Nagarjunakonda: Life of the Buddha

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh

The scenes on this relief focus on the Buddha’s birth. Even though the Buddha is not shown anywhere, his presence is symbolically acknowledged.
King Suddhodana is summoning brahmins to interpret Queen Maya’s dream at the bottom register of the relief. The left side of the middle register depicts the birth of Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini Garden with the queen standing under the asoka tree with her servants. To the right is a large space divided off by water on a stand. The tree now displays a parasol and two whisks, a symbol of the Buddha’s future greatness. The Four Heavenly Kings are shown in the same register carrying a long swaddling cloth towards the queen, where seven small footprint impressions can be seen. They represent the seven steps that the baby prince took at birth.
The top register illustrates two scenes. The one on the right depicts the seer Asita predicting the prince’s future in the presence of the king, while Asita is identified as the figure holding the swaddling cloth, representing the baby prince. The scene on the left illustrates a servant holding Prince Siddhartha, again represented by a swaddling cloth, asking for blessings at a shrine. The deity to whom the shrine is dedicated is shown paying respect to the prince.