Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

ELEVEN-HEADED AVALOKITEŚVARA FROM KANHERI

Author(s): Shobhana Gokhale
Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 68, No. 1/4, RAMAKRISHNA
GOPAL BHANDARKAR 150TH BIRTH-ANNIVERSARY VOLUME (1987), pp. 371-376
Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
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 ELEVEN-HEADED AVALOKITESVARA FROM KANHERI

By

Shobhana Gokhale

Kanheri,otherwise orKrsnasailainancientinscriptions,
knownas Krsnagiri
is 10 km fromBorivli,a suburbof metropolitan Bombay. Kanheriis not far
fromtheancientrichtradecentresof Sopara,Kalyanand Chaula. Thereare more
thanhundredcaves at Kanheri. It is the only rock-cutmonasteryin western
a dininghall, and a lecture
India wherebesides rows of cells, water-cisterns,
hall, thereis a burial -
gallery Nirvanavithi. The of art form9
multiplicity
and important Brãhmlinscriptions in the history
have made this site significant
ofwesternIndiancaves. All theseindicatethat a huge brotherhood must have
livedat Kanheri.

The remarkableculturalactivityat Kanheriwas sustainedthroughthe

dynastiesof the Sätavähanas, Traikütakas,Väkätakas, Râstrakûtas,and the
Silãharas,i. e. from2nd centuryA. D. to 1000 A. D.
The unique eleven-headed imageof Avalokitesvarais in in cave No. 41.
It is locatedin a nicheto therightof the entranceof the cave. It is in high
relief,standsbesideAmitäbha,whois seatedin Padmãsanapose. The measure-
mentsof eleven-headed Avalokitesvaraare :

height ... ... 145 c. m.

breadth 37 c. m.
heightof eleven heads 32 c. m.
breadthof eleven heads 21 c. m.
each individualhead 8 x 8 c. m.

Insteadof one imageof AmitäbhaBuddhawhichis usuallyfoundin the tapering

head-dressof Avalokitesvara,tenadditionalfacesin threetiersare piled over the
headand theimageis havingfourhands. Each of theelevenfaceshas a crown.
Avalokitesvara holdsa lotusbud witha longstalkin hislefthand. Anotherleft
handholdsa bottle. It maybe a replacement of kamatydalu.Righthand is In
Abhayamudrä and holdsa There
rosary. are neck-lace,mnghat%%
ear-rings, dhoti
and ornaments aroundthewaist. Feet are in brokencondition. Generallythe
ImageIs datedto 6thcenturyA. D.

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Ì1 2 ABORÌ i R. G. BhandarkarISOth Birth-Anniversary
Volume

The image of eleven-headedAvalokitesvaraat Kanheriis a singular

sculptureof its kind whichshows a superb illustrationof the imaginationof
learnedBuddhistphilosophersat Kanheriand the exquisiteskill of the then
artists.
thisuniquepiece it is necessaryto make a close study
1. To interpret
of theculturalenvironment
of Kanheri.
2. One has to take into considerationthe contemporary awe-inspiring
áaivite excavationsat Elephaqta and the vigorous artisticdevelopmentsat
Jogesvari.
3. India's culturalcontactswithCentralAsia and China.
In WesternIndian cave-sitesKanheriis the only site that illustratesa
goodmeasureofvariousstages negotiatedin the historyof politicalpowerand
trade. In the2ndcenturyA. D. withtheprosperity of tradeand the patronage
oftheSãtavãhanãs, Buddhismhad its firmfoundation. Recently1the English
of theTibetantext of the versesof Nägärjuna's letterto Gautaml-
translation
putraSãtakarniis published. From that letterit appears that Gautamïputra
mighthave embracedBuddhism. Who was this Sãtavãhana ruler? It is
to confirm
difficult thenameof theking.
About the 5th centurythe Mahãyãna activitiesresumedvigorouslyat
Kanheri. Avalokitesvara,theBodhisattvaof compassion,was thepopularsubject
at Kanheri.As Kanheriis locatedon bothsea and inlandtraderoutesit serveda
refugefortradersas wellas an abodeformonks#
The scholasticactivitieswerealso growingdynamicallyat Kanheri, The
newly discoveredepitaphs2recordthe names of teachers of high religious
achievements.Theynotonlythrowlighton ancientBuddhistmonasticinstitu-
tionsbutalso theygiveevidenceforthefirsttimeof teachers* in western
tradition
India. This traditioncontinuedeven in the early Rästrakütaperiod. The
Kanheriinscriptionof Pullasakti3who was a feudatoryof AmoghavarsaI
recordsa donationto the Buddhistvihãra at Kanheri,a part of whichwas
utilized for purchasingbooks. Taking into considerationthis educational
traditionand theadventoftheMahãyãnasect,itcouldbe surmised thattheremust
have been Buddhistscholars who were on
authorities theMahãyãnatextssuchas

