Arts of the Mauryan Period

Given / Context: The question asks us to critically examine whether sculpture-making in India originated in the Mauryan period.

Answer:

No, the art of making sculptures in India did not begin during the Mauryan period. Evidence of sculptural activity in India goes back much earlier:

1. Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 2500–1500 BCE): Remarkable sculptures such as the famous *bronze 'Dancing Girl'* from Mohenjo-daro, the *'Priest-King'* bust, and numerous terracotta figurines prove that a well-developed sculptural tradition existed long before the Mauryan age.

2. Pre-Mauryan period: Small terracotta figurines and objects have been found at various Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites across the Indian subcontinent, indicating an even older tradition of image-making.

What the Mauryan period contributed:
The Mauryan period (c. 322–185 BCE) marked a significant advancement and refinement of the sculptural tradition. The most notable features of Mauryan sculpture are:
- Use of chunar sandstone with a distinctive high polish (the 'Mauryan polish').
- Construction of monolithic pillars with beautifully carved capitals (e.g., the Lion Capital at Sarnath, now India's national emblem).
- Carving of yaksha and yakshini figures showing great naturalism and volume.
- Beginning of Buddhist symbolic art — the Buddha depicted through symbols like the lotus, chakra, footprints, and stupa.

Conclusion: The Mauryan period represents a high point and a turning point in Indian sculptural art — it gave sculpture a more organised, state-patronised, and monumental character — but it was certainly not the beginning of sculpture-making in India.

Given / Context: The chapter discusses the stupa as a central monument of Buddhist art and architecture.

Significance of the Stupa:

The word *stupa* means a 'heap' or 'mound'. A stupa is a sacred Buddhist monument that holds deep religious and symbolic significance:

1. Relic repository: Stupas were originally built to enshrine the mortal remains (relics) of the Buddha or important Buddhist monks. They thus served as sacred burial mounds.
2. Object of veneration: Devotees circumambulated (walked around) the stupa as an act of worship and reverence — a practice called *pradakshina*.
3. Cosmic symbol: The stupa symbolises the universe — the dome (*anda*) represents the sky or the cosmic egg, the *harmika* (the square railing on top) represents the abode of the gods, and the *chhatra* (umbrella) symbolises royalty and the sacred nature of the Buddha.
4. Centre of Buddhist community life: Stupas became focal points for Buddhist monasteries, pilgrimage, and the spread of the Dharma.

Development of Stupa Architecture:

| Phase | Features |
|---|---|
| Early phase (Mauryan period, 3rd century BCE) | Simple hemispherical mud/brick mounds; plain structure; Emperor Ashoka is said to have built 84,000 stupas across the subcontinent. |
| Later phase (2nd–1st century BCE) | Elaborate additions made — cylindrical drum (*medhi*) added as a base; *pradakshina patha* (circumambulatory path) enclosed with stone railings (*vedika*); ornate gateways (*torans*) added at the four cardinal directions. |
| Sculptural decoration | Railings and torans were richly carved with scenes from the life of the Buddha, Jataka stories, floral and animal motifs. |

Structural components of a developed stupa:
- Anda — the hemispherical dome
- Medhi — the cylindrical drum/base
- Harmika — the square railing on top of the dome
- Chhatra / Chatravali — the umbrella(s) on top
- Vedika — the enclosing railing
- Torana — the ornamental gateway
- Pradakshina patha — the circumambulatory path

Notable examples: Sanchi Stupa (Madhya Pradesh), Bharhut Stupa (Madhya Pradesh), Amaravati Stupa (Andhra Pradesh).

Conclusion: The stupa evolved from a simple burial mound into a highly elaborate and richly decorated architectural and sculptural complex, becoming the most important monument of Buddhist art in India.

Given / Context: The chapter mentions that events from the life of the Buddha were frequently depicted in Buddhist art, particularly on the railings and torans of stupas.

The Four Main Events (and their symbolism):

Although the chapter mentions five key events, the four most universally recognised events depicted in Buddhist art are:

1. Birth (Janma)
- Depiction: The birth of Prince Siddhartha at Lumbini; Queen Maya is shown holding a branch of a tree; the infant is shown taking seven steps, with a lotus blooming under each foot.
- Symbol used: The lotus flower and footprints.
- Symbolism: Represents the arrival of a great being destined to bring liberation to the world; the lotus symbolises purity born out of the mundane world.

