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The first impression is, that this is meant to represent the temptation to which Buddha was subjected by the Apsaras, the daughters of Mara, as. described at length in the Lalita-Vistara.*~.In every respect it would answer for this legend but for the attitude of the main figure. The nearly perfected Buddha replied calmly to all their seductions that. he had conquered all the passions, and that love of women had long since ceased to influence him. He lookéd on them as mere illusions, and their power was gone. . It was by calmness and. dignity that he repulsed them. ‘This figure is in violent action. He holds a stick-—it may be a bow—in his hand, and seems in wrath. All this is so unlike Buddhism that we must probably look elséwhere for a solution of the myth, though it may only he an earlier form of it than that found in the Lalita-Vistara. It might: be suggested — that the face of the principal and only male figure being destroyed, we mistake the action; but the representation on Plate LIX. negatives this hypothesis. There the face and the figure are complete, and in that instance they can hardly be assumed to be identical with those of the principal figure in the central circle above them. On the whole I am inclined to believe rather that RAhula is the hero of the scene, but the Lalita-Vistara and our other usual authorities on Buddhist tradition, are so singularly silent with regard to him or his connexion with his father’s .preaching, that I do not know where to look for elucidations. . Some one more familiar with Buddhist legends than I can pretend to be, may probably suggest an interpretation. Though the. upper part is broken: off, thisis one of the few circles that have “not been trimmed. It retains the flanges by which it was fitted into the pillars néarly entire. 7 | The middle circle is entire, though weather-worn. It represents a “Hindu chief. He has the Chaori, but no umbrella, and is followed by one of his wives on the left hand.. Two others are on the right, worshipping a circular object placed on a throne. It is extremely difficult to feel certain. what the object may be, though it occurs very frequently in these sculptures; generally, however, there are two of them. Mvst. * Lalita-Vistara, p. 306, et seqq. 182 THE TOPE AT AMRAVATI. probably it is a measure called a Drona, or Dona, and contains a relic or relics. Two men like shaven priests stand behind the throne, with their hands joined, in the attitude of prayer, and behind them nine women, also worshipping.. Several women in the foreground are in attitudes of violent devotion, one has fallen in her ecstasies quite on her back. This circle also retains a portion of its flanges. The third or lowest circle in this Plate refers to some legend to which it probably will not be easy to give a name. It may be wholly local. A Raja, with the umbrella. of state over his head, stands in a very easy and graceful attitude, leaning on his horse, which issues from the portal of the palace led by a groom in very complete clothing. The Raja is addressing or being addressed by an old lady seated on a couch or easy chair on his right. She is surrounded by her handmaidens, some of whom in the foreground seem to be busy preparing wreaths, while one is taking something out of a box. In front of the hero a number of objects are spread out on a tray or table. They look like lotus flowers, but they may be refreshments of some sort. At the time the bas-relief was sculptured everyone of course could revognize who the old lady was, and who her son, as easily as we can name at once the Virgin Mary or her Son in any picture of the Italian school, but without some symbol it is difficult to do the same with these Buddhist sculptures. It will be observed that the Trisul ornament surmounts the Gateway in the background precisely as at Sanchi The pillars had, apparently, lion capitals, but. the sculpture is too much worn to feel sure of this. It is to be regretted that a greater number of these circles — not been rescued. Originally there must have been 100 or 120 at least, and judging from the interest of five which the Museuth possesses, the whole, when complete, must have formed a very complete picture-bible of Buddhist tradition, as understood at the time they were executed. They are so light and so easily handled, however, that it is to be feared the greater number have been carried away, and either built into walls as ornaments, or what is more probable, burnt for lime. AIX] dlW1d GENSOTOS won a ewe Lovgcer av ory any er caw ‘Old mst ike i Nore z ‘TLE AR WWE yyy y LO aDL hk ag Y hynyyy WHNNVe en NY £ Gk x DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 163 PLATE LXIV. ‘Tue photographs on Plate LXIV. represent the only two fragments of the ‘inner face of the frieze of the great Rail which have reached this country. This is to be ‘regretted, as the