Part 9 - Iconographic details of Tritya Tripura

[Full title: Major Female Divinities (5) Tritya Tripura (Fig. 6.5)]

In the main temple premise, a confident looking three headed female deity is there in a good shape, (now survived on the left side), as an indispensable part of the main temple plinth at MadanKamdeva. Two other similar fashioned female sculptures are also found on the two others sides of the garbha griha of the surviving temple plinth. But unfortunately these two are already on the verge of their extinction as they now survived only with the lower part of their composition. Still their specified position, on the three sides of the garbha griha as marked as devistana in the (fig 21.3), tempted us to call her as being the guardian deity of the main temple complex. Thus, the sculpture of our consideration, though have suffered from age long erosions (which virtually eliminates some parts of her body) still appeared to be the best surviving one.

129 With all limitations the iconographical trait of this beautiful sculpture are as follows: first, it was a four handed deity at the time of its composition, though all of them are now totally damaged except the partial survival of her left upper hand in which she hold a good volumed pustak secondly, the deity sits on a Pretasana with an elegant looking Maharajalilasana; thirdly, the deity while being adorned with all type of ornament, the naramundamala around the waist portion appeared to be a special item to mention. 149 With these limitation when we tried to have the identity of this sculpture, two beautiful descriptions of Tripura group of deities, Tripur Bhairavi and Tritria Tripura have attracted our attention. Regarding Devi Tripur Bhairavi, the Kalika Purana have stated Devi Tripur Bhairavi is a four handed deity clad in red cloth, she in her left upper hand holds a Aksha mala while in her left lower hand, she is in possession of a good volume book. Similarly, she keeps her right upper hand in Abhya mudra. Sitting on Pretasana, this Trinayana Devi Tripura Bhairavi though being adorned with all type of ornaments, her head, cheast and the waist portion are covered with three rows of naramunda mala. 149. Caturbhu Jam Raktabarnam Raktabastrabibhusitam Dakhinorddhe Srajancadho bibhratin Pustakottamama || Abhyan Bamahastabhyan baranca Dadhatin Tatha Sahashrasurya Sankasam Trinetran Gajagaminima!! Pinutungastanayugan Sitapretasanastitam Smitaprasanna Badanan Sarbbalankarasnzutam !! Tisribhimurndmalabht Sirobakhyah katiyuca! Trigurnan Trigantbhuteh Pratyekan Paribhusitaml| (Kalika Purana 74/94-97):

130 On the other hand, about Devi Tritria Tripura the Kalika Purana 150 has made another beautiful description that she is a four handed deity with the ayudhas as follows, in her right hand she holds an Akshmala while her right lower one is in Varadayani mudra, her left upper hand is in Abhya mudra and accordingly, in her left lower hand she holds a Pustak. She is in possession of a third eye on her forehead. Again in Urdhapadmasana the deity sits on the chest portion of Lord Sadasiva. Apart form that the naramundamala pendant to her chest portion, appeared to be a primary ornament of her choice Thus, in overall composition the sculpture of our concern though look to have maintained a fair amount of similarity with the prescribed description of Devi Tripur Bhairavi and Tritria Tripura of the Kalika Purana, there are some clear cut variations which have sufficiently confused us in confirming her identities on the line of our proposed assumption. Accordingly, the first point of our objection that genuinely came to our mind is that the deity holds her only surviving ayudhas in her left upper hand which should be in the left or right lower one as according to the prescribed direction of the Kalika Purana. Secondly, the identical 150. Jabakusumasankasan Muktakesin Subhananam I Sadasibn Hasantantu Pretabadwinidhaya ai !! Hridaye Tasya Devasya Hriddharpanmasanastitam ! Raktot Plaimirsritantu Mundmalam Padanugam !! Gribayan Dharayantintu Pinonnta Payodharam | Caturbhujan Tatha Nagnan Dhakhinadwehakhamalinima |! Baradan Tadadho Bame Jaganmayan Tathabhyam ! Adhastu Pustakan Dhatte Trenetren Hasitananam || Szyadrudhirabhugarttan Tatha Sarbbang Sundrim ! (Kalika Purana 63/164-168).

} 131 naramundamala is visible only to the waist portion of the sculpture of our concern when it should be to the head, chest as well as to the waist region as according to the Kalika Purana. The third important point of our concerned is to confirm the status of the lying man whom the deity used as the seat for her unique identity. Regarding this the first point which came to our consideration is that the man failed to approach us as being a dead one as the man in his one sided lying posture supported his head with his left hand, and accordingly he looks to be in a pleasure mood of sleeping. This is a decisive observation as on that we can simply reject the scope of her identity on the line of our first proposition i.e. as Devi Tripur Bhairavi. Now regarding the question of her other scope of identity, it is interesting that the man in his appearance does not have any form of conformity with the representation of Lord Sadasiva, but in concept he looks to be a man of divine identity who has the capacity to bear the weight as well as the pride of this beautiful female deity. This type of representation as a weight bearer of any divine female being is popular with the representation of goddess Kali who normally described as being a deity to stand on the chest portion of Lord Sadasiva. In reference to Goddess Kamakhya, one of the alien version of Goddess Kali, the Kalika Purana 151 also has made it confirm that Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwar, the trinity of the Hindu universe are the Vahana of the Mahatejomoi Devi Kamakhya and 151. Bisnubrahma Sibaiddraibai Dhriyatesa Jaganmayi Sitapreto Mahadevo Brahma Lohita Pankajam !! Hariharristu Bijnayo Bahonani Mahaujasah ! Swamurttan Bahanatwantu Tesan Jsmanna Jujyate !! (Kalika Purana 58/65-66).

132 of them Mahadeva offered himself in the service of the Devi as being a Sita Preta (lying like dead body) Depending on that, it can now safely be presumed that though not in appearance, the lying man on which the deity of our concern sits, certainly have an insignia of Lord Sadasiva in the concept of its composition. This has normally highlighted the scope of her identity on the line of Devi Tritria Tripura, however, with some minor acceptable variations here and there, specially with regards to the composition of her iconography: Thus, in confirming her identity as Devi Tritria Tripura, the most unacceptable variation of her identity is her triple headed composition. But, this variation along with the others can be summarized in a words 'innovation', that means, an innovative mind of the sculptor might have worked here to impress the composition where the third eye has found its replacement in three heads of the deity. Goddess Tripura is one among the five variants of Kamrupini Kamakhya namely the Tripura, the Kameshwari Siva, the Sarada along with Kamakhya herself. 152 That's why Tripura was also identified with Goddess Kamakhya. 153 She was the virgin Goddess of sex and beauty and thus being referred in assimilation of the ideal of goddess Parvati. 154 Giving more elaboration to her identity the Kalika Purana has further stated that there are three different form of representations of goddess Tripura with slightest possible variation to each other. 155 These three form of goddess 152. Kalika Purana 62/79/83. 153. Kalika Purana 63/50. 154. Choudhury, P.C.: HPCA, 1987 :419. 155. Kalika Purana 62/79; 63/85-89; 156-162; 164-168.

133 Tripura have four unique designation namely as Bagbhava, Kamabjak, Damar and Mohan. 156 Above all the Kalika Purana have also prescribed the entire process of her worship.¹ Thus, certainly be a scion of the Tripura group of deities, the most interesting point to observe about this representation is the aesthetic innovation on the part of our age old sculptors. Apart form that its Kukutanda faces, elongated torso and sensuously carved fleshy abdomen have duly referred this well conceived deity as being the best probe example of the influence of Pala School of art where the sufficient exposition of classical techniques are there to observe in her execution. She along with the main temple is a product of 10 th century A.D.