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VISHNU-INCARNATIONS AND MINOR AVATARAS (Contd.)
VENKATESH
HAYAGRIVA
Symbols
Conch and wheel in upper two hands. Lower two hands in protection pose and on waist. Serpent Valaya carved on right hand
Conch, wheel, mace.
Hands
Four
Four Carries lotus, conch, wheel and mace in hands
Objects in hands
Vehicle
A sana
Misc.
Saivites and Vaishyavites offer him worship and claim him Monkey-god Hanumana and the Eagle keep him company
Variations
1. 4-handed: conch, wheel, mace and Veda. Left foot on serpent
Shesha, right on tortoise (AGP) 2. 4-handed: conch, rosary, book and vyakhyana hand pose 3. 8-handed: conch, wheel, mace, lotus. Four hands on anthropu
morphic forms of Vedas: horse-head (VID) 4. 4-handedl: scated on lotus. One hand in vyakhyana hand pose.
Other three carry conch, wheel and book (ST)
VISHNU AS NARASIMHA*
Girija- Narasimha
Sthauna-Narasimha
Yanaku-Narusimha
Hands
Two or four
Four
Four
Objects in hands
When he has 4 hands-upper right hand holds a wheel and upper left, conch. Other two rest on knees
In two back hands-conch and wheel. Front right hand-protection pose; front left hand-boon-giving attitude Sits on lion-seat, with right leg pendant. Neck shows thick mane and curved teeth
Two carry conch and wheel but nothing is said about the other two hands
Misc.
Sits on lotus, with heads kept close to bottom. Legs held in position by belt (yoga-patta)
Serpent vehicle
Variations
Hiranyakasipu stretched on left thigh of Narasitisha. With two hands, he rips openthe belly of the demon Has 12 to 16 hands. Two open the belly of the demon. Two lift up the entrails, one right hand holds the legs of the demon, one holds a sword, one left hand holds the crown of the demon and lifted to administer a blow Attendants-Śri, Bho, Närada and Pralhada, son of the demon. Also eight Guardians of the Quarters (Asta-dik palas)
* Also see Table on page 90.
