Mogao Cave 302: King Candraprabha Jataka

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Sui dynasty

This painting is located on the east slope of the ceiling and is one of a series of single-scene Jataka illustrations. The King Candraprabha Jataka derives from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. King Candraprabha was extraordinarily generous and well-loved among the people, to the extent that a neighboring king became jealous and put a bounty on his head. Upon hearing this, the evil Raudraksa set out to kill King Candraprabha. Desperate to save his life, the king’s chief minister, Mahacandra, procured precious golden heads encrusted with jewels to offer in exchange for the king’s life. However, Raudraksa would not be deterred. He led King Candraprabha beneath a tree. When the Tree Deity who also loved the king used supernatural powers to stop Raudraksa, King Candraprabha said to the deity, “I have offered my head 999 times beneath this tree. This will be the 1,000th time, please do not stop him.” The Tree Deity conceded, and after Raudraksa severed King Candraprabha’s head for the 1,000th time, the king perfected the paramita of giving.
The painting communicates the king’s humility and grace as he stands beneath the tree and bows his head with palms joined. The king faces Raudraksa, who holds a tray of human skulls in his upraised right hand.