 12–14, 51–2; the pilaster between the galleries, 15–16; the left corridor, 16–21, 62–3; the antechamber, 63–4; the left antechamber chapel, 21–6, 34–5; the back corridor, 26–7, 30, 52–3; the shrine, 27–9; the right antechamber chapel, 31–4; the right corridor, 36–48; the pilaster between the back and right corridors, 36 *n.*¹; the third cell-door, 48–9; the pilasters between the front and right corridors, 49 *n.*²; the front corridor, 50–3; the hall, 52–5; the inscriptions, vi, 2, 28 *n.*¹, 57–64 Allan, J., on the inscriptions, vi, 2, 28 *n.*¹, 57–64 Amarāvatī, the sculptures of, 5 *aṅgochhā*, scarf, 9, 22 *aṅgrakhā*, coat, 37, 40 *aṅgūthis*, rings, 18 Animals, representations of: birds, unspecified, 3, 4, 7, 14; boar, 53; cobra, 8; cocks, 34, 51; cows, 58 *n.*, 61; cranes, 7; deer, 36 *n.*¹; dragons, 25–6, 35 *n.*³, 41; ducks, 7, 19, 23; elephants, 3, 11, 17, 40, 51, 52; fishes, 46; geese, 3, 7, 12–13, 26, 52; horses, 3, 11, 38, 40, 41, 42, 51; parrots, 7, 35; ram, 35; sea-monsters, 46; serpents, 8, 35 —, trapping of, 40 Apple, custard, representation of, 8 *Apsaras*, 6 *Arhats*, 3–5, 32, 48, 53 Armlets, representation of, 18
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*Ārya Śūra*, the *Jātakamālā* of, 57 Ascetics, 32 *aśoka* tree, representations of the, 4, 5, 6, 13, 33 Avalokiteśvara (?), the Bodhisattva, 27, 30 Awnings, representations of, 18
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Bactria, native of, 9 Bamboo basket, 25 Banana tree, representation of a, 32–3 Bangles, representations of, 18, 20 *n.*¹, 25, 30, 39, 42 Barnett, Dr. L. D., vi Baskets, representations of, 25, 31, 33 Baton, representation of a, 36 *n.*¹ *bāzūband*, armlet, 18 Belt, representation of a, 10 Bhagvānlāl Indrajī, Paṇḍit, on the inscriptions, 57–63 Bhavila, 45 *n.*, 46, 47 Bhikshus, 19, 21 *n.*³, 23, 30, 48, 51 *bhūmisparśa mudrā*, the, 9 Bihārī, a, 9 *bindī*, forehead mark, 19 Birds, representations of, 3, 4, 7, 12–13, 14, 19, 23, 26, 34, 35, 52 Birth of the Buddha, the, 16–20 Boar, representation of a, 53 Boats, representations of, 28, 46 Bodhisattva, a, 36 *n.*¹, 49 *n.*², 52 *n.*¹; mythical beings adoring a, 3–5; meditating, 9–10; in the attitude of teaching, 51–2 — Avalokiteśvara (?), 27, 30 — Kṣāntivādin (?), 57, 58 — Maitreya, 27–8 — Padmapāṇi (?), 14, 27, 33–4 Bodices, representations of, 4, 5, 11, 15, 20, 23, 24, 25, 31, 51 Bolsters, representations of, 18, 54 Botticelli, comparison with the style of, 31 Bow and arrows, representations of, 5, 33 Boxing match, a, 35 Bracelets, representations of, 16 Brahma, 20
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Breeches, representations of, 25 Brocade, 6 Buddha, 7 *n.*, 34–5; votaries bringing offerings to the, 6; the birth of the, 16–20; in various attitudes, 2, 26–7, 28–9; in the story of a sea voyage, 45–8; Pūrṇa bringing offerings to, 48–9 Buffoons, 7 Burgess, Dr. James, on the inscriptions, 57–64
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Cane stools, 51, 58 Caps, representations of, 9, 19, 32, 33 Casket, representation of a, 32 Chains, 58 *n.*; jewellery, representations of, 16 Chaitya caves, frescoes of the, 5 *charkatā*, elephant groom, 40 *chaukī*, stool, 19 *chaurī*, fly-whisk, representations of the, 6, 10, 14, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28–9, 33, 34, 37, 51, 53 Cherubs, representations of, 29 *chhibhās*, basket-covers, 34 *n.*¹ *cholī*, bodice, 4, 5, 23, 25, 31, 51 Chopper, representations of a, 35 Cittakūṭa, 12 *n.*¹ Cloaks, representations of, 48, 50 Club, representation of a, 35 Coats, representations of, 9, 10, 11, 13, 22, 25, 37, 40, 41, 52 *n.*¹ Cobra, representation of a, 8 Cocks, representations of, 34, 51 Coiffure, treatment of the, in the paintings, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 47, 48, 50, 52 *n.*, 58 *n.* Collars, representations of, 18 Conch-shell bangles, 39, 42 Conches, representations of, 49, 53 Costume, articles of, representations of, 7, 20, 51; belt, 10; bodices, 4, 5, 11, 15, 20, 23, 24, 25, 31, 51; breeches, 25; caps, 9, 19, 32, 33; cloaks, 48, 50; coats, 9, 10, 11, 13, 22, 25, 37, 40, 41, 52 *n.*¹; *dhotis*, 22, 29, 30, 44, 47, 53, 58 *n.*¹;