1. LozangJamspal, Santina,1983.NgawaugSamtenChophel, PeterDelia Nüg*

letter
ârjuna'ê to kiogGautamiputra.
2. Gokhale Shobhana, 1985.The memorialStmpaGalleryat Kanheriin Indian
Epigraphyi itsBearingontheHistory M. Asher,G. S. Gai.pp.65-59.
ofArt, Eds.Frederic
3. West. oftheBombay
E. W, 1862.Journal Branchof the RoyalAsiaticSociety
Vol.VI, P#8.

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 Gokhale : Eleven-headedAvalokiteévarafrom Kanheri ill

Sukhavativyüha ,4 Amitãyur-Dhyãnasutra^ Dasabhümisütra6 etc. The wholeof

Mahayana-sütra devotedto the BodhisattvaAvalokitesvarawho refusesto
is
assumeBuddhahooduntilall beingsare rescued. Avalokitesvara 's one and the
onlytask is to bringthe doctrineof salvationto all beingsand help sufferers.
He is closelyrelatedto theBuddhaAmitãbha- Lord of Blessedland of bliss in
thewest. Surprisingly thewholesculpturalrepresentationof Amitãbha-Buddha
and Eleven-headedAvalokitesvarais in the westerncornerof the cave. The
subjectmatterof Dasabhümisütra is a discourseon the ten steps by which
Buddhahoodmay be attained. Gunakãranda vyuha7 describesAvalokitesvara
as Ekãdasasirsa. It may be a conversionof the elevenviolentgods of the
Vedicage - theEkâdaéa Rudra of Brahmanism.

As suggestedby Spink8the ¿aivite caves at Jogesvariand Elephanta

mighthave beenexcavatedby thecraftsmen trainedduringtheVãkãtaka regime.
The eight-headedSiva image fromParel belongsto this period. The learned
Buddhistscholarsmighthave invitedthosecraftsmen at Kanheri. The image of
eleven-headedAvalokitesvaraat Kanheriis the singularsculptureof its kind
whichshowsa superbillustrationof the imagination of learnedBuddhistscho-
larsand theexquisiteskillof thethenartists.

AnothersignificantevidencefromKanheriwhichhas important bearing

on the interpretationof the eleven-headed
image is the worshipof Dasabali
Buddhaat Kanheri. There are remainsof brick Stüpa in frontof the main
chaityaat Kanheri. The copperplatesof the Traikütakas9( K. 245-494-95 A.
D. ) foundin theStupa recordtheconstruction
of theChaityamadeof stone and
brickin the name of Dasabali Buddha,by a monk named BuddhasrI,son of
PusyavarmanwhohailedfromSindhudesa.

The earliestevidenceof epigraphicalrecordof Dasabali is fromNãgãr-

junikonda.10The Devanimori11 stonecasket inscription
of early thirdcentury

4. Vaidya, P. L., 1961.

Mahãyãnasiitrasangraha Vol.1,pp.221-253.
5. MaxMüller F., 1894.Buddhist Mahãyãnasfitra, SacredBoohofEastVol.XLIX
Amitayur-Dhyanasütra Trans,byTakakusu p. 197.
6. Wioternitz, M.,1972.History ofSanskrit LiteratureVol.11,p. 327(Reprint).
7. VaidyaP. L. - Op.cit.pp.254-257.
8. Walter Spink.1968. " Monuments oftheEarlyKalachuri period Journal of
, Vol.XLVI,p. 263.
IììdianHistory
9. Burgess J. 1976.Bhagwanlal Indraji,1976.Inscriptionsfromcavetemples of
India, withDescriptive
Western notes( Reprint
), p. 69.
10. SiroarD. C. SelectInscriptions Bearingon IndianHistoryand Civilization
1965,p. 233.
11, Op,cit*,p. 519.

