Part 5

But after having heard and presented the brahmin with gifts Sutasoma returns to the lion’s son in spite of his parents’ and wives’ supplications. Has not the lion’s son become his benefactor by allowing him to do his duty? On this ground he has a right to his commiseration and to be released from the curse resting on him by birth.

And when the astonished robber asks him what this brahmin did say the prince delivers so eloquent a harangue about law that the lion-man converts himself and puts all his prisoners at liberty to follow them to Sutasoma’s residence.

On 10 we see the prince with the brahmin; on 11 the former is carried away by the robber; 12 refers to the continuation of the preaching, and on 13 has been hewn the reclaiming of the lion-man.

_Second_ corner, 14, 16 and 17 _third_ corner, 2 (W. L. 120, 122, 123 and 127).

Once upon a day the Lord was born as the _son of a king_ whose elder sons had died young. In order to withdraw him from the influence of the demons the newborn son was educated in an iron house (_ayogriha_).

Once driving through the residence the young man saw much that set him thinking; he saw how old age, sickness and death threatened everyone while storms, inundations and fire destructed their properties. Returned at home he resolves to part from the world and to live in the wilderness as a hermit and penitent, and to ask his father’s consent. All that lives, is from the moment of being in mother’s womb, doomed to death, is not it? And all that lives kills to save life, but nobody can kill death. Even the angels and _devas_ can’t.

His father asks him whether this death will not catch him in the wilderness as sure as anywhere, but agreeing he says that death can’t find him unfit to the preparation for the transition in a future life.

The father agrees at last, and the prince devotes his further life to the dhyâna, the holy meditation which will lead him to the _brahmâloka_.

The prince’s birth has been hewn on 14; 16 shows us the brahmin’s homage to the new-born; 17 represents the drive outside the palace, and 2 after the following corner describes the prince’s life in the wilderness.

Besides, I suppose the corner-sculpture and the first behind the corner (W. L., 124 and 126) to refer to the prince’s leave-taking from his father and wives, just as it afterwards happens with Siddhârta.[52]. Striking is the conformity of this life with that of the king’s son of _Kapilasvastu_.

_Fourth_ corner, 2, 3 and 5 (W. L., 129, 130 and 132).

Living in the primeval forest as a strong _buffalo_ the Buddha of after life was continually teased by a monkey who, taunting the wild animal’s inexhaustible kindness, perpetually came in his way.

A _yaksha_ admonishes the bull to be less patient and to crush or thrust down the snarer, but the strong one answers that the monkey can’t be otherwise than he now is, and that they should bear him as he is. There is no better exercise in meekness than suffer a bad treatment patiently, and by which one may hope to set the snarer thinking, and make him turn from sin.

On 2 we see the bull and the monkey, on 3 we also perceive the _yaksha_, and on 5 the bull delivers his harangue to the demon, and know to persuade him into acknowledging and praising virtue[53].

_Fourth_ corner, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (W. L., 133, 134, 135 and 136).

The Lord once living in the wilderness as a _wood-pecker_ came across a lion who suffered unbearable pains because of a piece of bone which had remained in his throat. The wood-pecker relieved his pains by putting a piece of wood into the opened mule, and by getting the bone out of the throat.

A long time afterwards flying round and almost starving from hunger the wood-pecker met the lion again who was regaling himself on an antelope, he had just killed.

After a moment’s hesitation his former rescuer begs him for a little bit of the antelope’s meat, but the lion asks the beggar whether he is tired of life, and whether he ought not to be thankful that his life was spared when he formerly ventured himself into the inquirer’s mule. A lion doesn’t know any commiseration.

Ashamed the wood-pecker flies away. A sylvan deity follows him, and asks why he doesn’t pick the lion’s eyes, and takes as much of the prey as he likes. And the bird answers with a glorification of virtue; he who does good will find his reward in a future life, but he who returns evil for evil will lose the merit of all his good deeds.

The deity praises the wood-pecker as a wise one, a saint, and disappears.

On 5 has been hewn the lion in the wood where the wood-pecker comes-to him; on 7 the lion writhes with pain, and on 8 he is helped by the wood-pecker.

