Paitava: Life of the Buddha - Miracle at Sravasti

AFGHANISTAN, Parwan, Bagram

When the Buddha was challenged by rival religious teachers at Sravasti, the miracle depicted here was among several he performed. Alternatively known as the Twin Miracle, the Mahavastu states that he levitated to “the height of a palm tree . . . Then flames leapt from the upper part of his body, and jets of water streamed from the lower part.”
Though most of the nimbus here is broken, some idea of it may be provided by the better preserved version of this sculpture in the Guimet Museum of Asian Art. The Buddha is borne upward on a double stream of water. He wears a monastic robe that covers both shoulders, from which leap flames. The left hand secures the fold of the garment about the arm, while the right hand is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra, with a Dharma wheel on the palm. Two smaller Buddha images are seated beside the shoulders, each surrounded by a mandorla and covered by a canopy. Beneath the seated Buddha figures are a Dharma protector and a female deity who carries a cornucopia to symbolize a bountiful harvest. Two figures at the bottom sit with legs crossed and look up at the Buddha with palms joined.