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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
PART B tries to kill the sage. He holds the sage with his head downwards over a precipice, when Vidhura succeeds in rousing his curiosity by promising him to inform him about the qualities of a good man. The Yaksha is converted by the discourse of the sage. He declares himself ready to take him back to Indapatta, but Vidhura insists on being led to the Nāga world. When they have arrived there, Vidhura is kindly received by the Nāga king and his wife, who take delight in conversing with him. Puṇṇaka gets Irandatī, presents his jewel to Vidhara and brings him back to Indapatta. Most of the scenes of the sculpture were already correctly explained by Cunningham. In the upper relief Puṇṇaka and Irandatī are seen talking to each other in a rocky landscape. The rest of the relief is filled by the palace of the Nāga king. In the arched door of the upper storey appears the head of a woman, probably Irandatī. Below, the Nāga king and his wife are seated on a chair. The Nāga king, who is distinguished by a five-headed snake over his head, while his wife has only one snake, is addressing two men who are standing before him, one behind the other, with their hands reverentially joined. The scene undoubtedly represents the return of Puṇṇaka in company with Vidhura to the Nāga’s palace. It thus appears that the sculptor has united in the upper relief all scenes connected with the Nāga world without paying attention to the chronological order of the events. Under these circumstances I think it quite probable that the man who is represented entering by a gateway in the left lower corner of the relief is again Puṇṇaka, buts this time entering the Nāga palace after his meeting with Irandati.
The lower relief, which unfortunately is incomplete, is taken up by the gambling scene in the palace of Dhanañjaya in Indapatta. In the courtyard a man is seated on a cushioned chair. By the horse standing on his left and the large square jewel on his chest he is characterized as Puṇṇaka. He was probably represented in the act of gambling with the Kuru king, but the figure of his partner is lost. From the windows and arched recesses in the upper storey of the palace several women are looking out. In the gateway on the left of the relief stands a man who appears to be meant for Vidhura as he wears round his neck the broad collar which is the distinguishing mark of the sage in the middle relief. In the left lower corner of the middle relief the Yaksha is seen starting on his aerial journey with Vidhura holding on to the tail of the horse. In the upper portion rocks and trees indicate that the scene is the summit of Kāḷagiri. On the right, Puṇṇaka is suspending Vīdhura by the heels with head downloads over a precipice, on the left the two appear once more standing side by side. Puṇṇaka, whose figure is half destroyed, has raised his left hand as if speaking to the sage. There remains the group in the lower right corner. Here Puṇṇaka is seen on horseback with Vidhura apparently sitting behind him and clinging to his chest. According to the text of the Jātaka the two are riding in this way to the palace of the Nāga king after the conversion of Puṇṇaka, whereas on the homeward journey the Yaksha grants Vidhura the more honourable seat front[1]. It seems therefore that the sculptor inserted the group as the connective link between the events on the Kāḷagiri and the arrival in the Nāga world represented in the upper relief. The hero of the story is identical with the Vidura of the Mahābhārata[2].
The reason [1]See Gāthās 238 and 294. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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