On 9 we see the hungry bird near the lion with his prey.

Major Van Erp supposes that this last sculpture should refer to another jâtaka. See at the bottom.

Many pieces formerly placed among the mentioned sculptures, have been lost whereas other ones have not yet been explained. But when we remember how those described here follow each other in the same range of succession like the _jâtakas_ in the _Mâla_ translated by Speyer, we then may believe that the not expounded and missing sculptures have had some connection with other _former lives_, and that even _this_ gallery may have been a continuous series.

Oldenburg indicated indeed, still other jâtakas in this series which had not been translated by Speyer, that is, after the _western_ staircase, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (W. L., 192, 193, 194 and 195).

The Lord hewn as a _tortoise_ at sea takes the endangered crew of a sinking ship on his back, and carrying them ashore he offers his own body to the starving ones.

On 6 has been hewn the tortoise, on 7 the sinking ship surrounded by sharks and other fish, on 8 we see the tortoise with the shipwrecked men on his back, and 9 describes the rescued ones with their rescuer who is inclined to sacrifice himself.

On the front-wall of the fifth and highest gallery Oldenburg meant the _second_ sculpture behind the _southern_ staircase (W. L. CCCLXXXIX) to be the Lord as the _horse_ Balâha, which, once carried travellers across the sea.

But as for the _lower_ series of the back-wall of the first gallery he shows to:

3 after the _eastern_ staircase and 1 after the _next_ corner which should refer to king Dakshina Pantyala’s conversation with the bewitched _nâga_ Janmatyitra; the latter’s exorcism and redemption by _hunter_ Halaka (the Lord), and the hunter’s admission into the residence of the grateful nâga.

This nâga is to be recognised at the serpents in his hair[54].

Mr. _Foucher_ fortunately gives us an account of this story (according to the text of the _Divyâvadana_) far more detailed than I could have possibly taken from other sources.

It refers to the _Sudhana Kumârâ Vadâna_: the 1th after the _second_ corner, and following relievoes: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 W. L. It begins with the first panel south of the eastern staircase.

1. In the empire of _Pantyâla_ there once lived 2 kings, one in the north, and the other in the south. The first was a good prince, and his empire prospered. The latter was bad, and his empire had fallen into decay. Probably, the first prince may have been hewn here.

2. The other bad king discusses with his ministers what to do to raise his empire from decay. Under the pretext of a hunting-party he inspects his neglected country, and then forms a plan to kidnap the young _nâga_ Jammatyitraka from the hands of his thriving neighbour. Now it should be understood that this _nâga_ lives in a pond situated outside the capital of north-_Pantyâla_, and as he knows to dispose of rain the country abounds with excellent produce even during the dry monsoon. Perhaps the brahmin we see before the king, will be the snake-charmer whose crimes we are going to know.

3. This relievo shows us a succession of three events. First of all (to the right) the young _nâga_ kneeled down calls in hunter Halaka’s assistance. In the midst we see the same _nâga_, angrily and most unwillingly rising from his lotus-pond under the brahmin’s formula of exorcism, and in front of the latter’s sacrificial fire; but hunter Halaka kills the conjurer after having compelled him to give up his wicked plan.

And to the left may have been hewn the very same brahmin when he shortly before got the king’s secret command to commit this evil. In this case this episode should be exceptionally thought as a preceding one to both the middle-most and first sculpture.

4. The young _nâga’s_ parents make their son’s rescuer splendidly welcome. On this occasion the hunter wears a princely costume which is above his rank (caste), but he appears without his host’s present, the never failing knot.

5. In the Himâlaya. The hunter squats down near the _kinnarî Manoharâ_ he caught with his knot. To the left other _kinnarîs_ are flying over a lotus-pond. To the right we see the ascetic whose words directed the hunter’s arm on his catching the fairy.

6. The hunting Sudhana, crown prince of the northern empire, is just coming on, and the hunter presents him with the kinnarî he caught. Fairy and prince fall in love with one another.