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Costume—cont. girdles, 9–10, 22, 54; head-dresses, 31, 32; kirtles, 16; purses, 23, 24; ribbons, 4, 31, 44; robes, 3, 6, 19, 21 *n.*³, 27, 28, 51; rosaries, 19, 20 *n.*³, 58 *n.*; sāris, 15, 23, 31, 32, 49, 51, 52 *n.*¹, 58 *n.*; sash, 24; scarves, 9, 22, 23, 31; shirt, 24; skirts, 5, 15, 16, 23; socks, 9, 29; stockings, 22; straps, 12, 15; trousers, 9, 22; tunics, 15 Couch, representation of a, 16 Cradle, representation of a, 11 Cows, representations of, 58 *n.*, 61 Cranes, representations of, 7 Crowns, representations of, 6, 11, 14, 18, 26, 27, 29, 30, 35, 50, 51 Cups, representations of, 10, 21, 54 Curtain, representation of a, 14 Cushions, representations of, 13, 18, 28, 38, 39, 41, 43 Cymbals, representations of, 4, 48, 49
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Dagger, representation of a, 11 dāsī, female servant, 10, 19, 36 *n.*¹, 38, 47, 48 Decorative designs and motifs, 7–9, 25–6, 29, 52–3, and *passim* Deer, representation of a, 36 *n.*¹ Devadaha, the city of, 21 Dhanañjaya, King, 36–45 dharmacakra, the 2, 4, 9, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 23, 40 Dhed, menial class woman, 22 dhotīs, loin-cloths, representation of, 22, 29, 30, 44, 47, 53, 58 *n.* Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the goose-king, 12, 13 dhyāna mudrā, meditative attitude, 23–4 Diadem, representation of a, 4 Dice, a game of, 37–8 Domestic and kindred objects, representations of: awnings, 18; baskets, 25, 31, 33; bolsters, 18, 54; casket, 32; chaurīs, 6, 10, 14, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28–9, 33, 34, 37, 51, 53; couch, 16; cradle, 11; cups, 10, 21, 54; curtain, 14; cushions, 13, 18, 28, 38, 39, 41, 43; fan, 50; flagon, 27; flags, 44; foot-rest, 14; loṭā, 48; mat, 33; mattress, 20; mirror, 37; seats, 28; stools, 10, 19, 41, 51, 58; swing, 44; tablets, 35; thrones, 9, 13, 14, 18, 27, 37, 50, 51, 63; trays, 4, 10, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 24, 32, 33, 34, 37, 48, 49, 51; umbrellas, 21, 37, 40; vessels, 22, 42, 51, 53, 54 Dragons, representations of, 25–6, 35 *n.*³, 41 Drum, representations of, 20, 41, 48, 49 Ducks, representations of, 7, 19, 23 Dwarfs, 6, 7, 9, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 49 *n.*²
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Ear-rings, representations of, 3, 10, 16, 18, 23, 42 Elephants, representations of, 3, 11, 17, 49, 51, 52 Ellora, the sculptures of, 31 Executioners, 9, 10 Exile of a lady, the, 9–11
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Fan, representation of a, 50 Fishes, representations of, 46 Flagon, representation of a, 27 Flags, representations of, 44 Flowers and fruits, representations of, unspecified, 3, 5, 7–8, 10, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 *n.*¹, 41, 44, 49 *n.*², 52, 58 *n.*; apple, custard, 8; aśoka tree, 4, 5, 6, 13, 33; banana tree, 32–3; jack-fruit, 33; lemon, 33; lotus-flowers, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 33, 39, 42, 53; mangos, 7, 11, 26, 27; orange, 33; pine-apples, 7, 8; pomegranates, 7, 8, 34–5; sāl-tree, 20 Flutes, representations of, 4, 41, 49 Foot-rest, representation of a, 14 Franswah, E., colour-photographs of the paintings by, vi Fruits. See Flowers and fruits
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Games, 32, 35, 37 Gaṇas, 2, 29, 53–5 Gandhāra sculptures, the, 34 Gandharvas, 25, 32, 34; the King of the, 36 *n.*²
