98. The gods bathe the Buddha with perfumed water

Then when the week was past, the Kamavacara gods sons took ten thousand vases of perfumed water and came to where the Tathagata was, also the Rupavacara gods sons came with ten thousand vases of perfumed water. When they had come there, they bathed the Bodhi-tree and the Tathagata with perfumed water.

With thousands of jewel-pots and all kinds of perfumed water did the company of gods bathe the Friend of the world who had attained with tenfold powers the perfection of the virtues; and from all sides ten thousand koti's of gods in company of ten thousand apsaras honored him with thousands of instruments of music, in an incomparable way. (369: 12; 376: 17).

The Buddha in bhumisparga-mudra still sits on his throne that again has the makara-ornement; the tree is now reduced to very small dimensions. The gods stand right and left; the front one on each side holds up with both hands a vase with a spout to water the Buddha and the tree. A few of the other gods also hold vases, without spouts, and of the ordinary gendi-shape. Behind the gods, on the extreme right and left, stand some apsaras with flowers and gifts of honor but without any music instruments. In the prose portion from which the first quotation is made, the apsaras are not mentioned at all, the verses of the second passage speak of them, as is seen, but very casually. The two quotations are separated by what follows on the next relief.