National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Har. D

This picture of the upper half of the seated Buddha represents him in that
state of intense mental abstraction induced by employing the prescribed
expedient of suspending respiration and concentrating the gaze towards
the tip of the nose. The round disk-like face is a form commonly given in these
paintings to a full front aspect, of which other examples are the Hāritī heads in
plates iv and vi. The heavy and rather swollen appearance of the eyelids express
prolonged endurance. The drawing of the nose, seldom successfully managed by
these mural painters, is especially weak—a mere symbol; and the mouth, although
prettily shaped, is very feeble and of inadequate size. The ears have long, slit lobes.
The short black hair, forming a sharp point over the forehead, rises in a moderate
uṣṇīṣa at the crown. Dispersed over the 'leonine' body and arms are symbolic
devices, including the sun and moon on right and left shoulders; on the right
pectoral is an ellipsoidal jewel of stratified structure, standing on a lotus. On the
left pectoral is an octagonal many-facetted jewel, also on a lotus and emitting leaf-
like flames. The double chain at the base of the neck has thin threads streaming
from its end rings. Just above the waist, the well-drawn galloping horse perhaps
symbolizes the horse sacrifice—the Aśvamedha—and below is a crown-like
device. On the upper arms are sacred books (pothīs) each resting vertically on a
lotus and emitting leaf-shaped flames; on the forearms, facetted vajras, with flames
springing from their various points. Circles and triangles are distributed about
the body. The elaborate device on the centre of the torso consists of, at base, just
above the horse, a rectangle in which stands a vase-like object supporting a rat (?).
Encircling the junction of the foot and body of the vase is a snake, with the ends of
its body projecting like cords at the sides, each end terminating with a snake's head.
Resting on the back of the 'rat' is a bowl-shape object which supports an elabor-
ate palmette ornament, from the top of which rises a mound-shape mass of
flames. The whole of this device is perhaps a rendering of the Churning of the
Ocean, which although non-Buddhist would be in company here with other devices
of Tantra or Śakti innovation.
Small patches of drapery to right, below the waist and covering the thigh, are
dark red.

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