Chapter 4: Japanese Buddhist Iconography (a Comparative Study)

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decoration with heavenly garments and princely ornaments.
He
should have an axe and a pot of sweetmeat (modaka) in his
hands and one of his own teeth (Svadanta) in one of his hands.
The Vignudharmottara Ansumadhed agama, the Uttaraka-
muka-qama, the Suprabhedagama, the Rupamandana describes the
god of Brahmanical tradition as four-armed with attributes,
such as, his own teeth (svadanta), wood-apple (Kapittha),
sweetmeat (Modaka), elephant goad (ankuśa), noose (pāsa), snake
(Nāga), rosary (akṣasūtra) and lotus (Padma) etc. A mouse is
mentioned as his mount. His consorts are sometimes mentioned
as Bhāratį (another name of Sarasvati), śrī (Lakṣmī),
Vighneśvarī, Buddhi and Kubuddhi.'
In Brahmanic representations also Gaṇeśa is the
destroyer of all imps and evils and king of obestacles, des-
troyer of obestacles and bestower of success or Siddhidātā.
He is a popular deity among the businessmen of both the
countries, India and Japan.
One standing image of Ganapati from Khiching may be
the first standing image of the type. Here the four-armed
god stands in a slightly bent pose (abhanga) on a beautifully
carved lotus, wearing necklace fitted with bells. He is also
wearing a few other ornaments, holding a rosary and his own
tusk with his right hands and a cup of sweetmeat and an object
which appears indistinct. A snake serves as his sacred thread.
1. DHI, p. 358.