p. 288

   Queen  Maya, we are told, died seven  days  after  her son
Siddhartha the future Buddha, was born.  She was reborn a god
in the Heaven  of the Thirty-three  Gods.  Later  on when the
Bodhisattva became enlightened, he once followed the voice of
a mild filial feeling and visited the Trayastrimsa  heaven in
order  to teach his mother  the Good Law and to convert  her.
After  three months  and seven days the Lord returned  to the
earth.  The gods through their heavenly architect  made him a
triple  ladder: Brahma descended  a golden  one on his right,
together with all the gods of the Rupaloka; Indra descended a
crystal ladder, accompanied by all the devas of the Kamaloka;
while the Blessed  One went down in the centre on a staircase
made of pure lapis lazuli.

   A great  crowd awaited  him.  But the nun Utpalavarna, who
would  have  liked  to be the first  to greet  her Master, by
magic power took the shape and appearance of a great emperor,
and  was  admitted  with  her chariot  and  troops  into  the
foremost row. She said:

    With chariot and horses four I came,
    Made visible by supernormal power,
    And worshipped, wonder working, at his feet,
    The wondrous Buddha, Sovran of the world.(1)

------------------------------
1. Iddhiya abhinimmitva caturassam ratham aham, buddhassa pade
   vanditva lokanathassa sirimato (Therigatha, 229).  I quote
   above the beautiful rendering of Mrs. Rhys Davids, Psalms,
   I, p.  113. For the story of the Descent of Buddha and the
   nun Utpalavarna  (pali: Uppalavanna), cf.  Rockhill, Life,
   pp.  80-82;  Beal, Si-yu-ki, I, pp.  202-205;  Watters, On
   Yuan Chwang, I, pp.  333--339; Divyavadana, ed. Cowell and
   Neil, p.  401; M.E.  Lulius van Goor, Do buddhistische non
   [in Dutch]

                           p. 289

   This is in short what the texts relate us with some slight
divergences  of the various  sources.  It must  have  been  a
favourite legend with the Buddhists, as we see it represented
since the very beginnings of Buddhist art until the time that
Buddhism  became  nearly  extinct  in  India.   We  are  here
especially interested in the representations of Gandhara; but
a brief survey of other reliefs will not be out of place.

   In  Bharhut   we  meet  the  first  illustration   on  the
Ajatasatru  Pillar(1):  here  we  see  a  very  realistically
sculptured   simple   ladder,  divided   into  three  by  two
perpendicular  beams.  In the  centre, at the  topmost  step,
there  is a footprint, and a second  one  is on the lowermost
step.  This is all that symbolizes the descent of the Buddha.
There are moreover, 24 personages, some of whom must be gods,
others men.  It is quite impossible  to ascertain whether the
flying  figures  must represent  Sakra  and Brahma, and why a
caitya-tree  is placed below, with a sitting-pad covered with
flowers.

   The same legend  is found on a basrelief  of Sanchi, which
seems  to us-notwithstanding  the fact that the monuments  of
Sanchi  must  be  some  100  years  younger   than  those  of
Bharhut--in  every way more primitive  and less skilful  than
the  previous.(2)  Here  the  ladder  is not  triple, but  an
excessively  narrow flight of steps, with a clumsy railing on
one and a voluminous  beam on the other side.  Instead of the
two  footprints  two caitya-trees  are sculptured  above  and
below the ladder.  Adoring  figures find celestial  musicians
encircle  the ladder;  among  them a turbaned  person  with a
chauri and a lotus may be either  Brahma or the nun disguised
as a cakravartin  emperor.  The whole is very indistinct, and
one can easily understand  Fergusson  who was not willing  to
accept Beal's identification.(3)
  
   As far as I can ascertain, there  are only  three  Graeco-
Buddhist  illustrations  of the  legend  in  question  so far
published. We are glad
------------------------------
1. Cunningham, Bharhut, pp. 91--93, pl. XVII, middle.
2. Fergusson,  Tree  and  Serpent  Worship, pl. XXVII, 3, and
   pp.133f.; Maisey, Sanchi, pp.33 f., pi.XI; Marshall, Guide
   to Sanchi (1918), p. 56.
3. Fergusson, loc. cit., p. 133, note; JRAS, N. S.,  vol.V,
   p.181.

                           p. 290

to publish here a fourth relief representing  the same scene.
It is quite  peculiar  that  the  treatment  of the  subject-
matter is obviously highly different in all the four reliefs.
Nothing  is found  of that  mechanical, monotonous  treatment
which  characterizes   many  another  scene  represented   in
Gandharan sculptures.