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374 ABORl : Ä. G. Bhandarkar150thBirth-AnniversaryVolume

ofa chaityain thenameof Dasabali. The thirdevidence

recordstheconstruction
ofToramãna( 500 A. D.) fromPunjab, W. Pakistan.12
is fromtheinscription
recordsDasabali but the monkwho constructed
The Kanheriinscription Chaitya
in the name of Dasabali hailed fromSindhudesa. It is interesting to note
thatstupasin thenameof Dasabali werebuilt in Andhracountrywhichhas the
originof Mahãyãna sect. The conceptof buildingof Stupa in the name of
Dasabali Buddha travelledalong the trade-routebut the eleven-headedimage
ofAvalokitesvaraat Kanheriwith|Dasabali in the head-dressis a masterpiece
of Buddhisticonography.Highlyintellectualisedspiritualexperience
of Dasabali
Buddhais beautifullytransformedintosculpture.

The tenpowersof theBuddha are beautifullydescribedin Majjhimani-

käya13in theSimhanãdasutta.

Theyare as follows:
1) -
Sthãnãsthãnabalam Knowledgeof correctand
faultyconclusions.
2) KarmavipãkaSanabalam- Resultof one's actions.
3) -
Sabbatthagãminipatipadã Knowledgeof everything
underall circumstances.
4) Nãnãdhãtunanabalam Diversityof specific
experiences.
5) Nãnãdhimuktinanabalam Diversityof disposition.
6) Sarvadhyãnavimoksa Knowledgeof meditation
with
Samãdhinanabalam its different
stages.
7) Purvãnusmrti- Knowledgeof one's former
-ñanabalam. stateof existence.
8) Indriyaparã- Knowledgeof whatgoes on in the
parananabalam. senses& intentions
of others.
9) Cityutpattiñanabalam Knowledgeof thoughts.

10) Ãsavakhayananabalam Freedomfromdepravities.

Four qualities of the Buddha
1) Äsabhathäna. EminentQualities.
2) Abhaya, ... Confidence.

12. Op.cit. p. 422.

Majhimat
13. BapatP. V., 1959, i} Nalanda,p. 98.
ikayapal

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 Gokhale : Eleven-headedAvalokiteévarafrom Kanheri 375

3) Vesãrajja ... highestknowledge.

4) Khema. ... Tranquillity.
The MahävänasütrasafigrahaMgives ten powers of Bo<lhIšattva a
follows.
1) Adhimuktibalam - Faith
2) Pratisamkayãnabalam = Powerof computation
3) Bhãvabalam. = Powerof Self-culture
4) Patibhãnabalam = Illumination
5) Patipattibalam =» Properbehaviour
6) Samãdhibalam = Powerof Concentration
7) Punyabalam = Powerof merit
8) Ksantibalam - Power of forbearance
9) Jnãnabalam. = Powerof knowledge
10) Prahãnabalam = Powerin abandoning
The learnedmonksof Kanheriincorporated the classic ideas of literature
and directedthehighlyskilledartisansto make graphicillustrationof the sculp-
ture of Avalokitesvara. Taking into considerationinscriptionaland sculptural
supportingevidenceit be
maylogically interpreted that theten heads of Avaloki-
tesvaraat Kanherirepresentthe ten powersof the Bodhisattvaand the four
hands naturallyhis additionalqualities. As Avalokitesvararefusedto assume
Buddhahooduntil all beings are rescued,he is shownas an attendantof
AmitãbhaBuddha.
The thirdpointwhichis to be taken into consideration is Sino-Indian
Communication whichwas nurturedby the visits of Fa-hein and Hiuen Tsang
duringthistime.
This obsolete type of Ekãdasamukha Avalokitesvarai. e. Eleven-
facedkuan-yinwas popularin China in the late 7th and 8th centuries. While
discussingA colossal Eleven-facedKuanyin of the Tiang Dynasty, Sherman15
Lee and Wai-kam-Hohave shownthat Eleven-facedKuan-yinwas popularin
China. Theyhave remarked" The canonicalworksor copiesof icons imported
fromIndiaseemto havebeentheonlylogicalmeans by whichthe Chinesewere
introducedto thisdeity He has furtherpointedout that the earliestand only
existingrepresentationof the Eleven-facedone in India is fromKanheri. The
earliestcompleteiconographie descriptionof the Eleven-facedKuan-yinoccurs
in a SanskritSütratranslatedintoChineseby Yasoguptain 561-577 A. D. i. e.
Avalokiteévara-Ekâdasamukha-Dhãrani.A second condensedversionfrom

