1889.] 



on the Civilization of Ancient Initio. 



125 



According to the Buddhist scriptures, he passed away at the age of 

 eighty, surrounded by his chief disciples, shaded by the sal trees in a 

 grove at a place called Kusinagara, which has been fully identified as 

 the modern Kasia in the Gorakhpur District of the North-Westeru 

 Provinces.* 



All representations of the scene agree in showing the master lying 

 on his right side, in a posture of perfect repose, with his head resting on 

 his hand. The number of attendants varies in different sculptures. 

 Plates Nos. 16 and 22 of Major Cole's volume give illustrations of 

 two well-preserved reliefs, obtained respectively at the upper and lower 

 monasteries of Nuttu, which vividly depict the peaceful departure of the 

 great teacher from this troublous world. 



The work from the upper monastery (Plate 16) is a sculptured 

 pauel bounded by two good examples, of the Indo-Corinthian pilaster. 



The dying master, fully robed, reclines on a low bedstead furnished 

 witli mattress aud pillow, by the side of which a tripod is placed, sup- 

 porting a vessel of cool water. A figure, identified as Devadatta, the 

 malignant cousin, who had pursued Buddha throughout his life with 

 unrelenting hostility, stands at the head of the couch, with an evil ex- 

 pression of satisfied malice. f 



A form, apparently that of a female, with her back to the spectator, 

 sits ci'ouchiua' on the ground, and six mourning attendants in various 

 attitudes complete the group. Above the whole hang the boughs of the 

 sal tree, the forest king which wituessed alike the advent and departure 

 of the teacher. 



The work from the lower Nuttu monastery, reproduced in Plate 

 No. 22, represents the same scene, though with considerable variation 

 in the treatment of details. In this group the total number of 

 figures is increased to thirteen, the most remarkable addition being that 

 of a shaven-headed monk, crawling on hands and feet, and being pulled 

 from under the bed by another monk, who has grasped him by the wrist. 



Museum, Calcutta, contains at least one (G. 27). In later Buddhist art, as seen at 

 Kasia and elsewhere, the subject was frequently treated. The death-bed scene 

 lias often been incorrectly referred to as the Nirvana of Buddha, but the term 

 pafiniri-rhia may be correctly applied to it. 



* Cunningham, Archmol. Rep-, Vol. I, pp. 76—85 ; XVIII, p. 55. 



t The figure is that of a man holding a dumb-bell-shaped object, like a club or 

 conventional thunderbolt, and this figure in other reliefs, for example, in that re- 

 presenting the scone of the elephant doing homage, must certainly bo identified as 

 Devadatta. But the appearance of Devadatta at the death-bed of Buddha appears 

 to be inconsistent with the legend referred to in Fa-hian's Travels, which relates 

 that Devadatta attempted to poison Gautama, and having failed to accomplish the 

 crime, " went down to hell." 