   Professor Foucher publishes two of these reliefs.(1)  One,
now in the Museum  of Bombay, originating  from  Babuzai, has
two panels  below each other, representing  two phases of the
descent.  In the upper compartment  the Buddha is standing on
the second step of a staircase  of only two steps, flanked by
Indra and Brahma  and some other adoring  figures.  Below the
same scene is repeated.  There  is, however, some reason  for
supposing  that  here  the  nun  Utpalavarna  was  sculptured
kneeling  on the left side in front  of the steps.  Professor
Fouchcr  does not mention  this, but we there see traces of a
figure  now broken.  Besides, Brahma  is put somewhat  higher
than Indra (whereas  in the upper  panel the two deities  are
placed at the same level), obviously  in order to leave place
for a kneeling figure.

   The second relief (fig. 265 in Prof.  Foucher's  work) has
been  found  at Loriyan  Tangai, and is now in the Museum  of
Calcutta. It has very little in common with the previous one.
The  staircase  consists  of some  19  steps, and  has  three
compartments  between  which  the  supporting  beams(? )  and
pillars(?) are depicted in a curious manner. Somewhere on the
seventh  step  stand  Brahma, the Buddha  and Indra.  On both
sides hosts of gods are seen in the air. On the earth, at the
left, a king approaches, riding an elephant, and followed  by
his suite.  Below the Blessed  One a person with hands folded
in adoration is kneeling or rather sitting, evidently the nun
Utpalavarna who 'reassumed her form as a bhiksuni.'(2)

   There is a  third  relief in the Lahore Museum (no. 1133),
which prof. Foucher calls-for good reason-- 'fort miserable'
(p. 537); a re-
------------------------------
  1. Art greco-bouddhique, I, figs. 264 And 265.
  2. Beal, Si-yu-hi, p. 205.

                           p. 291

production  of  this  piece  of  sculpture  is found  in  Mr.
Hargreaves'  The Buddha Story in Stone.(1)  Only four persons
figure in this relief.  On the top, of a triple ladder  stand
Brahma, the  Buddha  and  Indra.  Below  Brahma  a person  is
kneeling in adoring attitude, who must be our bhiksuni in her
natural form.

   The fourth  relief, published  here for the first time, is
now since  many years  in the collection  of Imre  Schwaiger,
Esq., in London.(2) It is, no doubt, the fullest illustration
extant of the Descent from the Trayastrimsa Heaven, and it is
in   many   respects   the   finest   of   the   four   known
representations.  It measures  22 1/2 inches  in width and 19
1/2 inches  in height, and, as may be seen from the plate, it
is very well preserved except for the two top corners and the
face of the lowermost  Buddha.  Traces  of red colouring  are
found in many places.

   It is really  'an assembly  of gods and men' (devamanusya-
sampada,  Divyavadana  p. 401), There  are not less  than  70
persons  and 5 horses  sculptured  and arranged  in a skilful
composition.  In the  centre, on a triple  staircase  leading
from   top  to  bottom,  the   Buddha   appears   thrice   in
abhaya-mudra, flanked  by Indra  and Brahma, who turn towards
him with hands  folded  in worship.(3)  On both sides  of the
staircase four horizontal  rows of heavenly beings are turned
towards  the Lord in adoring  attitude  or throwing  flowers.
They are kneeling and standing in alternating rows. Below, on
the earth, are two rows of human beings, distinguishable from
------------------------------
1. 1914, p. 32, fig. XXIV.
2. Here I wish to thank Mr. Schwaiger, who was good enough to
   show me his remarkable  collection  in September 1929, and
   gave me his consent  to publish  it.  I intend  to publish
   also the other pieces which, I believe, represent the best
   what is now to be had on the European market.
3. The  sculpturing  in one panel  of different  phases  of a
   happening is very common in early Buddhist art;  e.g.  the
   Mahabhiniskramana  scene  on the torana  of Sanchi.  Prof.
   Vogel  kindly  draws  my attention  to the  fact  that  in
   Gandhara very few instances are known.  They are the Birth
   of  the   Bodhisattva,  the   Story   of  Angulimala,  the
   Dipankara-jataka, and, perhaps, the  Attempt  of Devadatta
   to crush  the Buddha  under a huge stone.  As to this last
   legend, I hope to publish some new documents in short.

                           p. 292

the gods only by the fact  that  they have  no halo.  To tile
left: a king and two(?) queens  in a chariot(1)  drawn by two
relatively  very small horses (crude work) with suit, bearing
flowers and a tray with fruit;  one personage riding a horse,
with  hands  in  worshipping  pose.  To  the  right:  adoring
figures, some  of them casting  flowers, one bearing  also  a
cup, two riding on horses, preceded by a person (head broken)
who carries  a bunch  of lotuses  in his left  arm.  All turn
towards the Blessed One.

