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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1925
The
We know that the iconographic texts usually give two hands to Sûrya, and it is generally implied there that the figure of the Sun-god should be a standing one. Reliefs of Surya with two hands and in a standing posture hail from every part of India. But images of the Sun with four hands and in a sitting posture are also found in India, though very rarely. An early image of the Sun that was enshrined in Multan, which according to the legend of Sâmba in the Bhavisya Purana was the first to welcome this novel form of Sun-worship (Mithra worship) in India, has been described by the early Arab writers who wrote about India. This des cription, though not very clear, is well worth reproducing in connection with the seated type of the Surya image. Abu Ishak, Al Istakhri, who flourished about the middle of the tenth century A.D. writes, "The idol is human in shape and is seated with its legs bent in a qua drangular (squat) posture, on a throne made of brick and mortar. Its whole body is covered with a red skin-like morocco leather, and nothing but its eyes are visible.. eyes of the idol are precious gems, and its head is covered with a crown of gold. It sits in a quadrangular position on the throne, its hands resting upon its knees, with the fingers closed, so that only four can be counted."62 Al Idrisî's description of the image is similar in character, but he says 'its arms, below the elbow, seem to be four in number. '63 Other seated images of Surya are noticed by Mr. Gopinath Rao.64 As regards the four-handed images of Surya, Mr. Macdonell remarked that no images of Surya endowed with four hands are to be found in India. But Prof. Venkatesvara has contradicted Mr. Macdonell and has referred to a few reliefs where the Sun-god seems to be endowed with four hands. 55 But it should be remarked here that of these four-handed images of Surya, all seem to be of the seated type, and if a general observation can be made with some approach to accuracy, we should modify Mr. Macdonell's statement and say that standing images of Sûrya with four hands are hardly to be found in India. Another type of the image of the Sun, riding on a single horse, is referred to in the Agni Puranas and the Sri Viśvakarmavatára Sastra.56 One such relief in Kandi (Bengal) is mentioned by Mr. Nikhilnath Ray in his History of Murshidabad.
Solar character can be traced in the origin of the many important Brahmanical deities of the Puranic period. We have seen that Surya enjoyed a very prominent place in the Rigvedic period, and Visņu, recognised as one of his aspects, came to be regarded as one of the most prominent divinities subsequently and became the cult head of Vaisnavism. As such, many images of various types were made of him. The story about Samga's flight from Sûrya relates how from the leavings or parings of the resplendent body of the Sun, many weapons and attributes were made for other divinities. Thus Sudarsana Cakra, Vajra, Sula, Sakti were each made out of these cast-off portions of the Sun-god,, and they came to be regarded as the weapons particular to Visou, Indra, Siva and Skanda respectively. This legend perhaps shows, in no doubt a very peculiar way, the solar basis of these gods. Mr. Krishna Sastri remarks in his South Indian Gods and Goddesses (p. 236): "But within the flaming orb is recognised the god Narayana (Visņu) whose body is golden, who assumes the form of Brahmâ in the morning, Maheśvara (Siva) in the midday and Visņu in the evening.
52 Elliot's History of India, vol. I (1867), p. 28.
53 Ibid., vol. I (1867), p. 82. Idrîsî remarks 'There is no idol in India or in Sind which is more highly venerated.'
54 Elements of Hindu Iconography, vol. I, part II, plate LXXXIX (Chitorgadh relief), pl. LXXXVIII, fig. I (Bronze, Madras Museum), fig. 3 (Marble, Rajputana it is four-handed).
55 JRAS., 1918, pp. 521-2.
56 Sri Viśvakarmávatára Sastra, ch. 28, v. 59. Athabaévasamarudhaḥ karya ekastu Bhaskara. Agni Purdya (Vanga Vasi Edition, ch. 51, v. 3), borrows this passage from the former work and its descrip. tion of the images of the other Adityas is also a case of wholesale borrowal from the same,