2. Renunciation (Mahabhinishkramana)
- Depiction: Prince Siddhartha leaving his palace, family, and royal life in search of truth; often shown as a riderless horse (*Kanthaka*) with an umbrella above, indicating the prince's departure.
- Symbol used: The empty horse or empty throne.
- Symbolism: Represents the rejection of worldly pleasures and the beginning of the spiritual quest; symbolises sacrifice and detachment.

3. Enlightenment (Mahaparinibbana / Nirvana under the Bodhi tree — Sambodhi)
- Depiction: The Buddha seated under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, attaining supreme enlightenment (*Nirvana*).
- Symbol used: The Bodhi tree and the empty seat (throne).
- Symbolism: Represents the attainment of supreme wisdom and liberation from the cycle of birth and death (*samsara*); the central event of Buddhism.

4. The First Sermon — Dhammachakra-Pravartana (Setting the Wheel of Law in Motion)
- Depiction: The Buddha delivering his first sermon at the Deer Park in Sarnath to his five disciples.
- Symbol used: The Dharmachakra (wheel).
- Symbolism: Represents the beginning of the Buddha's teaching mission; the wheel symbolises the eternal and all-encompassing nature of the Dharma (the Law/Truth).

(5. Mahaparinibbana — Liberation/Death)
- Depiction: The Buddha lying on his side, passing away at Kushinagar.
- Symbol used: The stupa itself.
- Symbolism: Represents the final liberation from the cycle of birth and death; the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.

Note: In the early phase of Buddhist art, the Buddha was not depicted in human form. He was represented only through these symbols — footprints, lotus, chakra, Bodhi tree, empty throne, and stupa. This is called aniconic representation. Human depiction of the Buddha began later, in the Kushana period (Gandhara and Mathura schools).

Conclusion: These four/five events form the biographical and spiritual core of Buddhism and their depiction in art served both as a means of narrating the Buddha's life and as a tool for spreading the Buddhist faith among the common people.

Given / Context: The chapter mentions Jataka stories as an important theme for sculptural decoration on Buddhist monuments.

What are the Jatakas?

The Jatakas (from the Pali word *jāta* meaning 'born') are a large collection of stories about the previous lives of the Gautama Buddha. There are 547 Jataka stories in the Pali canon. Each story narrates an incident from one of the Buddha's past lives — in which he appeared as a human being, an animal, or even a divine being — and illustrates a particular moral virtue or Buddhist teaching.

For example:
- In the Chhadanta Jataka, the Bodhisatta (future Buddha) is born as a six-tusked elephant who sacrifices his own tusks out of compassion — symbolising *selfless giving (dana)*.
- In the Sibi Jataka, the Bodhisatta is a king who offers his own flesh to save a dove from a hawk — symbolising *self-sacrifice*.
- In the Ruru Jataka, the Bodhisatta is a golden deer who saves a drowning man — symbolising *compassion and gratitude*.
- In the Vessantara Jataka, the Bodhisatta is a prince who gives away everything he owns, including his family — symbolising the perfection of *generosity*.

How do the Jatakas relate to Buddhism?

1. Doctrine of rebirth: The Jatakas illustrate the Buddhist belief in *samsara* — the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The Buddha himself passed through countless lives before attaining enlightenment.

2. Ten Perfections (Paramitas): Each Jataka story demonstrates one of the ten virtues or perfections (*paramitas*) — such as generosity (*dana*), morality (*sila*), patience (*khanti*), wisdom (*panna*), etc. — that the Bodhisatta cultivated over many lifetimes to become the Buddha.

3. Moral and ethical teaching: The Jatakas served as popular moral fables that conveyed Buddhist ethical values in a simple, story-based format accessible to ordinary people, including those who could not read scriptures.

4. Artistic medium for spreading Dharma: The Jataka stories were carved on the railings and gateways (torans) of stupas at Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati, and Ajanta. Since most people were not literate, these visual narratives served as a powerful medium for religious education and the spread of Buddhism.

5. Connection to the historical Buddha: By showing the Bodhisatta's virtuous deeds across many lives, the Jatakas establish the spiritual credentials of the historical Gautama Buddha and explain why he was worthy of attaining Buddhahood.

Conclusion: The Jatakas are not merely entertaining folk tales — they are a fundamental part of Buddhist literature and art, serving as moral guides, doctrinal illustrations, and a bridge between the common people and the profound teachings of Buddhism. Their depiction in sculpture made Buddhist monuments not just places of worship but also visual libraries of Buddhist wisdom.