Mueang Fa Daed Song Yang: Kulavaka Jataka

THAILAND, Kalasin

Excavated from Mueang Fa Daed Song Yang in Kalasin, only the lower section of this monastic boundary stone remains. It depicts Pali Jataka No. 31, the Kulavaka Jataka, in which the Buddha-to-be was reborn as a righteous brahmin named Magha. Three of Magha’s four wives followed his good example and were reborn in the heavenly realms, but the erring fourth was reborn as a crane.
At the center is Sakra, who is holding a vajra. The figure is dressed as a noble, wearing a crown and other jewelry, and sits in the relaxation posture. Behind Sakra is a caparisoned elephant. To the right are three of Magha’s wives reborn in the heavenly realm. The wife who is reborn as a crane, ironically named Well-Born, perches in bird form on the wrist of the foremost of the wives. The rhythmic relief cleverly utilizes depth to depict volumes and spatial relationships. The figures are realistically defined, making it easy to identify the subject.