    The  execution  of the  figures  is not  bad, except  the
horses  which are very coarse.  To bring some variety  in the
representation  of the heavenly beings, the author sculptured
some of the gods in a different attitude from the others, and
has put flowers  or a garland  in the hands  of some of them.
The pageant  of the disguised  nun-emperor  is composed  with
much  skill, especially  at the  left, where  only  the wrong
proportions give some disharmonious  effect.  The first queen
carries  some  flowers, and she  is clad  and  her hairs  are
dressed in an evidently  Hellenistic  manner.  The figures of
Indra and Brahma are made with much effect.  The sculptor has
bestowed great care on the figures of the Buddha;  the heads,
however, have turned  out too large.  The whole relief is, to
be sure, too crowded owing to the Indian horror vacui; in the
present instance, however, this mode of representation  is in
accordance with the subject-matter as related in the texts.

   We can at once realize how utterly different the rendering
of  this legend became in later times, if we cast a glance at
the stupa drum of Dhruva Tila, now in the  Museum of Mathura.
An illustration is found in  Professor  Vogel's paper devoted
to this interesting docu-
------------------------------
1. Sir Aurel  Stein was kind  enough to draw my  attention to
   the fact that there  is perhaps  some  similarity  between
   this chariot and that depicted  in the mural paintings  of
   Miran.  See: Serindia, vol.  I, figs.  135-136.  Sir Aurel
   described  the  drawing  of  that  chariot  as  'curiously
   clumsy' (p.518). I believe that our chariot has still more
   resemblance  to  one  of  the  chariots  at  Sanchi;  see:
   Fergusson, Tree and Serpent Worship, pl.  III, fig.  6, or
   Maisey, Sanchi, pl.  XV, fig.  12, and see also pl. XXXVI,
   fig.  12;  for  a chariot  in Bodh  Gaya  see  Cunningham,
   Report, vol. III, pl. XXVII.

                           p. 293

ment of Mathura art.(1)  Before a very crude triple ladder in
the centre stands  a Buddha.  On both sides stand two uncouth
figures  of what must be Brahma  and Sakra.  Professor  Vogel
calls this justly 'as summary a manner as possible.' The same
may  be  said  with  regard  to  another  Mathura  sculpture,
numbered II 1, which is illustrated  in his Catalogue  of the
Mathura  Museum.(2)  Here, however, a small  kneeling  figure
must represent the nun Utpalavarna.

   Yet, even this summary treatment  is perhaps surpassed  by
the concise manner in which the Gupta sculptors and the later
mediaval artists used to render the scene.  A standing Buddha
in the  centre  flanked  by Brahma  and  Indra  is  all  what
remained. Sometimes a few steps are visible below their feet,
and  in a few instances  the  figure  of Utpalavarna  is also
symbolized  by an adoring female personage.(3)  Indra usually
carries  an umbrella, while Brahma  holds a water-gourd  or a
fly-whisk   (chauris,  in  one  instance   also  an  aksamala
(rosary).

     In conclusion we may state that the bas-relief published
here-with is the most realistic and the  fullest illustration
of the legend among all the representations known to us.(4)
------------------------------
1. J. Ph. Vogel, Etudes de sculpture bouddhique, III. In:
   BEFEO, 1908, pp. 492-500, fig.  5.  Cf.  also: The same,
   Cat. Mus. Mathura, p. 167. The item is numbered N 2.
2. Pl. VI, cp. p. 125.
3. See:  Burgess, AMI, I, pl. 68, 1, right  uppermost  panel;
   Sahni and Vogel, Cat.  Sarnath  Museum, nos.  C (a) 3, 18,
   10, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and D (b) 10.  For a Pala sculpture
   from Jagdispur, distr.  Patna (ancient Magadha territory),
   see: Foucher, Art greco-bouddhique, II, fig. 500, PP.  545
   and 610.  The same, Etude sur l'iconographie bouddhique de
   l'lnde, 1000, pp. 86 and 157, figs.  20-30, pl. III, 2. An
   interesting  piece is published by Prof.  Vogel, Note on a
   Buddhist Sculpture from Kandy, Ceylon, in JASB, N.S., vol.
   XI (1915), pp. 297--303, and pls.  XX-XXIV. The last plate
   illustrates  a  bas-relief  of  Pagan  where, however, the
   scene of the descent is utterly damaged.
4. Cf.  further:  Foucher, Une liste  indienne des du Buddha.
   (Ecole  Pratique.des  Hautes Etudes, Section  des Sciences
   Religieuses), Paris, 1908, pp. 1-32, especially p. 21, no.
   45, where a few further references  are found --A Nepalese
   representation dated 1621 A.D.  is illustrated in Buddhist
   India, vol.  II (1928), p.  138f.-- A remarkable rendering
   is found in Mythologie Asiatique Illustree, 1928, p. 129.