Kapi Jataka: The ungrateful Hunter

Kapi Jataka: The ungrateful Hunter

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

           Once a hunter fell into a deep ditch in a forest. He shouted for help as he could not come out of the ditch. The Bodhisattva who was a golden monkey took pity. He pulled the hunter out and carried him through the forest on his back. As night fell, both slept on the forest floor. In the morning when the hunter got up he thought if I could kill this golden monkey , I could earn a lot by selling his skin. He threw a stone on the monkey 's head. The injured monkey ran to the lake near by and washed his wounds. The hunter followed him. Feeling thirsty,  the hunter drank from the lake. Since the monkey's blood had mingled with  the water, the moment the hunter drank the water, he became a leaper. He was shunned by others in the village. 

            Here we see the monkey sleeping on the forest floor and the hunter about to hit him with a stone. The injured monkey admonishes the hunter on the left side of the painting. 

           Many a times we hurt others out of greed or jealousy or anger. But we don't realise that by our ungrateful acts we are hurting ourself and our interests. We may see ourselves as winners, but slowly people shun our company. Instead, we should be grateful to those who have carried us through the difficult terrains of life. Rather than think that by hurting them, we will gain wealth and fame. We will only become an outcaste like the hunter.

The Buddha and the Elephant Nalagiri

The Buddha and the Elephant Nalagiri

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

           Buddha's cousin brother, Devadatta was jealous of him. He conspired with King Ajatshatru of Rajagraha to have Buddha trampled by a mad elephant when Buddha comes to Rajagraha.  They got the mad elephant Nalagiri drunk and let him go scott free on the lane where Buddha was coming. Nalagiri charged at the Buddha.  Unmoved, and ever smiling the Buddha gently patted Nalagiri. Overcome by Buddha's compassion and kindness, Nalagiri bowed and touched Buddha's feet. 

           Here although Buddha's head is missing, but we do see a dark hand gently caressing the huge elephant.  The people in their homes are awestruck by Buddha's power to overcome a mad elephant.  One person even folds his hands in reverence. 

           Problems are like the mad elephant. They come our ways. We just need to be detached and calm to tackle them. With compassion and kindness even our enemies can be won over. It is these two qualities of Buddhism which spread the religion from India to Japan. One doesn't need the sword to conquer; a beautiful smile is sufficient to disarm the mighty and the unruly. 

The Loyalty of an Elephant towards His Blind Mother

The Loyalty of an Elephant towards His Blind Mother

From the Matriposhaka Jataka, Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

          Once the Bodhisattva was born as a white elephant.  One day a hunter was lost in the jungle where the white elephant lived. The elephant took the hunter back to his village. The hunter, instead of being grateful to the white elephant, thought that he should tell the King of Benaras about the existence of the white elephant and earn a reward from the King. The King sent a few hunters into the jungle. The white elephant was brought to the King's court. A huge crowd had gathered to see the white elephant.  But when the King tried to feed the elephant, it refused all food. The King asked him why he was starving himself. The elephant told the King, " I have a blind mother who cannot eat without me. Then how can I eat without her? She must be starving in the jungle." Hearing the love and affection, sensing his loyalty towards his mother, the King freed the white elephant. Here we see the joy amongst the elephant upon the return of the white elephant. The blind mother elephant is caressing the white elephant. 

           The story is not just about the joy of a family reunion, but it is more about family loyalty. However, loyalty in a positive way. It is about sustaining each other emotionally and financially.  But it is not about hoarding things so as to leave riches for our children. As an old Sanskrit saying goes " why leave riches for a good son? He can earn on his own. Why leave riches for the bad son? He will squander away your hard earned wealth." 

            But like Dhrastraraj we are blinded by our love for our children. For their sake we harm our society and nation without realising that without a strong nation our next generation has no future. While we strengthen our family economically, we weaken our nation.

The Elephant and the Hunter from Shaddanta Jataka Story

The Elephant and the Hunter from Shaddanta Jataka Story

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

             In the Himalaya lived an elephant with six tusks, Shaddanta.  He had two wives. One day he showered his first wife with the flowers of the Sal tree. He also presented her with lotus flowers from a lake. The second wife felt jealous. She vowed to take revenge by being born as Queen of Benaras. 

