101. The naga-king Mucilinda pays homage to the Buddha

Now in the fifth week the Tathagata stayed in the dwelling of the naga-king Mucilinda. In that week as it was very bad weather, the naga-king Mucilinda came out of his habitation and wound round the Tathagata's body seven coils and protected him with his hood: "let no cold winds reach the body of Bhagavan". And from the East came naga-kings in great number and wound round the body of the Tathagata seven coils etc. etc. Then when at the end of the week the naga-kings saw that the bad weather was passed, they unwound their coils from the body of the Tathagata and after honoring his feet with their heads and walking round him three times with their right side turned towards him, they returned each one to his dwelling. Also the naga-king Mucilinda honored the feet of the Tathagata with his head, walked rould him three times with his right side turned towards him and entered his dwelling. (379: 15; 380: 5).

There is no sign on the relief of the principal incident of this episode, that is only possible if the naga's are represented in serpent form, but on the Barabudur they appear only in human shape, merely distinguished from ordinary people by their hood with cobra-heads. The sculptor has made no attempt to do anything more, he omits the protecting of the Buddha and gives only the homage of the serpentking 1). The Buddha sits in a pendapa left on the relief, in vitarkamudra on a weather-worn lotus cushion. On the right, still inside the pendapa, behind the cushion, appears the head and front legs of an elephant, with a little fellow mounted on it and bending over to his left, holding-his right hand above his head, with a flower in his left. Why this small person and the elephant are put there next to the throne, I can't imagine. Outside the pendapa is an incense-burner, behind which Mucilinda is kneeling with his hands on the ground in front of him. Next to him an umbrella is set up, on the right stand his male and female naga-suite, most of them carrying gifts of honor; flowers and a vase are distinctly to be seen, but the large object held by the front one is damaged beyond identification.