7. The king of the northern empire, Sudhana’s father, discusses with his _purohita_ or private prelate, the traitor in this drama, who tries to persuade the king into charging the prince with the heavy burden to overpower a rebellious vassal against whom no less than 7 expeditions had already failed.

8. The prince bids his mother fare-well, and charges her with the care of his young wife.

9. Sudhana under a tree outside the rebellious town. Vaisyravana, one of the four great deities of this country, sends his general Pântyika with a troop of _yakshas_ to assist him.

10. Once more in _Hâstinapura_, the royal residence of the northern empire. The king asks his _purohita_ to interpret a bad dream upon which the priest demands to sacrifice a _kinnarî_ in order to avert an immanent danger. The king hesitates, and the queen gives proof of her dislike.

11. The good heart of both triumphs, and Manoharâ escapes through the air.

12. With the assistance of the _yakshas_ Sudhana performed the task he took upon his shoulders and offers his father the taxes and fines of the rebels submitted.

13. After having learned the reason of Manoharâ’s absence he applies to his mother again for help.

14. Druma, king of the region of the _kinnaras_, surrounded by his court. Manoharâ, seated on his left hand, relates her experience among mankind. So we find ourselves in the Himâlaya again, in this region of fairies and spirits hardly to be penetrated.

15. Sudhana consults the _risyi_ who once helped the hunter on his catch, and who now hands him a ring and a travelling-plan Manohara had given him to this purpose.

16. Sudhana outside the capital of king Druma, where he comes across some _kinnarîs_ who are drawing some water out of a well to cleanse Manoharâ’s body from all human-smell. Sudhana flings the ring into a vase of one of the fairies, and requests her to be the first to empty this vase on her mistress’s head. According to the text Foucher consulted, the fairy should have remained quite ignorant of all this, consequently the sculptor must have swerved from this text, or, perhaps, meant another one.

17. Manoharâ found the ring, and tells her father about Sudhana’s coming. The king agrees to put him to the test; to the left of this relievo we see him bend his bow to drive an arrow through 7 cocoa-trees. Druma himself is watching this, and to be recognised by his _prabha_.

18. He then gives the prince his daughter.

19. The newly-married couple is now enjoying their happiness in the woman’s quarter. In honour of them, and to the accompaniment of music, a court-dancer is showing her art of dancing. This fair dancer is one of the best proofs of the sculptor’s art.

20. Returned at _Hastinâpura_ the newly-married distribute presents among their people.

In this same series follow 6 other sculptures referring to the Maitrakanyaka-_jâtaka_; a note-worthy _karma_-legend.

We shall find them after having turned the _fifth_ corner of the _northern_ staircase, and on our having reached the _east_ side of the ruin where we are going to view the 2nd, 3d and 4th sculpture (W. L., 214, 216 and 218), and 1 after the _sixth_ corner (W. L., 220), and 1 and 2 after the _seventh_ corner (W. L., 222 and 224) all of which Mr. Winter photographed for me.

On the _first_ of these imageries we first see a woman handling a balance, and probably serving the customers of the young merchant Maitrakanyaka. This woman is likely to be his mother, and if he himself has been hewn near her, he can’t possibly be the shabbily dressed and bearded man who stands next to her. This man rather reminds of a brahmin or a mendicant friar instead of a rich merchant. The man by her other side is not visible on the photograph.

Clearer however, is the following group in which professor Speyer made us known Maitrakanyaka’s mother throwing herself at her son’s feet, and beseeching him to give up his plan to undertake a sea-voyage.

The widow’s tress made the professor suppose that the beautiful moustache (with which Wilsen adorned this little sculpture in Leemans’ work) should be a mistake of the draughtsman. And he observed this rightly, and so did I after heaving read Speyer’s essay,[55] because I have been able to ascertain _in loco_ that even the woman’s breasts, Wilsen didn’t see or engrave at least, are clearly to be seen and palpable. To be very short the legend runs as follows:

Maitrakanyaka was still a child when his father was shipwrecked on a voyage. According to time-honoured usage he was afterwards inclined to choose his father’s profession. In the beginning his mother told him that he had kept a shop, and afterwards had dealt in perfumes and in gold.

