Message from Barhut Jataka Labels

Summary

The Barhut Jataka carvings feature thirty-two surviving labels attached to scenes depicting episodes from the Bodhisattva’s previous lives. These labels either name complete Birth-stories (e.g., Maghadeviya-Jataka, Isimiga-Jataka, Bhojaja-Jataka), specific episodes, or principal actors (e.g., "The episode of Kandari and Kinnarad," "The Jataka-episode of the Cat and the Cock"). Some labels reference moral verses (e.g., Yam-brahmansa-avayesi-Jataka) or describe actions (e.g., "The drawing of water in a Jataka-scene"). Others characterize scenes by external associations, such as "A woodland shrine in an animal feeding-ground" or "At the watery lake." The labels provide unique insights, as later Buddhist sites like Bodh-Gaya or Sanchi lack such inscriptions. This practice persists in Burma, where descriptive labels accompany Jataka carvings at Shwe Dagon Pagoda and Pagan. Discrepancies exist between labels and depicted scenes; for instance, a carving showing the birth of Isimiga or Rsyasmga from a doe is only an introductory episode of the Isimimgiya-Jataka. Similar inconsistencies suggest artistic adaptations, such as the separation of episodes into distinct Jatakas (e.g., Alambuss and Nalinika) or the inclusion of interludes (e.g., Kandari-Kinnarad as part of the Tesakuga Jataka). The total number of Jatakas fluctuated historically, counted as 500 before Fa-Hian’s 5th-century visit and later standardized at 550 by Buddhaghoga. The