Which of the following animals were NOT found on a Mauryan stone pillars?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 i.e. Eagle.
The Four Animals of the Mauryan Pillars
The Ashokan pillars typically featured four specific animals, most famously seen together on the Sarnath Lion Capital (the National Emblem of India). These animals are:
-
Lion: Representing power, royalty, and the "Lion of the Shakyas" (the Buddha).
-
Bull: Symbolizing fertility, strength, and the zodiac sign under which the Buddha was born (Taurus).
-
Elephant: Representing the Buddha’s conception (his mother, Maya, dreamt of a white elephant entering her side).
-
Horse: Representing the Buddha’s departure from his worldly life (Kanthaka, the horse he rode when leaving the palace).
The Eagle (or Garuda) became a prominent symbol later in Indian history, particularly during the Gupta Empire, where it was used as a royal seal because the Guptas were devotees of Vishnu.