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HINDU ICONOGRAPHY
this and enraged at this outrage, pursued Kartavirya and killed him in battle. Parasurama vowed vengeance against the whole Kshatriya race and twenty-one times cleared the world of every male member of the soldier caste. To expiate for all this killing, he performed expiatory rites, handed over the world to Brahmanas, and retired to the mountains.
Parasurama in Sculpture
General
Parasurama should be 120 angulas in height. He should wear a jaṭā-crown and a sacred thread; he should also wear a deer-skin.
Hands
Two or four. If he has two hands, the right should hold a Parāsu (battle-axe) and the left should exhibit the suchi mudrā (pointing to something). If he has four hands, he should carry in them the battle-axe, sword, bow and
arrow.
VII. INCARNATION AS KING RAMA (RAMACHANDRA AVATARA) (Pl. 25)
This is one of the most popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rāma, the son of Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, is the hero of the great Indian epic, Rāmāyaṇa, which tells the story of the Aryan migration to the south. Rāma is the ideal king, son and brother. The Rāmāyaṇa tells the story of this peerless prince and his beautiful and virtuous wife Sitā.
Sculptural Representations.
General
Śri-Rama stands in the tribhanga pose (bent at three places) (Pl. 25).
Hands
Two. The right holds an arrow and the left a bow.
Crown
He wears a kirița-crown.
Companions
(1) Stta-His wife Sitä stands erect on his right side. She should reach the shoulder of Rāma
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in height. She holds a blue lotus in her left hand while the right hangs loosely on the right. She wears a karanda-crown (Pls. 26, 27).
(2) Lakshmana-He stands on the left of his elder brother Rama. He reaches the ears of his brother in height. He is richly ornamented and holds the bow and the arrow in his two hands.
(3) Hanumana-The monkey-god stands a little in front of Rama's right and reaches upto the chest, navel or hip of Rama in height. He has two hands. The right hand is placed upon the mouth while the left is allowed to hang loosely to reach the knees (Pl. 28).
(4) Rama's other two brothers, Bharata and Shatrughna, also keep him company. Both have two hands which hold bows and arrows.
VIII. INCARNATION AS KRISHNA (KRISHNA AVATARA) (Pl. 29)
This is another extremely popular incarnation of Vishnu. His worship is so popular that his devotees regard him not as a mere incarnation of Vishnu but as the Supreme Lord himself. Born to Vasudeva and Devaki, he was carried to the couch of Yasoda by his father to escape the clutches of his brother-in-law king Kamsa, for it had been predicted that the eighth-born child of Devaki would be the cause of the death of Kamsa. The Harivamsa, the Srimad Bhagavata, the VishnuPurāṇa, etc., narrate the exploits of Krishna. To the average Hindu, Krishna is the great symbol of many virtues. He is the supreme statesman, warrior and hero, a great philosopher and teacher. He is the great expounder of the "Song Celestial," the Bhagavat Geetä.
Images of Krishna
General
Krishna is to be clothed in red garments and richly ornamented. He wears a kirița-crown.
Hands
Two. The right hand holds a curved stick, while the left is lifted and bent at the elbow. He may carry a conch in this hand.
Companions
Rukmini on right of Krishna. She has a decorative hair-dress adorned with flowers. She carries a lotus flower in the left hand, while the left hangs