            As the queen of Benaras she feigned illness. She told the king that she can be cured only if she had the six tusks of Shaddanta.  Hunters were sent to capture him and to bring his tusks. Here we see the hunters around the huge Shaddanta.  He asked them as to purpose of their hunting him down. They told him about the queen's desire. Knowing who she really was and what was her purpose, Shaddanta, the Bodhisattva,  himself cutoff his six tusks with an axe  and gave them to the hunters. When the Queen saw the six tusks, she was full of remorse. For, she remembered Shaddanta, her loving husband from her previous life. She died of grief. 

             At times out of jealousy and anger we do tend to take revenge. But such anger boomerangs on us. Anger kills us and not the person with whom we are angry. Thus, the need to control these two emotions. For they lead to self - destruction. 

            On the other hand, by compassion we can win people over. Like Shaddanta we become a hero. The choice again  is ours. 

Scene from the Simhala Avadana Jataka Story

Scene from the Simhala Avadana Jataka Story

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

               The story of Simhala, the merchant's son, is quite instructive. Simhala sought his father's permission to travel abroad and to establish his business overseas.  But he, along with others, we're shipwrecked on the island of Tamradvipa. The island was inhabited by cannibalistic ogresses who disguised themselves as beautiful women.  Here we see Simhala sitting in a tent with a stunningly beautiful woman, an ogress.  Having lured the shipwrecked merchants, the ogress makes a meal out of them. Seeing their pathetic condition, a Bodhisattva in the form of a flying horse rescues many of the merchants including Simhala.  Simhala comes back home. But an ogress follows him to his Kingdom.  She appears before the King and tells him that Simhala has abandoned her and her child in an island. She asks for justice. Simhala tells the King that she is, in fact, an ogress who should be banished from the kingdom.  The King refuses to do so. At night the ogress invites her other friends from the island. They kill the King and the people. The kingdom is destroyed. 

           Similar story is also found in Homer's Ulysses.  

           The story is a warning about how beautiful ideas creep into a Kingdom,  how these innocuous ideas takeover the kingdom and destroy it. But these ideas are like the  Trojan Horse which we bring into our Kingdom with jubilation and fanfare. Only to realise how these ideas of exclusiveness, of 'we' versus 'them' have eventually torn the fabric of our society and nation. The great destruction by such 'beautiful ideas' leaves the nation desolate and destroyed. Like Simhala we should be discerning enough to banish such 'beautiful ideas' from amongst our midst. 

Mambers of the Public

Mambers of the Public

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

            Besides the Buddhist figures, the Kings and Queens of Jataka stories, the common man also invited the attention of the Ajanta artists.  Since the artists were themselves common man, they had the sympathy for their own fellow beings. Thus, the members of public were drawn with sympathy and care. 

            Here we see two persons who have approached a person in authority. Although the stand with a sense of dignity, they are about to address their problems.  Thus, they are about to supplicate. That they are from a rich class is well depicted from their attire and jewelery.  They may be businessman. 

             The relationship between the political power and the business class is an ancient one. It is a symbiotic relationship.  While the business class oils the politicians, the latter protects the interests of the former. This relationship has been commented upon both by Machievelli and by Chanakya.  

             The Dharmashastras teach that the King is like the father figure,  the citizens like children.  Thus, it is the duty of the King to look after the interest of the people.  But this has rarely been done in history. The common man is merely the subject of political speeches, but not the subject of our policies.  He is like the prayer beads which we twirl for our personal gains. It is only the artist who can capture the agony and the extacy of the common man.  The political class is oblivious of their pain and pleasure. The political climate may warm up, like the global climate,  but it doesn't reinvent itself into something new.

Queen Shivali from the Mahajanak Jataka

Queen Shivali from the Mahajanak Jataka

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

           Besides painting innumerable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Ajanta artists have left a variety of sensuous women. Queen Sivali is certainly one of them. Young, voluptuous,  bejewelled, half nude, she is the ideal of feminine beauty in Indian art. Since women were seen as representing the Nature, they had to be well endowed in their beauty. Queen Sivali belongs to the category of Yakshini  ( the fertility goddess ). 

