Amaravati: Life of the Buddha - Calming the Drunken Elephant

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati; Satavahana period

The relief was unearthed at Amaravati and was originally part of the railing that surrounded the stupa. It depicts the story in which the Buddha’s cousin, Devadatta, goaded a drunken elephant into attacking the Buddha, who eventually subdues it.
There are two contrasting scenes combined in this one relief. The elephant in the left foreground has its trunk wrapped around a victim’s leg and charges toward a crowd of terrified people who scatter. The elephant on the right, has been subdued and kneels in submission before the Buddha, whose disciples stand behind him with hands held in reverence. The upper register of the relief is filled with people crowding their balconies to witness this event. The mixture of contradictory emotions depicted in the single composition adds to the dramatic effect.