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JOURNAL, K.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIIL 



the earth at a place called Sankisa or Sakaspura. Of this 

 Spence Hardy writes : — 



,'" Sakra (Indra) reflected that he (Buddha) had come from the 

 earth at three steps, but that it would be right to celebrate his 

 departure with special honours. He therefore caused a ladder of 

 gold to extend from Mahameru to Sakaspura ; at the right side of 

 the ladder there was another, also of gold, upon which the Devas 

 appeared with instruments of music ; and on the left there was 

 another of silver upon which the Brahma appeared holding cano- 

 pies of umbrellas . ..The whole appeared to the people of the 



earth like three rainbows. — (Hardy's Buddhism, pp. 300-301.) 



In the Bharhut sculptures (plate XVII. , fig. 2) the triple 

 ladder fills the middle of the scene. At the foot is a b6-tree 

 and a crowd of kings, ministers, and people, awaiting the 

 return of Buddha to earth. On the top step, and on the 

 bottom step, is a foot-print— which, in the absence of any 

 personal representation of Buddha, indicate the presence of 

 Buddha himself, and form symbolical objects of reverence. 



Turning now to the Nidana-katha, we shall find it afford- 

 ing numerous subjects for sculptures and picture-stories 

 from the time of the Bharhut sculptures to the present day* 

 One of the most favourite subjects is the dream of Maya 

 Devi, or the conception of the mother of Buddha. It is one 

 of the Bharhut sculptures f plate XXVIII., fig. 3), and it 

 occurs with the birth of Buddha, in the Buddhist sculp- 

 tures (now at Lahore) brought from the Yusafzai Districts ; 

 it is also found in a very interesting scene at Sanchi and in 

 several sculptures at Amravati. In the Bharhut sculpture 

 Maya Devi, in Ml costume and laden with jewellery, is 

 asleep on her couch, with the right side exposed, surrounded 

 by her maidens, one of whom is waving a chauri. The 

 chadanta elephant, which appeared to her in a dream, fills 

 the right of the medallion. The legend says that he thrice 

 made obeisance to the couch, gently struck his mother's right 

 side, and seemed to enter her womb (Davids' translation, 

 p. 63). The medallion is labelled Bhagavato okkanti — 'the 

 descent of the Blessed one,' as rightly read by Davids — and 

 not rukdanta, ( roaring,' as read by Cunningham. It is 

 interesting to compare with this the same legend as depicted 

 in the Sanchi sculptures (plate XXXIII.) where Maya Devi 

 is lying on her left side. In the Amravati bas-reliefs 



