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The Mahaummagga Jataka in Kushan Sculpture from Sanghol

By

R. Banerjee

 

In February, 1985 the Archaeological Department of Punjab discovered in the course of their excavation at Sanghaol in Ludhiana district, Punjab a large number of Kushan sculptures made of red sandstone.

The object of this Note is to describe one of them which is of great artistic beauty and iconographic importance. The sculpture in question has not been identified as yet by any scholar. I had the opportunity of closely studying it, when it was exhibited along with many other Sanghol pieces in the National Museum New Delhi some months ago. This is one of the fine sculptures found in Sanghor. While many of them are stylised, this one is highly realistic, showing also the wit and humour on the part of the artist. Again, the subject is very interesting inasmuch as it shows the love of a young lady and an aged person, - an instance of the well-known proverb that love is blind.

The sculpture shows an old man with a broad back carrying a tall, young woman along a forest path indicated by the presence of a tree. The lady is decorated with various ornaments such as ear-rings, necklace, girdles, armlets and anklets. There is also an ornament on her forehead. Her hair is well combed and formed into a braid.

The lady is well dressed. She is not only clad in a dhoti but also in a jacket with designs. The shout old man has a bald head with sparse hair on the sides and his face is wrinkled. He, however, is enjoying carrying her. The artist has here depicted reality and also created humour by showing the mutual warmth between the young lady and the old man, ,as he was proceeding along with her in forest path. The old man is clad in dhoti, reaching up to the knees, the end of which (Kachchha) is tucked into the girdle. His torso is bare. The path along which the old man is passing slopes downward, indicating that the man is perhaps going towards a stream.

The details of the sculpture correspond closely to one of the tales of the Mahaummagga Jataka which bring out the extra-ordinary intelligence and presence of mind of the Bodhisattava in one of his births as Mahaushadha. The portion of the above Jataka as relevant for our purpose is as follows:

During the time when the Bodhisattva was born as Mahausadha, there was a person called Golakala, who was black and dwarfish or short-sized. His wife was called Dirghatala, i.e. a lady, tall in size. Once Golakala told his wife to prepare some cakes because he wanted to meet his parents. Dirghatala at first refused to oblige her husband saying that it was no use seeing the parents. After persistent entreaty by Golakala, she prepared some cakes. Thereafter, Golakala and his wife carried some food and parents and started on their journey and in the course of time, they reached the bank of a stream, which was not very deep but they were afraid of the rushing water and did not dare to cross it. While they stood on the bank they saw a man in a miserable state, Dirghaprishtha by name (whose back was very broad) passing by that side. Golakala and his wife wanted to know from him whether the river was deep or shallow. Understanding their fear of water, Dirghaprishtha told them that the river was very deep with many kinds of voracious fish in it. Then, Golakala asked him to tell them how to cross the river. In reply he told them that he had struck up a friendship with the crocodiles and monsters inhabiting this river and they would not be able to harm him. Thus assured, Golakala requested him to help them cross the river. Dirghaprishtha readily agreed to do so. The couple were pleased with him and gave him food to eat. Having finished his meal, he asked who was to be carried first. Golakala asked him to take his wife first. So requested Dirghaprishtha placed the wife on his back and went down to the river. When Dirghaprishtha had gone a little, he crouched down and waded along in a bent posture to give the impression that the water was very deep and he was to proceed very cautiously. When Dirghaprishtha reached the middle of the stream, he proposed his love to Dirghatala and offered to marry her. Dirghatala also fell in love with Dirghaprishtha and readily agreed to his proposal . Thus conversing in a happy mood they reached the other side of the river and began to amuse themselves which aroused jealousy in the mind of Golakala. In excitement he jumped into the river and crossed it easily as it was in reality very shallow. Golakala caught hold of Dirghaprishtha and brought him and his own wife to Mahaushadha who was known for his justice. When Mahaushadha cross-examined Dirghaprishtha, he could not get satisfactory answers to his questions.

The guilt of Dirghaprishtha was easily established and mahaushadha handed over Dirghatala to her real husband, Golakala. The panel presents only the first part of the story, i.e. DIrghaprishtha carrying Dirghatala and going down to the river. The physical features of Dirghaprishtha and his courching movements answer to the description given of him in the Mahaummagga Jataka.

The details of the sculpture taken together leave no doubt that here the artist has depicted a part of the Mahaummagga Jataka.

The sculpture in question is the first and only representation of the above story, so far known. It adds to the list of Jataka representations in Indian art.

 

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