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Geese, representations of, 3, 7, 12–13, 26, 52 Geometric patterns, 7, 52–3 Girdles, representations of, 9–10, 22, 54 Goads, representations of, 11, 40 Golden goose, story of the, 12–15 Goose, Story of the golden, 12–15 Gośīrsha sandal-wood, 45 *n.*
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haikal, amulet, 40 Hair, treatment of the, in the paintings, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 47, 48, 50, 52 *n.*, 58 *n.* Halos, 41–2, 45, 46 hār, strings of pearls, 18 Hāritī and Pāñcika (?), 2, 34–5 Harp, representation of a, 17 Head-dresses, representations of, 31, 32 Horses, representations of, 3, 11, 38, 40, 41, 42, 51 Hydari, Sir Akbar, v
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Indra, 20, 21; and the four Yakshas, 6–7 Inscriptions, the, v, 2, 27, 28 *n.*¹, 57–64 Irandati, princess, 36–45 Ivory bangles, 25, 39, 42
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Jack-fruit, representation of a, 33 jaṭā, the Sādhu, 20 *n.*², 26 Jātakamālā of Ārya Śūra, the, 57 Jātakas, subjects from the, 17, 57, 58 *n.*; Mahahaṃsa, 12–15; Mahājanaka, 19 *n.*; Ruru, 36 *n.*¹; Vidhurapaṇḍita, 36–45 Jewel, Varuṇa’s magical, 36–45 Jewellery and ornaments, representations of, unspecified, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 19, 50, 51; aigrettes, 4, 35; armlets, 18; bangles, 18, 20 *n.*¹, 25, 30, 39, 42; bracelets, 16; chains, 16; collars, 18; crowns, 6, 11, 14, 18, 26, 27, 29, 30, 35, 50, 51; diadem, 4; necklets and necklaces, 15, 18, 20 *n.*¹, 23, 47, 58 *n.*; pendant, 8; rings, ear-, 3, 10, 16, 18, 23, 42; —, finger-, 18; —, toe,
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27; strings of pearls, 4, 8, 15, 18, 20, 30, 32, 35, 38; tiaras, 29; wristlets Jewellery designs, 7, 8, 26, 52-3 jhānjh, cymbals, 49 jhānjhan, anklet, 40 jhulaniā, ear-pendant, 42 jhūmar, head-ornament, 4 jhumkā, ear-pendant, 42 Johnson, Dr. John, vi Jugglers, 7
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Kailāsa, Mount, 7 n. Kanarese inscription, a, 57, 62 kangans, bracelets, 16, 18 kanthī, necklet, 18 karās, bangles, 18, 30 kathal, jack-fruit, 33 Khemā, Queen, 12 n.¹, 13, 14, 15, 36 n.¹ kinaras adoring the Bodhisattva, 3-5 Kirātas, 5 Kirtles, representations of, 16 Kṣāntivādin, the Bodhisattva, 57, 58 kukrī, the Gurkha, 41 Kunbi, peasant woman, 22 Kuru kingdom, the, 36 n.² Kuvera, 53
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lahangā, skirt, 15 Lambādis, the, 25 Lemon, representations of a, 33 Loin-cloths, representations of, 22, 29, 30, 44 Lokapālas, the four, 7 n. Lotā, water-pot, 48 Lotus-flowers, representations of, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 33, 39, 42, 53 Lüders, Prof. H., on the inscriptions, 57-63 Lumbinī Grove, the, 17 n., 20
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Mace, representation of a, 35 Magadheśa, inhabitant of, 9 Magical jewel, Varuṇa’s, 36-45 Mahā-Brahma angels, the four, 17 n., 20 Mahāhamsa Jātaka, the, 12-15 Mahājanaka Jātaka, the, 19 n. Mahā-Māyā, Queen, 16-21 Maheśvara, the Yaksha, 45 n., 46 Maitreya, the Bodhisattva, 27-8 Maitribala, 62 mālā, strings of pearls, 18 Mangos, representations of, 7, 11, 26, 27 Mat, representation of a, 33 Mattress, representation of a, 20 Mermaids, representations of, 46, 53 Mirror, representation of a, 37 Monastery, representation of a, 48, 49 Monks, 5, 6, 10 Musical instruments, representations of, 16; conch, 49; cymbals, 4, 48, 49; drums, 20, 41, 48, 49; flutes, 4, 41, 49; harp, 17; trumpet, 49
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Nāgas, 2, 11, 46, 53-4 Nāgīs, 11, 54 Necklets and necklaces, representations of, 15, 18, 20 n.¹, 23, 47, 58 n.
