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Symbols
Vehicle
Hands
Consort
Variations
Symbols
Vehicle
Hands
Consort
Variations
INDRA
Thunderbolt and lotus
Elephant Airavata
Two or four
Sachi on left carrying lotus
(1) Two hands: thunderbolt, ?, Sachi (2) Two hands: spear and goad
Sachi on left Red garments
(3) Two hands: thunderbolt and goad (4) Four hands: boon-giving pose.
goad. vase and boon-giving pose Thousand eyes
(5) Thunderbolt, goad, lotus, Sachi at back. Third eye on forehead (6) Protection attitude, thunderbolt, goad and boon-giving pose. Thousand eyes
VARUNA
Noose and lotus
Crocodile
Two or four
(1) Two hands: noose and boongiving pose
(2) Four hands: lotus, noose, conch and bowl of jewels: vehicle of seven swans; white garments; crocodile banner on left; Yamuna on left and Ganga on right, Gauri on left lap.
OR boon-giving pose, noose. serpent and vase
THE ASHTA-DIKPALAS
THE GUARDIANS OF THE QUARTERS
AGNI
Aksasutra (rosary) and vase Goat
Two or four
Svähä
(1) Two hands: rosary and spear Spouse Svähä on right Red garments
(2) Two hands: spear and sacrificial
spoon
Red eyes
(3) Four hands: boon-giving pose, spear, lotus and vase Or fire, trident, consort and rosary; Svähä on left lap Or trident, battle-axe, drum and skull-cup; three eyes Or protection pose, sacrificial spoon, spear and boon-giving pose (4) Seven hands: conch, wheel, ghee pot, round and oval sacrificial spoons. Two heads, three legs
VAYU
Boon-giving and banner Stag
Two or four
(1) Two hands: ?, thunderbolt
(2)
YAMA
Staff and noose
Buffalo
Two or four
OR staff and banner OR wheel in two hands OR goad and banner Four hands: boon-giving pose. banner or staff, banner and vase
Mrityu and Chitragupta behind
(1) Two hands: sword and shield; Chitragupta and Kāli, Mrityu and Ugratejas near seat Or staff and leaves and fruits (2) Four hands: pen, book, cock and staff; Or staff, sword, trident, fire and rosary; Chitragupta and Kali on one side
KUBERA
Mace and boon-giving pose Man, goat (?), horse Two or four
(1) Vehicle goat; two hands; mace, ?, OR two hands; boon-giving; protection, mace; karanda crown: Devi on left: Sankha-nidhi and Padma-nidhi on either side; pot-bellied OR mace, nidhi, lemon (Idanimbu) and vase Four hands: mace and spear; pot-belly: Riddhi on left, Sankha and Padma-nidhis on the sides: banner of Sun and Moon
NIRRUTI
Sword, shield, kātri, head
Man, ass or camel
Two or four
Two hands: staff and rein.
ISANA
Trident and boon-giving pose
White bull
Two or four
(1)
(2)
Two hands: sila and skullcup: jata crown: white garments
OR boon-giving pose and lotus
Four hands: sula, boongiving pose, protection pose. and jaţă crown
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