Maitrakanyaka did likewise, and gave his mother the first 4, 8, 16 and 32 _kârshâpanas_ he gained, that they might be divided among the brahmins and indigent. These were four _good_ deeds.

But when he was told that his father had gone abroad on business, and as he soon saw that his mother could not deny this he resolved to tread in his father’s foot-steps in spite of his mother’s resistance who feared to lose her only child in the very same way like she formerly lost his father. Bathing in tears she fell on her knees at last, and tried to detain him at the last moment, but he gave her a kick and went on board. This was one _evil_ deed, and according to the doctrine of the _karma_, the eternal law of cause and consequence, he should be _punished_ for this deed of his as sure as he would be rewarded for his _good_ deeds.

On the _second_ sculpture we see him shipwreck, and after having reached the shore he finds there _four_ celestial young women who reward him for his first _good_ deed by letting him, for many years, dream a dream of perfect happiness till his _karma_ drives him away from there, successively showing him _eight_, afterwards _sixteen_, and at last _two-and-thirty_ more and more beautiful nymphs in return of the as many _kârshâpanas_ he formerly gave away to the indigent. Finally he happens to enter a castle which gate closes itself behind him, and there he sees a martyr bearing a red-hot wheel turning for ever on his head, that is, the inexorable punishment to all who insulted their father or mother. This wheel the unhappy one will always bear till another, guilty of the same deed, will release him.

On the _third_, _fourth_, and _fifth_ sculpture have been hewn the encounters with the 8, 16 and 32 nymphs, though, for want of room, we can’t see 5 of the 16 and 19 of the 32 nymphs. And on the _sixth_ and last sculpture we first see Maitrakanyaka suffer under the torture of the red-hot wheel, but at a short distance from this we see him _released_ by the expression of his self-denying wish, that another, guilty of such a deed, may _never_ come to free him.

I think the last group of this very same imagery should refer to the conclusion of this _karma_-legend: the Bodhisattva’s dying and his transition into the _nirvâna_.[56].

Foucher means that the four relievoes which precede the shipwreck, refer to the same _jâtaka_, and that Maitrakanyaka may have been already represented with his mother on the first sculpture where the son offered his mother a purse filled with the kârshâpanas he first gained. On the following panel, divided into two by a style of building, Foucher sees, to the right, the son in his last business which may appear from the goldsmith’s balance whereas the larger purse should refer to the very same one in which he gathered the 32 kârshâpanas.

On the other, left part, Foucher thinks he also sees the mother at her son’s feet. So does Speyer, and so do I.

As with regard to the following relievoes I refer to that which I already said formerly.

As for the _seventh relievo_ I beg to point to my explanation, and interpretation in my “_Oudheidkundige aanteekeningen_” IV^th (page 25 and 26). According to Foucher the sculptor should not have dared to represent Maitrakanyaka as a repentant sinner, because of his being the _Bodhisattva_ himself. Anyhow, the redemption of this punishment by a deed of the highest self-denial appeared so very significant to me that it should not have been unnoticed, neither in metaphor nor in writing, but this would have been impossible if this punishment had not preceded the redemption itself.

And moreover, granting the one little sculpture to represent the older penitent with the flaming nimble on his head, it surely should have preceded Maitrakanyaka’s sculpture, and by no means come after this whilst M. first arrives in the town of darkness, and afterwards finds there the martyr from whom he takes possession of the nimble. And last of all, the separating trees should not have had any sense at all if they should not refer to two following events relating to the very same person.

I think it my duty to point to the following sculptures of the upper series of the front-wall which represent no jâtakas but refer to the _Buddha_ of after life.

After the _eastern_ staircase and the _second_ corner, 15 (W. L., 28).

Buddha in a _preaching_ posture forming the _tyakra_ with the thumb and index of his right arm such as all Buddhas do, we see hewn in the niches of the highest, fifth, wall[57].

Lotus-throne and _prabha_, style of hair-dress and costume have been hewn in the same manner as those of the Buddhas of all niches. All round about him we see auditors rendering homage to him.