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Offerings, votaries and others bringing, 6, 21-5, 31-4, 48-9 Oldham, C. E. A. W., vi Orange, representation of an, 33 Ornaments. See Jewellery and ornaments
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padma, lotus, 28 n.³, 53 Padmapāṇi (?), the Bodhisattva, 14, 27, 33-4 pākhar, animal armour, 40 Palace scenes, 49-51 Palanquins, representations of, 10, 11, 21 Pāñcika (?), Hāritī and, 34-5 Paṇḍit, a, 41 parinirvāṇa, 7 n. Parrots, representations of, 7, 35 Pearl strings, representations of, 4, 8, 15, 18, 20, 30, 32, 35, 38 Pendant, representation of a, 8 Pine-apples, representations of, 7, 8 Pomegranates, representations of, 7, 8, 34-5 Poniard, representation of a, 10 Priyankara, 34 n.², 35 Pūrṇa Avadāna, the, vi, 45-9 Pūrṇaka, Yaksha general, 36-45 Purses, representations of, 23, 34
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Rājagṛha, 34 n.² Ram, representation of a, 35 Raphael, the school of, 39 Ribbons, representations of, 4, 31, 41, 44 Rings, representations of: ear-, 3, 10, 16, 18, 23, 42; finger-, 18; toe-, 27 Robbers, 9, 10 Robes, representations of, 3, 6, 19, 21 n.³, 27, 28, 51 Rosaries, representations of, 19, 20 n.³, 58 n. Ruru Jātaka, the, 36 n.¹ Rylands, C. A., vi
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sabza (Persian), horse, 41 n.¹ Śachī, 7 Sādhus, 3, 6, 20 Śakra, 6 sāl-tree, representation of the, 20 Saṃyama, Rājā of Benares, 13 Sāñchī, the sculptures of, 5 sāris, representations of, 15, 23, 31, 32, 49, 51, 52 n.¹, 58 n. Sash, representation of a, 24 Scarves, representations of, 9, 22, 23, 31 Sculptures of Ajanta, the, 26 n., 31, 34-5 Sea monsters, representations of, 46 Sea voyage, story of a, 45-8 Seats, representations of, 28 Serpent, representation of a, 35 Shields, representations of, 11, 24, 41, 47 Shipwreck, a, 45-8 Shirt, representation of a, 24 Skirts, representations of, 5, 15, 16, 23 Snake-charmer, a, 8 Socks, representations of, 9, 29 Śrāvastī, 45 n.; miracle, the, 27 Śroṇapārāntakas, the, 45 n. Staffs, representations of, 25, 37 Stockings, representations of, 22 Stools, representations of, 10, 19, 41, 51, 58
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Story of the golden goose, 12–15; of a sea voyage, 45–8 Straps, representations of, 12, 15 Strings of pearls, representations of, 4, 8, 15, 18, 20, 30, 32, 35, 38 Suddhodana, King, 17, 18–19 Sumukha, captain of the golden geese, 12, 13 Suparṇa king, the, 36 *n.*² Śūrpāraka, 45 *n.*, 47 Swing, representation of a, 44 Swords, representations of, 11, 12, 14, 15, 24, 41, 47, 50
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Tablets, representations of, 35 Thrones, representations of, 9, 13, 14, 18, 27, 50, 51, 63 tiaras, representations of, 29 tikā, forehead mark, 41 torā, jewellery collar, 18 Trays, representations of, 4, 10, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 24, 32, 33, 34, 47, 48, 49, 51 Trousers, representations of, 9, 22 Trumpet, representation of a, 49 Tunics, representations of, 15 Tuṣita heaven, the, 16 *n.*, 18
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Umbrellas, representation of, 21, 37, 40 uṣṇīṣa, hair tuft, 28
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vajra, mace, representation of a, 35 Varuṇa, King, 36–7 *n.*, 41–5 Vasey, E. L., colour-photographs of the paintings by, vi Vessels, representations of, 22, 42, 51, 53, 54 Vidhurapaṇḍita Jātaka, the, 36–45 vihāra, monastery, 45 *n.*, 48, 49 Vimalā, Queen, 36–7 *n.*, 41–5 Viṣṇudharmottara mudrā, the, 37, 42 *n.*² Votaries, 45; bringing offerings, 6, 21–5, 31–4 Voyage, story of a sea, 45–8
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Waghora river, 1 Weapons, representations of, 40; baton, 36 *n.*¹; bow and arrows, 5, 33; chopper, 35; club, 35; dagger, 11; goads, 11, 40; mace, 35; poniard, 10; shields, 11, 24, 41, 47; staffs, 25, 37; swords, 11, 12, 14, 15, 24, 41, 47, 50; vajra, 35 Wine-bibbers, 7, 9 Wristlets, representations of, 18
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Yakshas, 2, 23, 26 *n.*, 45 *n.*, 46; Indra and the four, 6–7; and Yakshiṇīs, 4, 15–16, 34–5 Yakshiṇīs, the Yakshas and, 4, 15–16, 34–5 Yavanas, the, 31
