Sambodhi 1983 Vol 12

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 43

Usha Jain
Vention of Hariti and Panchika in 1 Buddhist wolk Arya Var Müla-Kalpa (assigned by some to circa Ist c. A, D + enlisted Härt as a Maha Yakşini and Pânchika as Mahāyaksa Senāpatıs, the Mahi Vyulpatti also mehtions him by the same title. Hâritu is ideologi. cath represented as the Goddess of fertility and plenty, Sutiounded by Children and at times instead of carrying the child, she contents hersell with only the symbol of fecundity, the Cornucopiae. The Goddess with the liom of plenty oppears on the coins of Kaniska the 31d and his
trccensors. She is identified by inscription as Ardoxso or Ashis-Vañuli, the Avestan Goddess of wealth and fortuneb. The Senapati Parchiki combine's the military attributes with the benevolence of his master, Vals'ravana - the Kuveia · the god of wealth by holding the money bag and the lance. Pāñchika - Kuvera -- Vais'ravana is extremely close to the conception of the god Pharro, who was likewise regarded as a prolector of wealth and a giver of armed strength in Tran The Candiagarbha-- sutra, urittin in the second half of the 6th c. A.D (probably A.D. 583) refers to Kuvera and Häríti as tutelary deities of Persia7
Hariti is usually represented standing or scated with a child in her lap, who is suckling her breast and childishly playing with her necklace Several others surround lier, some playing and wrestling. Being considered as the spouse of Panchika she is made to accompany her husband in certain standing and seated varieties of the images. Very sarely she is shown without any child, but in that case she is citer carrying the horn of plenty and may be in the company of her liusband.
There is a variety of sculptural representations of Haiti and her consort in Gandhāra. To mention only a few, there is a figure of Hariti from Takht-i-Bahis. now in Peshawar Museum, standing on a vase under a canopy of leaves, she carries the youngest of her many children on her left hip. On her head is a chaplet of leaves from whicli a veil falls down her back. The figure of the goddess is full of mothoiliness.
Another figure of Hăriti, in the British Museum shows her seated, her favourite child clinging to lier breast. She has one of the many sons between her feet, three at each side, of whom two on the left are wrestlingrecalling the expression mentioned in the Rata-Kata-Sutra that tach of her children possessed the strength of a great wrestler.
Hariti looks quite different in different pieces as for example, the no. 1625 in Chandigarh Museum shows her differently from No. 865 where she wears shoes and stands in emphatic contrapposto,