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856 PICTORIAL REMAINS FROM THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS [Chap. XXIII

of the Bath, and this uncertainty of tradition may well account for the varying sequence just noted in the banners. The two representations in Plate LXXIV agree in making only women witness the miracle. But in Ch. xxii. 0035 a male figure joins Maya and her sister Prajapati. As regards the scene of the Bath, it is of special interest to observe that the painters of Ch. 00114 (Plate LXxiv) ; xxii. 0035 follow, of two traditionally well-known versions, the one which makes Nagas, or divinities of the thunder-clouds, i. e. ` Dragons ' in Chinese eyes, perform the laving of the New-born, whereas the Gandhâra school chose the more rational version of two gods pouring out the water from jars »

Before we proceed further it will be appropriate, in accordance with M. Foucher's example, to mention the banner, Ch. xxii. oo8 (Plate LXxvI), where we find represented some of the births which miraculously coincided with that of the Bodhisattva. They naturally attach themselves to the cycle of scenes of his Nativity. The banner imperfectly preserved shows us out of the traditional seven sahajâla only three : a lamb, a calf, and a foal together with their mothers, all drawn with considerable skill. There can be no doubt that the foal is meant for the Bodhisattva's future steed Kanthaka, which, as we shall presently see, is such a favourite figure in the scenes depicted on our banners. We meet with Kanthaka as one of the salaajcila also in Gandhara sculpture. i6

Though outside the series of legendary scenes, three representations of the Seven Jewels, or sapla rahteini, in Ch. ooi 14 (Plate LXXiv), Ch. xxvi. a. 004 (Plate LXXV), and the fragment Ch. oo471, may also find convenient mention here. According to the texts these Seven Jewels appertain to every Cakravartin, or Universal Monarch, from his birth, and there is good reason to believe that the Predestined One was credited with this character and its attributes by tradition from an early date.b7 Five among these ` Jewels ', the future wife (Ya§odharâ), minister, and general, as well as the future horse and elephant, are obviously counted among the salaajâla, and in Ch. ooi 14 we see them represented in the form and dress characteristic of them where they figure in the scenes. It is of some importance to note that representations of the Seven Jewels, though known otherwise to ancient Indian sculpture, have not been found so far in Gandhara relievos.

Scenes showing incidents of the childhood and youth of Prince Siddhartha are rather frequent in the banners, and one of the latter, Ch. 0030 (Plate LXXVI), is entirely devoted to them. If we deal before these with the scene portrayed in Ch. xlix. oo6 (Thousand B., Plate xII), it is because we find here the Bodhisattva depicted as a child, together with an inscription in the cartouche clearly showing that at this early age he is discoursing on his anterior births to various officers. Is it possible that the scene of a Gandhâra relievo, otherwise not well defined, which shows the young Prince discoursing apparently to his parents' household, i8 has to be interpreted in the same way ? Turning to Ch. 0030, we find there represented a series of incidents from Siddhartha's youthful training which are well known to Gandhâra sculpture, with their order closely conforming to that which the tradition preserved in Indian texts indicates. In the top panel, accordingly, we see the famous episode of the Writing Competition, making an appropriate pendant to the ' Manifestation at School' frequently presented in Gandhâra relievos.b9 Next below follow physical exercises depicted in the form of a wrestling competition and a weight-lifting contest. In the bottom scene we see the youthful Prince in the act of casting out the elephant treacherously killed by his cousin

The Simultaneous Births.

The Seven Jewels.

Scenes of Gautama's childhood and youth.

66 See Foucher, ibid., i. pp. 308 sqq., Figs. 156 sq. With the tripod on which the Bodhisattva stands in the Gandhâra relievos may be compared the golden laver seen in Ch. 00114. In Ch. xxii. 0035 this appears again raised on a lotus pedestal.

This perhaps might be meant as a compromise with the literary tradition which represents the Bodhisattva as standing on a lotus ; cf. Foucher, loc. cil., i. p. 308.

56 See Foucher, loc. cil., i. p. 317, Fig. 163.

67 Cf. Foucher, ibid., i. p. 317.

68 See Foucher, loc. cil., i. pp. 320 sq., Fig. 164 b.

59 Cf. Foucher, ibid., i. pp. 322 sqq., Figs. 165-67. In the painted panel the scholars have the manifest appearance of boys, which agrees well with the scene taken up by the Gandhâra sculptors.