Devta Murti Prakaran

Author(s): Vinaysagar, Bhagvandas Jain, Rima Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharati Academy

Page 17

(Fifteen)
like Surya, Brahma, the Navagrahas, four Vedas and eight Lokapalas or Dikapalas (regents of the northern, southern, eastern, western, north-eastern, north-western, south-eastern and south-western directions), among others. The doorkeepers or dvarapalas of certain deities are also described in this chapter, which contains sixty-seven stanzas.
Chapter five focusses mainly on describing the different idols of Vishnu. These include the 24 emanations or vyuhus of Vishnu (also known as ayudha-purushas), the ten incarnations (das-avtars), and forms like Trailokyamohan, Vishvarup, Baikunth, Trivikram, Anant and so forth. Different holy shalagram stones (or ammonites) venerated by Vaisnavites are also described in this chapter, along with information about the merits accruing from the worship of each type. This chapter, containing one hundred and sixteen stanzas, also provides detailed instructions for making statues of Sheshnag, Garuda and the eight doorkeepers of Vishnu temples.
The sixth chapter of the Devata-Murti-Prakarnam is also the longest, consisting of one hundred and seventy-one stanzas. It basically pertains to the iconography of Siva. In addition, this
chapter also describes composite or syncreticistic statues which · combine the attributes of two or more different deities in one
single idol. Among such composite statues listed are images of Siva-Narayan, Krishna-Karttikeya, Krishna-Shankar, Hari-Hara-Pitamah, Chandranka-Pitamah, Ardhnareshwar and · Surya-Hari-Hara-Pitamah. Mandan has described different types of Sivalingas too in this chapter, along with the 'merit attained through worshipping or through installing each type.
The iconography of the 24 Jain Tirthankars is described in the seventh chapter. Along with this, their respective attendant yakshas and yakshinis (also known as shasan-devis) have also been described in some detail. This penultimate chapter, containing seventy-six stanzas, also provides information about the constellations and zodiacal signs associated with the birth of different Tirthankars.