13. Icons of Shakti

Devi-puja or the worship of the female principle was prevalent in India since very ancient times. The Shakti puja was developed in the epic and Puranic periods. Ambika, Uma, Durga, Kali, Mahisa surakardini are the different names and aspects of the central figure of the Sakti cult. The SaptaMatrkas or the Divine Mothers as the Shaktis of Shiva regularly appear from Kusana art. The two Durga stotras occur in the Mahabharata (IV. 6 and VI. 23) and the Aryastave in the 52 Harivamsha (III 3). The description of the exploits and power of the goddess appears in the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana. Her one aspect i. e. Mahisasuramardini in the form of killing the demon had became highly popular throughout the country. The Agni Purana describer Candi, Navacaudika and Candika in Chapter 50. Goddess Candika is to be represented as having twenty hands, ten on the right side and ten on the left side, holding various things such as celestial trident, sword, spear, Cakra, pasa, kheta, Ayodha, Abhaya, Damaru and Sekti in the right hands and in the left hands should be placed Nagapasa, Khataka, axe, Ankusa, bow, bell, banner, Gada, mirror and the Mudgara. The buffalo should be represented below with its head entirely severed and the Asura (demon) should be sculptured as rushing out of that severed neck foaming with rage and brandishing his sword in the air. The goddess is to be represented in a standing posture with her right foot resting

- 225 on the back of the lion and her left on the shoulders of the demon, round whose neck is twisted the serpent noose of the goddess and who is pounced upon by her celestial lion. This image of Candika is to be made as possessing three eyes, fully armed and crushing the enemy of the gods. The images of nine different manifestations of Durga should be made as standing in that particular pose namely AlIdha (the position in shooting in which the right knee is advanced and the left leg is retraced). Camunda should be sculptured as having made a foot stool of the dead body of a man and as possessed of three eyes, sunk in and who has lost all flesh and wearing a tiger's skin. Her left arms hold a spear, a human skull, and her right hands a trident and a small sword. The feminine manifestation of the divine energy, revealed as Rudra-Candika should have eight hands, wielding in them a bow, a kheta, a banner, a human skull, a small sword, a trident and a noose etc., one hand should be in the attitude of Abhaya pose. She should be represented as wearing the skin of an elephant, and her legs should be made to appear as raised up in the attitude of dancing. If she is sculptured in a sitting posture she is known as Mahalakami. According to Matsya Purana Ch. 259, Mahisasuramardini should be represented in Tribhanga sthana, with three eyes, eight hands and a huge bosom; her right hand should be on a lion and her left foot slightly raised, should be on a demon. She is

226 adorned with all sorts of ornaments and holds the usual emblems in her hands. The Bhavisya Purana (Ch. 12) describes Kali as having two hands one of which bears a skull and the other a branch of a palm tree (Karnika). According to the Visnudharmottara (Ch. 71) Bhadrakali has 18 hands and a beautiful appearance. She stands in the posture of Alidha in her chariot drawn by four lions. Her one hand is shown bestowing peace and the other carrying a vessel of jewels. Her remaining 16 hands hold characteristic weapons as usual. Kalika Purana, Chapter 62 and Devi Bhagavata, Chapter 50 give somewhat similar descriptions of Mahakali, Bhadrakali and Mahisasuramardini. There are images of Durga having four arms and seated on a lion of the Kusana period. The images of Mahisa suramardini with two, four and six hands are found in considerable number 53 in Kusana and Gupta art. Eight and ten-armed images of Mahisasuramardini have been discovered in Eastern India. The ten-armed variety is worshipped in Bengal in the famous Durga Puja. The Ainole relief (6 th or 7 th Cen. A.D.) and the Haripur sculpture in Orissa (later than the Ainole one) depict the eight-armed goddess piercing the upturned neck of the buffalo demon. The lion mount is on her left side. The Ellora relief depicts her with eight arms riding on her lion-mount vigorously attacking Mahisasura. A miniature stone relief of the Gupta period is found at Bhita in which Devi is shown with two arms engaged in combat with buffalo demon. 54

227 The seven mother goddesses (Sapta Matrkas) viz. Brahmani, Mahesvari, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Varahi, Yogesvari and Laksmi are described in Matsya Purana Chapter 261. Saptamatrkas in a group with Kartikeya on left, of the usana period is found 55 at Mathura. The sapta Matrkas are often carved in relief in a rectangular stone slab with the figures of Virabhadra and Genesa. The Matsya Purana says that arahmani is like Brahma, with four faces and four arms, riding on a swan and holding a water vessel. Mahesvari is like Mahesvara, having four hands with the emblans Kapala, Sula, Khatvanga, having a Jata-mukuta and a ball as her mount. Kaumari is like Kumarn, riding on a peacock, Vaisnavi is like Viam with Garuda as her mount; having four hands and holding in them Safikha, Cakra, Gada and one hand in a Varada pose. Varahi is like varaha, sitting on buffalo. Indran is like Indra, decked with dazzling ornaments and holding Vajra, sula, Gada in her hands. Yoge svari is fierce, wearing the garland of skulls. Camunda is sitting on the ass. Vinayaka should be depicted among these Matrkas. The Agni Purana, Ch. 52 gives 64 yoginis which should be represented as having eight or four hands and wielding arms according to their own choice. The Gauri is depicted by the Agni Purana as possessing two arms and three eyes and carrying a mace and a mirror. three ayed but four-armed Parvati stands in the Samapadasthanaka pose at Nalanda. The images of Brahmani, Kaumari, Mahesvari, Varahi and

- 228 Indrani at Puri, the image of Vaisnavi at Kiething, and the image of Camundi at Jaipur agree in many respects with the description given by the Mat syapurana.