Image: Cuirass depicted in Borobudur, Divyavadana reliefs

Description: From N.J. Krom's Barabudur: Archaeological Description Volume I:[1] During the time that the Buddha dwelt in Rajagrha, and in that city king Bimbisara ruled with justice, in the far-distant city of Roruka reigned king Rudrayana, whose rule was no less beneficent. Now there came merchants from Rajagrha with their goods to Roruka; the king was eager to hear news of the land where they came from and the Merchants had many good things to tell about their country and their king. This caused Rudrayana to long for intercourse with Bimbisara, so he gave them a letter and a chest of jewels for their king. The merchants soon returned with a letter from Bimbisara and a chest filled with rich garments. It was now Rudrayana's turn to send a gift and he dispatched his famous cuirass which not only had miraculous powers but was ornemented with priceless jewels. Embarrassed by the magnificence of this present, Bimbisara sought counsel of Buddha who advised him to get his (Buddha’s) likeness painted on to a cloth. The king of Rajagrha is sitting with his spouse, who holds some flowers in her hand, on the right of the relief on a couch under a canopy that rests on pillars. A closed box is under the seat. Next, on the left, in a group are some members of the king’s household, behind whom the umbrella and the peacock-feather fan are set up. The first of the courtiers raises his hands in sembah but holds up something to the king at the same time, something now quite indistinct. The last of the group turns round and holds up both hands to receive the box of jewels offered to him by a kneeling man more to the left. This man wears a beard and with the three just behind him differs from the other figures on the relief by not wearing their hair in the usual high style, as they have only a wreath on their smooth hair, brushed back and twisted together in a knot. As the same style of hairdressing is found on No. 69 on the men who there come to present the cuirass, it may be this has been done to distinguish the men of Rajagrha from those of Roruka, and if only it had been done consistently it would have saved much trouble in explaining the reliefs. From Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher:[2] Plates XXXVII-XL are consecrated to the story of Rudrayana. I. — Cf. pp. 233-4. Judging by their head-dresses, these are Brahmans who have been charged by Rudrayana to bring the precious cuirass, which is about to pass from their hands into those of Bimbisara’s courtiers. And it is clearly a cuirass, without sleeves and closing, it seems, in front.
Title: Cuirass depicted in Borobudur, Divyavadana reliefs
Credit: https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.8725/page/n139/mode/1up
Author: N.J. Krom
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Attribution Required?: No