The Indian Buddhist Iconography
by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya | 1958 | 51,392 words | ISBN-10: 8173053138 | ISBN-13: 9788173053139
This page contains an iconography image of Emanations of Akshobhya: Paramashva “great horse” and represents figure 132 of the book Indian Buddhist Iconography, based on extracts of the Sadhanamala English translation. These plates and illustrations represent either photographs of sculptures or line-drawing reproductions of paintings or other representations of Buddhist artwork.
Figure 132 - Emanations of Akṣobhya: Paramāśva “great horse”
Figure 132: Paramāśva
It has already been said that Paramāśva “Great Horse” is another form of Hayagrīva “Horse-Neck” as the word “aśva” in Paramāśva indicates. In the Sādhana it is said that he should have four faces, but in reality he has seven faces, for one of his faces is said to be Brahmamukha, or the face of Brahmā, who is credited with four faces. The other peculiar feature of this god is that he has four legs, each trampling upon two deities.
Fig. 132 illustrates a Nepalese drawing of the deity Paramāśva. In the picture the horse-head is noteworthy, which also occurs in the case of another god, Hayagrīva.
Faces: four
Arms: eight;
Legs: four;
Vāhana: four gods and four goddess;