Nagarjunakonda: Life of the Buddha

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh

Three episodes preceding Prince Siddhartha’s renunciation of worldly life are depicted in relief here. Though the bottom register is severely damaged, enough remains to show that it illustrates the prince’s first encounter with old age, sickness and death while being driven through the city in his chariot. In the central register, the prince sits on his throne, observing the ungainly attitudes of the palace dancers sleeping around him and making up his mind to leave. Above, he is shown riding out of the palace, surrounded by crowned deities. His horse is supported by the Four Heavenly Kings to avoid making a sound and alerting the court. The figure on the far right is Sakra, who holds a parasol over the prince. Each horizontal divider between the scenes is differently patterned, while floriated rosettes decorate the slab’s edge.