sculpture is singularly spirited, and a bas-relief 130 feet long, which each quadrant must have possessed when complete, could hardly have failed to tell a story and to give a distinct idea of the arts of the age in which it: was executed. As it is, we must content ourselves with two fragments, each only a little more than. 8 feet long—17 feet out of 500—and the lower one so much weather-worn as to lose very much of the spirit it originally possessed. o's In the upper fragment we have on the left hand a prince seated on a throne inside a city, surrounded by a host of admirers doing him homage; and above, two of his wives looking out of a window. Next we have a procession, with elephants ‘and horsemen, issuing from the city gates, escorting what appears to be the principal object of the ceremonial. From the ruined and worn state of the stone it is not easy to feel sure what this is intended to represent. The lower part of it is cer- tainly an. ark or palankeen, shaped like a boat, and borne on the shoulders of | men with short curly hair. .The upper part may be intended to represent four figures ‘seated in the ark, under a canopy, or if,.as I fancy, it is meant to repre- sent a ship, this may be a rude way of depicting the ‘sails and equipment. The boat-like form fercibly recalls the golden ship which the: King ‘of Ceylon ordered — to convey the relics: to. the Diamond Sands. It is too big, if the scale is to be depended upon, for the golden ship, and +oo small for the wooden one, but.as the, whole representation is conventional, it either represents the identical relic vessel or some similar ark used for a like purpose. As the procession approaches him, ’ the Raja, who is easily recognized in the centre of the picture from the Chatta borne over him, descends from his elephant and proceeds on foot to the sacred ‘Bo-tree, in front of which, and under whose shade the throne is placed for the reception of the relics. : There is another representation. in Plate LX XXIV. of a procession panne what is apparently the same or at least a similar object. In that Plate there are. certainly two persons seated in front, and three more inside the litter, or whatever, it may ‘be, and they seem bringing a number of presents which are depicted in front. | Taking the two together I see nothing in the representation to militate against the idea that this bas-relief may represent Danta Kumara and Hemachala bringing _the relics from Ceylon, as recorded’ above, page 160. It is not clear whether the space within the Gateway of the Sanchi type is to be considered as a separate picture, and -that the cushion-like ornament at the back of the chair is meant to be represented as already containing. the relics or only prepared for their reception. A number of persons are represented as already worshipping either the object on the throne or the Tree behind it. Beyond the tree on the right there is a division where a new subject certainly begins. 184 'THE TOPE AT AMRAVATI. There is a very legible inscription on this frieze, but. wnfortunately it is im- perfect at the beginning, and what remains only records that the bas-relief is the gift of the five daughters of Maditi, with their sons and two slaves, whose names are given.* ; The lower sculpture represents a procession issuing in like manner from the city gate, and proceeding to a Dagoba with all the is aa with which we shall presently become so familiar. There is the Tee, the five steles or pillars on each face, the Rail with its four projecting Gateways, each with two lions, and on the front of the Dagoba the seven-headed Naga in the place of honour. . Beyond the Dagoba, to the right, are three. separate subjects, first,.seven men in the usual Hindu costume, listening to a man in ‘priestly robes who is preaching, with three other monks standing behind him. The head of the principal figure is unfortunately broken off, so we cannot be sure who is intended, It may be Buddha himself. In the next division five men are listening to a seated priest expounding, and accompanied by four others of his order. Above them, there is a sacred tree in a square enclosure. The last scene represents the Raja, or Hindu chief, pouring water from the mysterious spouted vessel on the hands of a priest, probably confirming a grant. Behind him are some fragments which seem to repre- sent a monastery. The fragments of marble would, however, require to be very ‘carefully fitted together before they could be reproduced by photography. They are ocd parts of this bas-relief, and when put together may be of some interest. - No women appear on either of these bas-reliefs, except the two in eecD fragment looking out of the windows on the extreme left of each. _ ‘Though so much injured as to make it a little difficult to judge correctly, I look on these two fragments of the frieze with the left-hand pillar in Plate LXTI. as the masterpieces of Amravati art.