At that time there lived in Benares in the deer-park at Rsipatana, five hundred Pratyckabuddha's. On hearing these words, they rose to the height of seven tala-trees in the air, and reaching the kingdom of fire, they were extinguished like meteors ( 18: I I, 20).

Below, on the left, we see by the two gazelles couched under the trees, that the deerpark at Benares is meant; above this the gods sons are descending from the air to announce the coming of the Buddha to the Pratyekabuddha's. These are seated, three of them, in dhyanamudra, each on a lotus-cushion beneath a tree, they look just like ordinary Buddha's. A fourth, quite to the right, has already risen from his lotus-cushion and is ascending to reach the nirvana. Pleyte's observation (on p. 10) that the three objects on the right hand of the still-seated Pratyekabuddha's, i. e. a plant without flower, a plant in bloom, and a lighted lamp, may have some relation to the three yana's, viz. the Cravaka's, Pratyekabuddha's and Bodhisattva's, is not acceptable seeing that the text as well as the relief shew that the persons in question are exclusively Pratyekabuddha's and not Cravaka's or Bodhisattva's.

The Bodhisattva now takes into consideration the time, the part of the world, the country and family into which he shall be born. The last question is also discussed by the gods sons and the Bodhisattva's and they request the Bodhisattva that it may be as the son of king Cuddhodana and queen Maya. It is not impossible that this discussion is depicted on the next relief; because otherwise the 4th chapt. of the Lalitavistara would not be represented on any relief.