Dr. Priyatosh Banerjee (Indian and Central Asian Scholar)

Dr. Priyatosh Banerjee (An Exponent on Indian and Central Asian Art)

An Unidentified Repousse' Gilt Bronze Medallion from Chinese Turkestan

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The medallion in question (Fig.1) was found by the German explorers in Khocho in the Turfan area and is now preserved in the Indiche Kunst, Berlin. An attempt has been made in this paper to identify it correctly.

The medallion shows the Boddhisattva Gautama (who came to be known as Buddha after his Enlightenment) seated in meditation on a lotus. He is attended by a devotee on either side. The devotee to his right is in kneeling position while the devotee to the left is standing with his hands in the same attitude. An important feature of the medallion, not commented on by other scholars, is the presence of a bow shown horizontally just above the  head of the Boddhisattva.

The medallion1 has a beaded border with holes through which it would be attached on a support.

The subject matter of the medallion seems to be an episode from Buddha's life. The clue to its correct identification is provided by the bow-motif referred to above. The bow and the arrow, as is well-known, were among the most effective weapons of ancient warfares. The best Indian warriors, for example Rama, Krishna, Arjuna, etc., were all good archers, Rama was always equipped with his bow and arrows to fight the evil doers. Rama's arrows never missed their targets. Krishna's mighty bow was Sarnga and Arjuna's bow was called Gandiva with the help of which he annihilated his opponents in the Kurukshetra War. Siva too was a great warrior and his bow is called Pinaka.

In this medallion, the bow is symbolic and reminiscent of the great fight the Bodisattva had with Mara Just before his Enlightenment. Mara was an enemy of liberation and good law, and the story goes that when Gautama Sakyamuni was engaged in meditation at the foot of the Bodhi tree at Bodh-gaya, Mara came with his army and beautiful daughters to thwart his meditaation and Enlightenment. But the Bodhisattva remained firm and resolute, even though Mara used his flowery bow and arrow against him to disrupt his meditation. But Mara failed in his mission in spite of his best efforts. Bodhisattva, by dint of his determination, became victorious. This made Mara sad and despondent. Asvaghosha in his famous Buddhacharita says that the Bodhisattva also used his bow and arrow in his fight against Mara, but the Boddhisattva's bow and arrow were different in nature from that of Mara's. The poet puts the matter in the mouth of Mara as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The sage, wearing the armour of vow, and drawing the bow of resolution with the arrow of wisdom, sits yonder desiring the conquer my realm: hence the despondency of mind2".

In the original verse, the word used to denote the bow is 'ayudha'. Though ayudha is a general term for a weapon. It has been used here specifically in the sense of a bow. Here is an instance of the specialization of a general term - device which is used very often in literary embellishment. Further, that the word ayudha is used here in the sense of the bow is apparent from the immediately next phrase of the verse, that is the 'bodhi-sara'. Meaning the arrow of wisdom. Thus the words 'bow' and 'arrow' are well connected here. Similar ideas and phrases are expressed in verse, No.28, Canto XXII of the Buddha-charita in which swept away by female beauty3. Jhonston translates the verse as follows:

"Therefore taking the arrows of mystic wisdom, grasping the bow of energy in your hands and and griding on the armour of awareness, think well on the idea of the objects of sense."

Again, in the Mahavastu Avadana4 there is a chapter called (Mara's temptation) in which the Bodhisattva says that he would take or conquer Mara's salya (the bow and arrow of Mara) and, having recourse to his own determination and prowess, he would lead the suffering humanity to the path of discipline and the good law.

From the above sources, it may be reasonable to hold that the bow in this medallion symbolically represents the valour of the Bodhisattva and defeat of Mara.

We have noticed above that Asvaghosha has used in his verses, quoted above, not only the words bow and arrow, but also the word armour (varma) which the warrior uses to protect his body, while he is engaged in the act of fighting. In the case of the Bodhisattva, the armour consists in his unshakable vow to attain Enlightenment, which protected him from Mara's attack and helped him in achieving his mission. It may be interesting to note that there is, in the collection of Tibet House, New Delhi, an icon (F.19.3) representing Buddha or Boddhisattva, holding an armour against his breast5. This armour also symbolically represents the Bodhisattva's fight with Mara, as well as his victory over the latter.

The Buddhist texts have treated Mara's attack as a very important event in Buddha's life. It is a great moral victory achieved by the Buddha over an evil force which throws obstacles in the path of liberation. The poets and authors have delineated the event, both graphically and symbolically.

 

Notes & References:

1.   This medallion, though discussed by various scholars, has not been properly identified as yet. For discussion see along the Ancient silk Routes: Central Asian Art from the West Berlin State Museums, Ne wYork, p.165.

2.  See the Buddha-charita or Acts of the Buddha (edited E.H.Jhonston), verse 4, canto XIII. The original verse reads as follows:

Asau munirnischayavarma vibbrat

Sattvayudham buddhisamm vikrishyanmadiyams-

jigisburaste vishayanmadiyams-

Tasmadayam me manaso vishadah.

3.   E.H. Jhonson, op.cit, Part III, p.66

4.   Vasikaritvan te salyam kritva supasthatam smritim alabdhaviryo viharanto vinesyam sravkam pitu.   See the Mahavastu-Avadana, Vol.2, edited by R. govinda Basak, Sanskrit College, Calcutta, 1964, p.334.

5.  See plate 16, Icon 20, Tibet, C. 13th Century, Tibet House Museum, New Delhi, 1965.

List of Illustrations:

Fig. 1. Mara Vijaya (Victory over Mara). Repouse' gilt-bronze medallion, 7th 8th century, Khocho, Indische Kunst, Berlin.

Fig. 2. The attack of Mara, wood, medieval, Udaipur, after Pl. xv of the book "the early wooden temples of Chamba" by Harmann Goetz, Leiden, 1955.

Fig. 3. Yuddha-jaya (Victory over Mara, copper, partly gilded, 13th century, Tibet House, Delhi (after pl.16, Tibet House Museum), New Delhi.

   

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