            But the queen is not free from the pangs of life. Her husband, King Mahajanak of Mithla, has just announced his intention to abdicate the throne and to take Sanyas  ( to renounce the world and to become a buddhist monk). The Queen is perplexed by the decision.  Her well kept hair are becoming dishevelled;  her string of pearls has started swaying as she takes deep breath (notice the two pearl strings in front of her stomach ). She looks at her husband in half disbelief. 

             Life can be uncertain at the best  of the times. Sorrow can come suddenly.  The cheeze can be moved without any notice. Even the rich and the beautiful, even the powerful and regal are subject to the whims and caprice of life and Time.

Lord Indra with His Entourage

Lord Indra with His Entourage

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

           As Buddhism spread it enveloped the Vedic Gods in its pantheon. But the mighty Vedic Gods were reduced to the status of guardians and door keepers. The Buddha and the Bodhisattvas held an exhaulted position than the Hindu Gods. From the 2nd century BCE to 6th Century CE Hinduism waned in India. 

           Here we see Lord Indra flying with his entourage of Apsaras ( divine dancers) and Gandharvas ( divine musicians ). The rippling effect in blue colors are the monsoon clouds. When the monsoon finally arrives, after the hot summer, it comes with cool breeze, like soothing music, and with dancing clouds. It just  not only brings the rains, but  more importantly ushers in joy and celebrations.  The monsoon season is the season of love and fun, of celebration and bliss. Lord Indra, as the God of rain, could not be ignored even by the Buddhist.  He is a god of Nature. 

           The monsoon has attracted the imagination of the Indian artists. Kalidas, the most  famous Indian writer in Sanskrit literature, composed Meghadoot  ( the Cloud Messenger), and celebrated the beauty of monsoon. Other poets, like Keshavdas,  have written about the monsoon in their poems on Barahmasa  ( the Twelve months ). To the Kangra painters the dark bulbous clouds were a symbol of the force of love and passion which brooks no bound. 

           Today we speak about the different kinds of clouds, but now the clouds are dry and drifting. The romantic notion, the idea about resurrection of life has been drained out. Caged in glass and concrete we are losing touch with the beauty of Nature. The great Vedic Gods are a forgotten lot in Post - modern society.

The Monkey and the Buffalo

The Monkey and the Buffalo

 Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

          Jataka stories contained lots of wisdom in the form of folklore.  Here is the story of a mischievous monkey who would close the eyes of a buffalo who was a Bodhisattva. The monkey would play with him all day. One day another buffalo stood in place of the kind buffalo. The monkey mistook him to be the kind buffalo.  He closed the eyes of the buffalo.  The buffalo was enraged. He threw the monkey down and gorged him to death. 

           The fable is both about compassion and anger. It is also about genuine gurus and fake ones. We get entangled with fake gurus and are gorged to death. It is also about trusting and not trusting the people. One should be careful in choosing the right kind of friends. A wrong company can lead to injury and death. 

          Through simple stories complex messages were given to the common man. The stories are relevant even today as they contain the wisdom of ages. 

Dancers and Musicians

Dancers and Musicians

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

            Dance has an ancient ancestry in India. Said to originate from Lord Shiva,  it is a sacred art which began in the temples and ended in the market.  The "Dancing Girl " from Indus Valley Civilisation  (2500 BCE) is the first glimpse of this art form in India.  In 2nd Century BCE  Bharat Muni is said to have written the first book on Dramatology called the Bharat Natya Shastra.  He dealt extensively with dance. 

            Dance is an expression of joy, of love, of celebration.  It is part of human nature. The movement of the body frees the mind from its captivity and releases myriad energies. According to the Darwishes it is a medium of communication with God. 

           To the Indian dancer, dance is a form of worship  where the dancer surrenders himself/ herself to the diety.  It is a sublime prayer. 

            But here we see a court dancer entertaining King Mahajanak in a Jataka story. While the dancer sways to the music of flutes, drums and cymbals, the ladies orchestra plays on. Although stitched clothes were an exception in ancient India,  but here the dancer is in a tunic. Surprisingly the musicians are all women. This painting is a testimony of the talents of our women and of the liberal attitude of the society to permit women to learn music. 

            But slowly the classical dance and music are fading away, just the way this painting has faded away.