Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 02

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 93

Encapsulated as Material Artistic Response
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janma or Krsna's birth, wherein a prison's half open doors, and on the other side is the depiction of the prasūti-graha or the delivery-room, where on a cot is lying Devaki on her side, breast feeding the new-born, even as close to her feet is the cāmaradhāriņi. An interesting carving in Harihara temple number one shows in the hands of Yasodā a child, and to establish the gender of the child, a woman's bosom has been etched. 108 In the mākhana-chori or 'the stealing of the butter scene,' one notices Yaśodā in the curd stirring motion as well in another piace in a state of surprise, and in another depiction while Krsna steals the butter, a woman standing nearby looks at him as she covers her mouth by her hand. 109 The incident of Yogamāyā vadha or her death has been perceived in the act of Kamsa holding the girl child by her feet and about to dash her against the rock, and even in this depiction is noticed the same technique of showing the child's gender by putting on to her the bosom of an adult woman. At another place the same incident is presented in the moment of Kaisa taking the girl child from Vāsudeva.110 The same temple also has the narrative of the Pütanā vadha or 'the killing of Pütanā,' which is represented by her surprised eyes, sunken cheeks and the emaciated body lying on the cot and the fatal suckling by Krsna at her breast as she raises both her arms up in the air. Amongst the scenes from the life of Krsṇa which have feminine implication, noticed at Nilakantha Mahādeva temple are the Putanävadha and Nanda and Yasodā carrying Balarāma and Krsna."
The Sun Temple No.1 at Osiān has a four-band doorway with the door jambs which "show" river goddesses on their vehicles accompanied by male attendants and diminutive female acolyte figures on the pedyas. 2 The pilasters on the either side 'bear beautiful damsels" which occupy the lower portion of the shaft with ardhapadma, ghatapallava and grasamukha decorations above, in the same temple. The nearness in the distance to the eye contact may appear suggestive as the communication assumes a greater visual dimension. The placements of the deities' and their subsequent visual projections thus also communicate a made feminine story.
Apsarās as Feminine Personified
The origin of the apasarās is variously referred to narrations of in one instance, as of the essence of the ocean water (apsu-rasa) produced at the churning, in the second instance as born of Brahmana's fancy (sankalpa) or also as Dakşa's daughters numbering from six to sixty crores, and called as Devakanyās also, frequently considered to be the personification of "female beauty and sexual pleasure." ! Their description ranges from the activities of singing, dancing and playing on musical instruments, to sports and seduction, and are often described as lewd and pitiless, abandoning their children after birth and lovers after seduction, while often residing in mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, as well in banyan (nyagrodha) and sacred fig tree (aśvattha)."
The apsarās have been noticed in the Osian temple walls "assuming various beauteous forms: slender, seductive, sensual: singing, dancing, coquettishing, disrobing, revealing their physical charm, sporting with ball, yawning, pedicuring, binding anklets, bedecking themselves, rinsing water from the wet plaits of hair, removing thorn, fondling a baby, playing with pets, applying collyrium etc." 115 The apsarās are variously idealized and their adjectivised nomenclatures are evidenced as follows: yawning Līlāvati, Sundari, Subhāngini removing a thorn from her foot, Nūpuravādikā binding an anklet, Padmini, Putravallabhā, Keśagumphini, Sukasarikā playing with her pet parrot on her shoulder, Mānini, Camarikās, Āmralumbikā with a branch of mango tree, Căpavatis with bows, Anjalikā applying collyrium in her eyes etc., and are presented forth as young nymphs attired in the choicest garments and ornaments and full of winsome grace and charm at their best". 116 The identity of the