Panthaka the Arhat

Bhadraka the Venerable is traditionally said to have been a crown prince of the Parthian Kingdom who renounced his royal inheritance to pursue the monastic path, ultimately attaining the fruition of an Arhat. Diligent in practice, he would frequently stretch his arms during seated meditation; legend holds that his upward-reaching gesture could support sacred implements—and also resembled plucking stars and the moon from the heavens, embodying an air of transcendent elegance and ease. Later sculptural traditions captured this distinctive outstretched-arm pose, earning him the epithet 'Panthaka the Arhat' (the 'Hand-Extending Arhat'). He and his younger brother Chudapanthaka were both disciples personally guided to enlightenment by the Buddha. Though the brothers differed markedly—one exceptionally gifted, the other slow-witted—both attained sainthood, illustrating the Buddhist principle that no sincere aspirant is ever rejected, and that persistent, earnest effort inevitably bears fruit.