Nāga Muchalinda Episode

[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: Muchalinda Episode]

Story:-

The episode of Nāga Muchalinda occurred in the sixth week after Enlightenment when Buddha’s safety was threatened by the storm of hurricane proportions. Oblivious to everything around him Buddha sat cross-legged in deep contemplation. Buddha was, however, unmoved and rains continued to pelt him for seven days and cold wind continued. Then the nāga king Muchalinda emerged from his realm. The incident occurred on the bank of the Nairanjanā at Uruvilva.

From the biographical texts it is known that the serpent king Muchalinda enveloped the body of the Blessed one seven times with its coils and kept his long hood spread over the Master’s head protecting him for seven days. He thought that ‘May no coldness touch the Blessed One’. The story of Muchalinda is given in Mahāvagga^[1], Nidānakathā^[2], Lalitavistara^[3] and Mahāvastu^[4].

Depiction:-

The Nāga Muchalinda episode found beautiful representations on different architectural components of the Amarāvatī stūpas.

In this regard mention may be made of a composition on a drum slab from Amarāvatī preserved in the British Museum. Here we witness Buddha sitting in paryaṅkāsana over the coils of Nāga Muchalinda. The halo behind Buddha’s head is surrounded by semi-circle of seven hoods beyond which is another circle of thirteen additional hoods. The left hand rests on the lap and the right in the vyakhāyana mudrā or gesture of exposition. Two male nāga adorants with flywhisks flank Buddha^[5]. The exquisite ornamental details of the drum slab enhance the beauty of the relief.(Pl 23c)

Another variation of the theme is viewed on another drum slab preserved in the British Museum. Here Buddha is represented symbolically by foot prints. These appear to be enclosed in a cylinder formed by the coils of nāga. It should be noted that while the coils may be of nāga, no hoods are provided. Here the idea of protection is not emphasized. The anthropomorphic figure behind with hands in anjali mudrā and his head surrounded by a polycephalous hood may be identified as the serpent king. It may be noted that according to Lalitavistara in the fifth week after Enlightenment Buddha visited the palace of Muchalinda. Four males with nāga hoods and five kneeling women in front adore Buddha and the scene is clearly the royal mansion and not the storm tossed site^[6]. This is a unique visual version of the theme where the scene juxtaposes two different episodes associated with the event. The relief shows a great advance in respect of compositional coherence and evokes admiration for this art.

Another fragmentary drumslab from Amarāvatī housed in the archaeological Museum, Amarāvatī depicts a miniature stūpa where the worship of Nāgarāja Muchalinda is shown in the centre. Two worshippers below the nāga are visible with folded hands. A partially visible chhatra above the nāga’s hood symbolizes the Master’s presence^[7]. In Buddhism Nagās were regarded as tutelary deity and considered to be subordinate and attend on Buddha. The above depiction of Nāga Muchalinda may signify this aspect.

Beautiful representations of Nāga Muchalinda is found in Nāgārjunakoṇḍa and several art centres of the Amarāvatī repertoire.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Davids R.W Rhys and Oldenberg Hermann, 1974, Op.cit, pp 80-81

[2]:

Davids T. W. Rhys, 1972, Op.cit, p 204.

[3]:

Goswami Bijoya, Op.cit, pp 345-346

[4]:

Law B.C, 1930, A study of the Mahavastu, Calcutta, p 153.

[5]:

Knox Robert, Op.cit, pp 132-136, fig 70.

[6]:

Ibid, pp 150-154, fig 78

[7]:

Acc 249, Limestone, Measurement, 110 X 100 X 18 cm, Archaeological Museum, Amaravati, Archaeological Survey of India.