Vol. XI, No. 9.] A Buddhist Sculpture from Kandy. 299 
[W.8.] 
who was the first to receive him on his return from heaven. 
The triple .ladder by which Buddha and his two satellites 
descended is indicated beneath the lotus on which he is 
standing. 
The next scene refers to the great miracle of Cravasti, which 
consisted in Buddha being seen preaching at the same moment in 
various places. Hence the triple figure of the Buddha seated in 
the preaching attitude as in the corresponding scene to the left. 
The two Naga figures supporting Buddha’s lotus seat are also a 
cognizance of the subject. 
The next Buddha figure is seated in the European fashion. 
Here we find the legend of the monkey who offered Buddha a 
pot of toddy and after this meritorious act committed suicide 
tobe reborn as a deva or celestial being. The monkey is shown 
not less than four times: first climbing up the palmyratree, next 
approaching Buddha, with the bowl of toddy, then jumping into 
awell, and lastly rising in his divine shape. The little elephant 
the corner must be the elephant which fed Buddha in the 
Pirileyaka forest. 
Finally we have at the top of the sculpture the scene of the 
Buddha’s death or Nirvana. The dying Buddha is lying on his 
tight side with his head resting on his right 
sou Siig. the dha’s death-bed cannot | igs 
individ ‘no the centre in front of the 
ually, ee the one occupying t, and the 
tttved! (Plate XXI). It belongs to the Gupta per! 
the earliest known Saresontaee of the eight scenes on a 
~4m0n are slabs containing only what we mig 
“Major scenes, namely the birth, the enlightenment, cose 
— *tmon and the death. ‘Two well-preserved specimens oe 
0S ee a 
A. 8. R. for 19067, pp: 
' Cf. J. H. Marshall and S. Konow, Sarnath, : 
ms no. 58; plate XXVIL 4; and Foucher, Le grand oa ~ag uddha 
Pravasti, J. A.; serie 10, Tome XIII (1909), P- 45, planch tisllactions 
in the - Anderson, Catalogue and handbook of the archaeological 
Indian Museum, part II, pp. 4f. No- S. 1. 