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[Figure: (1) THE BODHISATTVA KṢĀNTIVĀDI Inscriptions 1-3]
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[Figure: (2) A HERD OF COWS
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This image is blank and contains no text to transcribe.
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[Figure: (3) MAITRĪBALA JĀTAKA Inscriptions 5 and 6]
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This image is blank. There is no text to transcribe.
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[Figure: (4) THE BUDDHAS AND THE MODERN KANARESE INSCRIPTION
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[Figure: (5) THE BUDDHAS AND THE INDISTINCT INSCRIPTION ON THE BACK WALL OF THE LEFT CORRIDOR
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[Figure: (6) THE BUDDHA AND THE INSCRIPTION ON THE BACK WALL TO THE LEFT OF THE ANTECHAMBER
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[Figure: (7) THE BUDDHA AND THE INDISTINCT INSCRIPTION ON THE LEFT PILLAR OF THE ANTECHAMBER
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(8) THE BUDDHAS AND INSCRIPTIONS ON THE BACK WALL OF THE ANTECHAMBER
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The Church, however, was not merely a passive recipient of these influences. It was an active agent, shaping the very society that sought to contain it. The monastic movement, for instance, provided a model of communal living that challenged the prevailing individualism of the age. By emphasizing poverty, chastity, and obedience, the monks created a counter-culture that offered an alternative to the pursuit of wealth and power. This was not a rejection of the world, but a transformation of it. The monastery became a center of learning, agriculture, and social welfare, demonstrating that the Christian life could be lived in a way that was both holy and practical.
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Furthermore, the Church’s role in education cannot be overstated. The cathedral schools, which emerged in the early Middle Ages, laid the foundation for the universities that would later dominate European intellectual life. These schools were not just places of religious instruction; they were centers of inquiry where the liberal arts were studied and debated. The synthesis of faith and reason, which became the hallmark of scholasticism, was born in these classrooms. It was here that the great thinkers of the age—Anselm, Abelard, and Aquinas—grappled with the fundamental questions of existence, seeking to reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the philosophy of the Greeks.
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"The Church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners." This sentiment, often attributed to various theologians throughout history, captures the essence of the Church's mission. It is a community that acknowledges its own brokenness while pointing towards the healing power of grace. This understanding of the Church as a dynamic, evolving entity is crucial for grasping its historical trajectory. It was never a static institution, but a living organism, constantly adapting to new challenges and opportunities.
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The political influence of the Church was equally profound. The papacy, in particular, emerged as a major power broker in European politics. The Pope was not only the spiritual leader of Christendom but also a temporal ruler with significant territorial holdings. This dual role often led to conflict with secular monarchs, as both sought to assert their authority over the other. The Investiture Controversy, for example, was a direct clash between the Church and the state over the right to appoint bishops. This struggle, which lasted for decades, fundamentally altered the relationship between the sacred and the secular, setting the stage for the modern concept of the separation of Church and state.
Linked texts (4)
- Jātaka — Pāli
- Jātakamālā — Āryaśūra, Sanskrit
- Śrāvastī
- Rājagṛha