Flames emanating from shoulders and water from the feet of the Buddha during Miracle of
Saravasti. The miracle of fire water at Saravasti, 3rd century CE, grey schist, Lahore Museum,
Lahore.
Descent from the Tayastrimasas Heaven
The queen Maya was reborn as a Deva (god) after her death in the Trayastrimsas, a heaven of
thirty three gods. Buddha went there to preach his doctrine to Deva with other gods. It happened
after the great miracle at Saravasti. After the Performance Buddha came down by a triple ladder,
accompanying the gods Indra and Brahma. The side of this miracle was sankaskya in Uttar
Pardesh, India. Peshawar Museum, Peshawar.
Buddha was presented his image carved in Sandal wood by the King of Udayana. The Buddha
disliked the idea and did not allow worship of his image as it was against his teaching. Lahore
Museum, Lahore.
The king Naga Apalala and his wife were living in a pool in Suvastu river. They were used to
and fond of floods periodically while the inhabitants of swat were sick of it, so they requested
Buddha to get them rid of it. The Buddha ordered Yaksha to block the water sources with rocks
in the mountain for their safety from floods. The act terrified the king Naga who also went to
Buddha, requesting for floods, as his living was linked to the flood water. Hence Buddha allowed
a flood after an interval of twenty years, so he could get his food to subsist. The name swat is
derived from the word “Savastu”. Taxila Museum, Taxila.
Offering scene –renunciation of Nanda, there are two figures scaled in the door way. Nanda
(One of the Shakyamuni Buddha’s Ten Great Disciples) is shown presenting a bowl to Buddha.
The Green schist high relief panel is specimen of an excellent craftsmanship from Nimogram,
Swat Museum, Swat
The nursing of the Dead Woman – Peshawar Museum, Peshawar.
There was a king who had many wives. The youngest of all was bearing a child. The senior
wives who were jealous of her con-spired against her. They bribed the palace Brahman to tell the
king that the youngest wife was of ill omen and the child to be born would bring destruction to
the king as well as his kingdom. Thus the terrified king buried her alive in a tomb in order to
escape that destruction. In the previous births the mother and the child had acquired merits. Thus
the child was born to her in the tomb after her death but she was still giving him milk from her
breast. Sudaya, the child, lived for three years in it. One day the wall collapsed and the child
came out of it. He lived in the forest for three more years. The Buddha met the child when he
was on the tour of that area and made him a monk who later converted his own father to the good
law. On the left the Buddha is standing with Vajrapani and the nude child before him with
clasped hands in adoration. Above the child is probably the king who is ador-ingthe Buddha. The
bust of the dead woman can be seen in the open front of the tomb. Her left side is depicting as a
Skelton while the right breast is represented round and full as if that of living woman. The panel
is on display in Peshawar Museum.