14. VaidyaP. L., Op.cit.,p. 333.

15? ShermanLee,Wai-kam ASh4W,Vol»XXII,pp.121-1^6.
Ho,1959.Artibm

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376 ÂBORI' AnniversaryVolume
R* G. Bhandarkar160thBirth*

thesame Sanskritoriginwas translated by Atiguptain 653 A. D. i. e. Ekãduia -

mukhardhimantra-hrdayasútra . The thirdwas made only twoyearslaterby
thegreatChinesetravellerHiuen-Tsang. The authorshave taken a comprehen-
sive reviewof all imagesof eleven-headed
AvalokitesvaraavailableinChinaalong
withvariousinterpretations. Shermanlee and Wai-kam-Ho have pointedout :
" In ChinatheSutrasgivefulldescription oftheimage.Theearliesttrans-
lationof the AvalokitesvaraEkãdasamukhadharani by Yasogupta (561-577
A.D.) gives the full iconographie requirements The body is one footand
threeinchestall withelevenheads. The threefacesthatface forward are Bodhi-
sattvas; thethreefaceson theleftside are to be givenangryfaces and the three
faces on the rightshouldbe given faces resembling thoseof Bodhisattvasbut
withcaninetusksprojecting upwards. On the rear is anotherhead whichmust
be represented laughingout loud,and on thetop of themainhead is still another
whichmustbe a Buddhaface. He holdsa washingbottle( kundika) in his left
handfromthemouthof whicha lotus flowerprojects,and he extendshis right
handgraspinghis pendantchainsof jewelsand makestheAbhaya-mudrã.Subse-
quenttranslations, describingthedeityare in exact agreementwith this descrip-
tion. Thereare, however, different
interpretationsof theelevenfacesof thedeity:
" One sourcepointsout that ten of the faces are representations of the ten
bhümisor grounds,of thefundamental causes whichlead to Buddhahood,repre-
sentedby thesingleface on the top. AnotherDharani devotedto this Bodhi-
sattva specifiesthatthe threepeacefulfaces representthe virtueof the Great
Void ( Šúnya), threeangryfaces,thevirtueof theGreatwisdom( Prajnã ) and
the threefaces with caninetusks, the virtueof Great Compassion( karu'iä )
and finallythetop face signifiesthe non-differentiated entityof compassionand
wisdom. Withthisperfectcombination of thethreeviruesto answerthe prayers
ofall livingbeings,theEleven-facedKuan-yinis able to granthis believers,who
invokehisname,thetenvictoriesoverall themajorcauses forfearsand suffering,
as wellas the" fourrewards" whichincluderebirth in thewesternparadise

Unfortunately,The Dharani Sütras16 which describedEleven-headed

Avalokitesvaraweretakento Chinaby Buddhistmonksand this formof Avalo-
kitesvarabecamepopularin Chinaso muchso that the image is variouslyinter-
preted,whereasin Indiabecauseof theloss of literary theimageremain-
tradition
ed in isolation. The Mahäyänasütrasangrahadoes not provideany detailed
of theimageof Eleven-headed
description Avalokitesvara. There are remainsof
paintingon thefacesof imageof Avalokitesvara at Kanheri. Possiblythepainted
facesmighthaveindicatedthe Great Void, Great wisdomand Compassion.

16. NanjoB. 1883.A Catalogue of BuddhistTripi-

of theChineseTranslation
taha,OxfordNo. 124,136,327.

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