“Like unto snow and silver, exceeding the glory of the Sun and Moon, a splendid elephant has entered my womb with grace of motion and limbs as firm as diamonds," said the queen. “What can this mean? We must summon learned brahmans to the court who have the ability to interpret this dream and who know the rules of astronomy. Let them come and reveal the truth of it. Then we shall know if it will bring me happiness or if it foretells evil for our race."

Relief 16. Queen Maya summons the king. Queen Maya dispatched a messenger to tell the king that she desired to see him. But when the king attempted to enter the grove he discovered that he was physically unable to do so.

“Never can I recollect, even when leading my soldiers, that I ever felt my own body to be as heavy as now,” said the king to himself. “Incapable of entering the abode of my own family, to whom shall I turn for advise?” In response, some Deva-sons appeared in the air and informed the king that the cause thereof was the presence of the Bodhisattva in Queen Maya’s womb.

Return to: Lalitavistara Reliefs - First Gallery, Southeast walls Panels 1- 15

Relief 17. The queen relates her dream and asks for its interpretation. After heeding the words of the Deva-sons, the king entered the Asoka wood, respectfully gazed at his wife and said:

“What am I to do for thee, what matter is this? Speak!”

“Like unto snow and silver, exceeding the glory of the Sun and Moon, a splendid elephant has entered my womb with grace of motion and limbs as firm as diamonds," said the queen. “What can this mean? We must summon learned brahmans to the court who have the ability to interpret this dream and who know the rules of astronomy. Let them come and reveal the truth of it. Then we shall know if it will bring me happiness or if it foretells evil for our race."

Reliefs 18 and 19. The brahmans interpret the queen’s dream and are rewarded by the king. The king commanded for brahmans to be summoned. As the queen stood before the brahmans, she said: “Like unto snow and silver, exceeding the glory of Sun and Moon, with stately pace and well-built, with six tusks and noble, his limbs as firm as diamond and full of beauty, a splendid elephant has entered my womb. Reveal to me the meaning of this.”

"Behold, a great joy shall befall thee,” said the brahmans upon hearing the queen’s words. “A son shall be born with a body adorned by tokens that will identify him as a worthy descendant of the noble race and a future ruler of the world. If he forsakes love, royal power, and palaces without further thought, he will wander forth out of pity for the whole world and become an Enlightened One who will be honored throughout the three worlds and make the universe glad by means of the marvelous nectar of immortality."

Elated by the news, the king held a banquet in honor of the brahmans, after which he presented his guests with gifts.

Reliefs 20, 21 and 22. The Devas build palaces for the Bodhisattva. Sakra and the Great kings of the cardinal directions appeared before the king and offered to build pavilions to house the Bodhisattva during the queen’s confinement. Through the power of meditation, the Bodhisattva made the queen appear simultaneously in all the palaces.

Any man, woman, boy or girl who was possessed by spirits were instantly cured when they saw the queen. As for those who were suffering from various diseases, the mother of the Bodhisattva would lay her right hand upon their heads and they were immediately cured by her touch.

Reliefs 23 and 24. The distribution of alms and the king takes up the life of a spiritual mendicant. All the Sakyas of Kapilavastu feasted, amused themselves, lives pleasantly, gave gifts and performed meritorious acts, while the king began living the life of a spiritual mendicant (brahmacarin). No longer attending to the affairs of state, he was as perfectly pure as those who retire to the forest of repentance and concerned only with the exercise of the Dharma.

Relief 25. The miracles at Kapilavastu. A total of thirty-two omens took place during the tenth and final month of the queen’s pregnancy. From the slopes of the Himalayas can young lions that paced about the city’s walls and then laid down at the city gates without causing any harm. White elephants arrived to pay their respects to the king and the children of the Devas came to the king’s private apartment to sit in his lap.

Reliefs 26 and 27. Queen Maya departs for Lumbini Park and then bathes in preparation for the Bodhisattva’s birth. When Queen Maya, through the power of the Bodhisattva’s radiance, became aware that the time of his birth was close at hand, she appeared before the king and spoke the following words: “The time has come for me to retire to the pleasure garden. It is the best of seasons, the Spring, when women adorn themselves, when the hum of bees and the song of the cuckoo and peacock is heard, and when flower blossoms spread their clear and radiant glory. Come, give command, let us set off without delay!”

Pleased and light of heart, the king commanded his retinue:

“Make ready a troop of horses, elephants, carriages and attendants, and decorate Lumbini, the place of most perfect quality. Let Queen Maya alone be seated in carriage unaccompanied by any other man or woman. And let women in various garments draw that carriage.”

Relief 28. The birth of the Bodhisattva. After the queen had entered Lumbini Park and had descended from her splendid carriage, she moved from one tree to another until she gradually came to the place where that great jewel of trees the plaksa grew. Moved by the power of the Bodhisattva’s glory, the great tree bowed down and saluted her. Stretching out her right arm like a flash of lightening in the air, she laid hold of a branch of the tree and then gazed up to heaven with her mouth slightly open.

The Bodhisattva, appearing at the end of ten full months, emerging from the right side of his mother’s body, fully formed, in full possession of both memory and knowledge and unsullied by the impurity of the mother’s womb.

Filled with profound reverence, the Devas Brahma and Sakra received the Bodhisattva and wrapped him in a silk garment of gold and silver threads, recognizing and knowing him. When the Bodhisattva descended to the ground, the earth split open and a great lotus rose to receive him. Naga kings showered him with streams of warm and cool water as a heavenly host sprinkled him with perfumed water and flower blossoms. The Bodhisattva placed himself on the lotus and looked towards the four winds.

Without any man’s help, the Bodhisattva took seven steps to the east and said:

“Behold I shall be the first of all dharmas that are the virtuous roots of salvation.”

As he walked, a divine white umbrella and two magnificent fans moved above him in the air unsupported. And at every spot where the bodhisattva set his foot a lotus sprang up to greet it.

Taking seven steps to the south, he said:

“I shall be worthy of the offerings of both Devas and men.”

Then taking seven steps to the west, he exclaimed: “I am the finest in the World, for this is my final birth.”

Taking seven steps to the north, the Great Being said: “I shall be unequaled among all beings.”

The Bodhisattva faced downward, took seven additional steps and proclaimed:

“I will extinguish the fires of hell with the rain of the Great Cloud of Dharma, filling the inhabitants of hell’s realms with great joy.”

Taking seven more steps, as faced the zenith, he said:

“It is on high that I shall be visible to all beings.”

Reliefs 29 and 30. The feast of congratulations and queen Maya’s sister is appointed to care for the Bodhisattva. Various holy men of around India traveled to Kapilavastu to extend to King Suddhodana their good wishes for the health and prosperity of his new born son. Taking the foremost seats at the conclave of brahmans, Sakra and Brahma pronounce verses of congratulation.

Seven days after giving birth, the Bodhisattva’s mother died and was re-born the heaven of the thirty-three Devas. So it has always been with the Bodhisattvas of the past seven days after their final birth.

Although five hundred young Sakya women offered to care for the Bodhisattva, the Elders of the Sakya clan deemed them to be too proud of their youth and beauty to be suitable candidates.

“None other than Mahaprajapati Gautami here, sister of the prince’s mother, is able to bring up the prince in a wholly satisfactory manner,” proclaimed the Sakya women.

Encouraged by their confidence, Mahaprajapati Gautami brought up the young prince, assisted by thirty-two nurses: eight to carry him, another eight to give him milk, eight more to bathe him, and yet another eight to play with him.

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