Iconography of Hindus Buddhist and Jains

SR No.: 011008
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: R S Gupte
Publisher: D B Taraporewale Sons and Co Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 262
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 177

BUDDHIST ICONOGRAPHY
119
times, with legs crossed and a frown on her face. One of her right hands is in the protection attitude, the other holds a rosary, and the left hand holds a trident and a vase.
Two Sadhanas in the Sādhanamala are devoted to Bhrkuti. In the first Sadhana she is described thus: 'The goddess Bhşkuţi should be conceived as four-armed, one-faced and yellow in colour, three-eyed and as blooming with youth. She shows the boon-giving hand-pose and the rosary in the two right hands, and carries the tridandi (triple staff) and the kamandalu (vase) in the two left. Her crown is stamped with the effigy of Amitabha. She sits on the orb of the moon over a lotus. Thus meditating ....'
The other Sadhana of Bhrkuti describes her as wearing a jață mukuta. Her mantra as given in her Sadhana is: 'Om Bhrm svāhā.'
HĀRITI AND PANCIKA
(Pls. 185-187)
In return, the people promised to keep Håriti and her children supplied with food on the advice of the Buddha. Therefore, in all the viharas (monasteries) of Northern India, in Nepal and the North, the practice started of setting apart a part of their food for Hāriti and her 500 children. Yuan Chwang and I-tsing found an altar dedicated to Häriti in all the viharas of Northern India.
In sculptures, Hāriti is usually shown seated and sometimes standing. She is usually seated with a child at her breast or on her lap. She is accompanied by five children, which probably stand for her 500 children. She carries in one hand a pomegranate, the symbol of fecundity. Häriti occupies an important position in Buddhist literature. She stands as a symbol of the concept of Motherhood.
She became popular in India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Java, and Turkistan. In Gandhara sculptures she wears no crown. Her hair is, however, arranged like a mukuta. The Chandi Mendut of Java has a sculpture of her, seated on a throne, holding a child to her breast. A Central Asian fresco shows her with an elaborate hair-do. Weddell has described a Tibetan Sadhana of her, where she is described as red in colour, with a nakula (mongoose) in her hand. A Tibetan image of her shows her seated on a double-petalled lotus, with legs folded. She is two-handed. Her right hand holds a child to her bare breast and is in the boon-giving mudrā. The left hand presses a mongoose to the breast and holds a bowl of jewels.
Häriti is usually accompanied by her consort Pāñcikā. Her husband Pāñcikā belongs to the army of Kubera, and is a general. In Gandhara sculptures, he holds a lance in his right hand and a money bag in the left. In Northern and Western Indian sculptures, the lance disappears. A number of Hāriti-Pañcikā sculptures are depicted at Ajanta and Ellora.
There are many legends concerning Häriti. She was the sister of Yaksha Satagiri, the Protector of Rajagriha. Her name was Abhirati. She became the wife of Pāñcikā, the son of Pāñchāla, the Yaksha Protector of Gandhara. The marriage proved very fruitful and Abhirati became the mother of 500 children. Her youngest and most favoured son was Priyankara.
Abhirati was, however, very fond of eating children. She began making a feast of the children of Rajagriha. This earned her the name 'Hāriti' which meant the 'Stealer of Children.'
There were lamentations all over Rajagriha as Hāriti continued her feast. The people ultimately approached the Buddha and requested him to save their children from Hāriti. The Buddha carried away Priyankara, the youngest child of Hāriti. The Yakshi could not find her Priyankara anywhere in the house. She then began a search all over the world, but without success. Ultimately she came to the Buddha and requested him to restore her lost child to her. The Buddha said, 'O Hāriti! Why do you grieve so much if only one of your 500 children is lost? You had no pity when you devoured the children of the people of Rajagļiha.' Häriti repented her folly and agreed to follow the precepts of the Buddha. She agreed to give up eating human flesh. At this, there was grat rejoicing in Raja- griha.
THE PHILOSOPHICAL DEITIES
The Nispannayogāvali mentions a number of goddesses of a subsidiary nature. These have an important place in the Buddhist pantheon. These are Pāramitās, Vasitās, Bhūmis, and Dhäriņis, Each of these comprise twelve in number. All these have been given anthropomorphic form with their distinguishing iconography. The Paramitas are perfections of cardinal virtues, the Vasitās are