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94
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Dr. Juynboll points out that the occurrence of Brahma statues in Java points to a special worship of this deity once having existed in the island. It is well-known that in India temples dedicated to the first person of the Hindu trinity are extremely rare.
Vaishnavism seems not to have taken any prominent part in the Hinduism of Java. The Leiden collection contains only two stone figures of Vishnu, and neither of these has the usual four attributes. One (No. 2544) is indeed very uncertain, as is also the case with the two stone figures tentatively identified with Krishna (Plate II, fig. 1).
Bronze images of Vishnu and his avaturas arc more numerous (the Museum counts ten specimens) a circumstance which perhaps points to this deity having been more conspicuous in domestic than in public worship. The group reproduced on page 64 appears to represent Krishna subduing the Kaliya Naga. I may note in pass. ing that detached Naga figures do not seem to occur in Java, but the cobra used instead of a sacred thread (upavita) or as an ornament is often found on Siva figures, especially in their angry form.
Siva images, on the contrary, are very numerous and point to an extensive worship of this deity. A form which appears to be peculiar to Java is that of Siva as Guru or Mahayogi (Plate III, fig. 1). Another form of Siva is that of Kala or Bhairava, of which two remarkable specimens are reproduced in Dr. Juynboll's catalogue. One (Plate III, fig. 2) from the ruins of Singasari in Eastern Java is one of the master-pieces of the collection. Clasping a sword in his right hand and resting his left on a massive mace, this figure is remarkable for its haughty expression of conscious strength and divine disdain. In its general style it seems much more closely related to the art of the Further East than to that of India. In its appearance and attributes, it bears a strong resemblance to the so-called Rakshasas or temple guardians which will be noted later on.
The other figure (Plate IV, fig. 1), likewise from Singasari, is a much more typical and distinctly Indian effigy of Siva in his most terrific form. Wholly naked but for his garland of
[MARCH, 1911.
human heads, skull diadem and other ornaments, the god of annihilation, with protruding eyes and tusks issuing from his grinning mouth stands dancing on a row of human skulls. The accompanying animal which Dr. Juynboll describes as a jackal, is more likely a dog, the vehicle of the Indian Bhairava. Its tail, the only part visible on the plate, also suggests the latter animal. The image bears the Nagari inscription Chakrachakra which appears to be a local designation of Bhairava.
That the worship of Devi was also once prevalent in Java is testified by numerous sculptures. Images of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, are rare. The fact that she is only represented by bronze statuettes of small size, seems to indicate that her worship in Java was essentially domestic, as is still the case in India. It is interesting that this deity is still worshipped, as goddess of the.rice in the neighbouring island of Bali. Exceedingly numerous, on the contrary, are the figures of Durga slaying the Buffalo demon (Mahishasuramardini). I need hardly say that such images are very common in India also, but here again Javanese art shows a distinct development of its own. In the beautiful group from Singasari (Plate IV, fig. 2)-more widely known since it was reproduced in Mr. Havell's Indian Sculpture and Painting-the goddess, apparently eight-armed, is triumphantly raised on the prostrate buffalo. With the lowermost of her left hands she clasps the profuse locks of the Asura. The little fat figure, wholly naked, with his curly wig, has certainly a more comical than demoniacal appearance, but the goddess herself bears a no less grand demeanour of composed strength than the so-called Bhairava of Singasari above noticed.
Though there cannot be the slightest doubt that this representation of the demon-slaying goddess was borrowed from India, it deserves notice that in some details it differs from its Indian prototypes. In Northern India at least, we invariably find the goddess standing with one of he: feet on the neck of the buffalo and piercing him with her trident. I may note that this is in strict accordance with the Sanskrit text:-Evam uktva samutpatya sarūḍhā tais
1 Dr. N. J. Krom informs me that the oldest inscriptions (4th Century, A.D.) found in Western Java are Vaishnava.
2 Dr. Jaynboll note that in this island one finds in the ricefields and on the roadside small huts in which passers-by leave some grains of rice as a saorifice to Bri. The Museum contains a model of a granary which presumably served the same purpose (P. 40, No. 2826).
