Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 61
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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SEPTEMBER, 1932 ] THE NAT-HLAUNG TEMPLE AND ITS GODS (PAGAN, BURMA)
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two in number, hold respectively a staff-like object, perhaps a khadgu, or sword, raised upwards, and an axe resting on the left shoulder. The latter attribute determines the iconography of the sculpture. Here the icon differs a bit from written texts, inasmuch as the texts would require the parašu, or axe, to be in the right hand, and the left hand to be in the suchi pose, as if pointing to something. But the Agni Purdna would have four hands for Parafurámávatára, holding the parašu, khadga, bana and dhanus, respectively. This helps to determine that the object held in the right hand can be nothing else than a khadga.
Of the ten niches, we already know that three on the east side are empty; the icons have not yet been traced, and there is very little hope of their being found in future. Of the seven that remain, four, e.g., Vardha, Narasimha, Ramachandra and Parasurama, have already been identified without any very great difficulty. Of the rest, two are so badly defaced that it is difficult to be certain about their identification ; yet we shall make an attempt. The third is one of the best preserved images of the Nat-hlâung kyaung. No attempt has so far been made to identify these three images. We begin with the third, the presence of which in a Vişnu temple is interesting. It is surprising to learn, in the first instance, that it is not an image of Visnu, nor of any of his ten avatdras. It is sheltered in the niche close to the entrance on the proper left (fig. 9). The image can easily be described, but it is better to quote Monar. Duroiselle :-"It is standing on a lotus flower from which two other smaller ones spring; the arms are placed close to the body bent upwards at the elbows, and each hand holds a lotus bud on a level with the shoulders. It wears a crown; the distended earlobes hang down and touch the shoulders under the weight of large ear ornaments. It has bracelets, armlete, anklets; the lower garment is tucked up and reaches as far as the knees ; lines showing the folds are visible." Monsr. Duroiselle was not able to identify it, but he added: "The number of niches would lead one to suppose that this also represents one of Vişnu's avatāras ; but it has none of the distinctive attributes of any of these."10 And precisely for this reason, it is not any of the avatdras of Vişnu, but seems in all likelihood to be an image of Surya of the South Indian variety. The position of the two hands, as well as the lotus buds, held in a line with the shoulder, are significant; no loss significant is the number of the hands, namely two (a feature peculiar to South Indian images of Sürya) and the strictly orect pose of standing as well. The high boots covering the two legs and the horses drawing the chariot of the divinity are, no doubt, missing in the present example; but this is not at all to be wondered at, for these are exactly the features wanting in South Indian Sürya images. The iconographic affinity between the two is such that it is difficult to exclude the possibility of its being a Sürya image. 11 It is, no doubt, surprising to find a Sûrya image where we would naturally seek for an avatára of Vişnu. But, the fact can easily be understood if we only remember the very intimate relation of Visnu with the Vedio Sûrya. For in the Vedas he is never a supreme god, but is always identified with the sun, and is said to have stridden over the seven regions and to have covered the whole universe in three steps, a story in which the gorm of the later Trivikrama tradition of Vişnu is so often traced. “The idea underlying this solar explanation is obviously incorporated in the dhydna sloka Dhéya-88ada savitri-mandala-madhyavarti Narayana-8sarasijdsana sanniviştah | kéytravin makana-kundalavan kiriti hari hiranmaya vapuh dhrita-bandcha-chakrah | wherein Vishnu as Narayana is described as residing in the orb of the sun. The idea that Vishnu is the sun appears to be still maintained in the worship of the sun as Surya-Nardyana."13
(To be continued.)
10 An. Report A.S.I., 1912-13, p. 138. 11 T. A. Gopinatha Rao, Hindu Iconography, vol. I, Part II, Plates lxxxvi, xciv (fig. 2), and xcvi (Surya). 13 Ibid., vol. I, Pt. I, p. 74. Also see Ind. Ant., vol. LIV (1926), p. 161, J. N. Banerjee.
