Usnisa-siraskata in early Buddha images of India
Summary
Focusing on one of the thirty‑two marks of a mahāpuruṣa, this study investigates how the usnisa‑siraskatā – a cranial protuberance or hair knot on the Buddha’s head – was understood and represented in early Indian art. The author reviews references to the mark in Pali texts such as the Mahāpadāna and Lakkhaṇa Suttas, where it is called usnisa‑sisa, and in Sanskrit sources like the Lalitavistara. He surveys scholarly interpretations from Burnouf, Remusat and later writers, noting debates about whether the feature represents a physical protuberance, a topknot of hair or a symbolic flame. Examining Gandhāran and Mathura sculptures, the article describes how early artists portrayed the Buddha either with a cranial bulge covered by hair coils or with a plain topknot, and how these conventions evolved over time. The study also compares the usnisa to similar features on Jina statues, discusses the iconographic significance of hair treatment in Buddhist art, and concludes that artists adapted textual descriptions according to regional styles and doctrinal emphasis.
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Conclusion
By integrating textual analysis with art‑historical evidence, the article elucidates the complex iconography of the usnisa in early Buddhist sculpture. It demonstrates that the feature was variously depicted as a hair coil, bump or flame, reflecting divergent regional traditions and theological interpretations of the Buddha’s superhuman marks.