Buddha Protected by Mucalinda

THAILAND

This stele was probably excavated at Prachinburi. The main face shows Mucalinda, the Naga King, protecting the Buddha, who sits in half lotus position on its coiled body. The Buddha has tightly curled hair and a high usnisa. Mucalinda’s seven heads are raised in a fan-like arrangement with the central head flaring above the others. There is a pillar on either side supporting an arch outlined with lotus petals.
The rear of the stele has carvings of two figures. An Eight-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is at the top, and a five-headed ten-armed Bodhisattva, believed to be Prajna, is at the bottom.
The sides of the stele are carved with niches, one above the other. The upper figure on the Buddha’s right is believed to be a Four-Armed Avalokitesvara holding a string of prayer beads, lotus flower, scroll, and a vase. The figure at the bottom is Tara forming the varada (wish-granting) and abhaya (fearlessness) mudras. The upper niche on the Buddha’s left contains Vajrapani, while the lower niche is believed to house Mamaki.