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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
PART B
TRANSLATION: In the left corner of the medallion is a chaṅkama of triangular form decorated with floral
designs. The recess in the middle is filled by a three-headed serpent. Near the chaṅkama are two trees and a water-trough. In the lower left quarter are two lions and the whole
of the right half is occupied by a herd of seven elephants in the attitude of feeding, drinking
and throwing their trunks backwards. Cunningham took the sculpture as a representation
of the Nāgaloka. It is unnecessary to discuss this assumption which is based on perfectly
impossible explanations of tikoṭiko[1] and chakama. Barua-Sinha’s attempt to interpret the
bas-relief by a Jātaka invented for the occasion has been refuted already by Vogel, JRAS. 1927, p. 594 ff. Barua’s later suggestion that the medallion represents the lake near Benares
in which the Buddha used to wash his clothes is incompatible with the clear meaning of the
label. I quite agree with him that, like the daḍanikama walk, the triangular walk also
is some monument associated with some legend which is not known to us. [1]Tikoṭiko naturally cannot have anything to do with Trikūṭa. Its meaning can only be ‘triangular’. Hultzsch, IA., l.c., note 47: “Tisraḥ koṭayo yasya saḥ, ‘triangular;”. By chance koṭi just in connection with chaṅkamana occurs in J. III, 85, 8; IV, 329, 5. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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