該頭像眼窩、臉頰凹陷,呈現悉達多太子修苦行時極度消瘦又堅毅的面貌。高圓肉髻,波狀卷髮。眉間有白毫,因過分瘦削,額上暴露的青筋從白毫以上形成「v」形,宛如放光貌。鼻梁有磨損,嘴角稍下垂,雙頰凹陷有粗大的鑿痕,下巴短薄。脖頸肌肉隆起,突顯喉部的骨架。 

The Ascetic Sakyamuni depicts Prince Siddhartha as he looked during his period of asceticism, surviving on a greatly reduced diet. The sculptor has captured in careful detail the prince's malnourished state, with sunken eyes and cheeks, and veins standing out on the forehead. Other features foreshadowing his future enlightened state are also included, such as the wavy hair, usnisa, and urna. The down-turned mouth indicates his resolution. Beneath the jaw the skin is stretched over the neck to clearly reveal the muscles, tendons; and bones beneath. Rough incisions on the back of the head suggest that it may once have been connected to a nimbus.