Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v4.c16.s8.11

v4.c16.s8.11

The Six-tusked Elephant in this scene is accompanied by a large number of elephants, who form his herd. One of these animals is quite young; he is of a white colour. To the left of the hunter who has prostrated himself, two of his companions are carrying the tusks of the benevolent elephant in slings, suspended from bamboos which the hunters have placed across their shoulders. On the right side, above the belts of hills, a hermit with a begging-bowl in his hand is shown seated—he may be the Buddha, because in front of him is the white elephant (the Bodhisattva), who has raised his trunk as if to salute the Great Being. The subject evidently refers to the appearance of the benign elephant before the Buddha in heaven, after his death caused by hunters in this world. The incident is not mentioned in the *Jātaka* and appears to be a later addition to the story.