15. Maya retires to the acoka-wood

Then queen Maya rose up from her splendidcouch, wearing ornements and soft garments, cheerful in mind and body, filled with joy,

vitality and contentment, and surrounded and followed by her company of women she descended from the top of the magnificent palace and betook herself to the acoka-wood. As soon as she had entered it, as she wished, she dispatched a messenger to king Cuddhodana: "May it please your majesty to come, the queen desires to see you." (55: 11).

On the right is seen the palace just vacated by the queen, crowned with the tri,cula motif; on both sides are sitting guards with a tree in the background. On the left, stands the queen just arrived at the first tree of the acoka-wood, her women following. One kneels with an umbrella, a second holds up a mirror, two others carry the fly-whisks. Beneath the tree three figures are kneeling; both those behind are servants, the front one is much damaged but to see by the headdress it was a man. He puts his hands respectfully on the ground in front of him and the queen is evidently turning towards him; so he must be the messenger who is to take the message to the king.