_Western_ staircase, _fifth_ corner, 2 (W. L., 235) shows a similar sculpture, but above the Buddha two angels are floating in the air, and near him we see stand burning incense-offerings.

After the _seventh_ corner, 4 and 8 (W. L., 252 and 256) we see similar representations, with this difference however, that on the last sculpture the Lord has been hewn in the posture of the fifth _Dhyâni-Buddha_ (like all Buddhas on the 4 lower walls on the north side), and that his curls of hair have not been finished.

Still other relievoes of this very same lower series have been explained by Mr. Foucher.

At the _south-west_ corner, west of the southern staircase, has been hewn king Mândhâtar’s life, but not any sculpture before the eighth can be expounded from the _Divyâvadâna_ text. The seven preceding sculptures are likely to refer to the same history the sculptor brought to light something more than the text’s writer did, who starts from the hero’s birth, and describes his acts of government after having given a short account of his youth.

Foucher’s meaning was quite unexpectedly confirmed by another writing, the so-called _Bodhisattvavadânakalpalata_ which runs as follows:

“One day (king) Uposyada went on horseback in order to visit a hermit’s colony which had asked for his assistance to be defended from demons.

There were princely risyis who kept a stone bottle ready. This was meant for a sacrifice which was to have the power to procreate children. The king, tired as he was of the long ride, and before he could be prevented from doing so, empties the bottle. Returned at home he discovers an unpainful swelling on his head, and when the tumour had ripened at length out came a boy whose education was disputed by the 60.000 women of the _harem_.”

On this ground of birth the child was _called_ Mûrdhyaya, and Mândhâtar or Mûrdhatar when both names are joined together.

It was the Kasymir poet Ks_yemendra who gave Foucher this missing link to explain the sculptures.

On the two first relievoes we see the distribution of presents done in the name of the king that he might get a child.

On the third sculpture the king is departing.

On the fourth we see Upasyada dismounting, and the sacrificial vase he is going to drink from.

5 shows us the child got by this.

6 and 7 refer to the horoscope of the future _tyakravartin_ or suzerain of the world, and the astrologer’s reward.

On 8 the young prince bids his father farewell in order to travel about the country.

On 9 he is informed of his father’s death, and his succession to the throne.

10. Between the young prince and two risyis floating in the air, recognisable by their large tuft of hair and their rosaries, we see some broken winged birds sitting on the ground. The curse of one of the 500 risyis, living in a neighbouring wood, broke their wings.

The king, indignant at such cruelty, denies the risyis every right for staying on his territory.

11. On his further journey Mândhâtar forms a plan to cause a rain of corn so as not to oblige his people to work any longer.

12. Cotton shall be cultivated no more, neither spinned nor weaved, and now ready clothes are falling down out of the clouds.

13. Taking offence at the fact they ascribe the merit of all these wonders to themselves, the king now produces a seven days’ rain of gold which fell within the walls of his palace, and with the exception of the king himself and his ministers we only see women gather the treasures falling down out of vases hidden in the clouds.

14. Mândhâtar marches out to conquer the world. The feet of none stir the earth.

15. A _yaksha_ shows the king the way as how to make new conquests. The sculptor represented this yaksha as a brahmin-minister.

16. The guide brings the king to his pinnacle of glory. Two kings having a striking resemblance to each other, throne in a palace on seats which are equally high.

One of them is Syakra, the Indra of deities, and on Mândhâtar’s unuttered wishes he ceded to him half his territory. Only by his non-blinking the god is to be distinguished from the man-king, and it goes without saying that the sculptor was not able to show this.

17. Deities fighting _asuras_ (devils). With the assistance of their human ally the deities gain the victory over them.

18, 19, and 20 don’t exactly correspond to the text which teaches us that Mândhâtar asked his ministers who got the day.

“The king” they replied upon which the creezy one tried to dethrone Indra in order to rule himself. Scarcely did he entertain this, when he saw himself flung down from heaven to earth, and dying he bewails his blind impertinence.

20 may bear upon his cremation, and upon the entombing of his ashes into a _stûpa_.

Out of the 10 _relievoes_ in front (south) of the western staircase, the _sixth_ explains itself.