Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

Author(s): Jaikishandas Sadani
Publisher: B J Institute of Learning & Research

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Underground Shrine : Queen's step-well at Patan
as an incarnation of Visnu he is depicted with four hands. This itself is a unique interpretation as in the Buddhist shrines he is shown as having only two hands. As usual he has close curly hair with a halo behind his head to assert his divinity. Moreover, the luminous orb behind confirms his being an enlighted one. He has a garland of beads around his neck and something like the sacred thread is also engraved. A long garland vaijayantimālā is carved which dangles right upto his knees or just above his ankles. His ear lobes are long and reach almost upto the shoulders. This is regarded as a sign of greatness. The ears have ascetic rings or ear pendants. The four hands have varadaksamala, a hand granting blessings, a rosary of large beads and a lotus, while the fourth hand holds the end of cloth called the sanghāți put on by ascetics. Two attendents are standing on the left side and one on the right. They are holding some object which cannot be recognised. On the frames are 8 miniature sculptures four on either side. They depict the eight incarnations of Vişņu of which Nșsimha, Paraśurāma, Rāma and Kalki are clear while the other figures are indistinct. This is a very attractive statue of Buddha, unique in conception and superb in execution. This is how our artists harmonised through their art what thinkers and literateurs accomplished through literature. References to Buddha have been made by Agni Purāņa (49.8), Rūpamandana (10.27) and Caturvarga Cintamani (1.119), but none of them describe him having four hands. While paying tribute to Buddha Adi Sankarācārya composed following verse :
धराबद्धपद्मासनस्थाङ्घियष्टिः
farupplifa R AHLUÇTE: 1 य आस्ते कले योगीनां चक्रवर्ती
स बुद्धः प्रबुद्धोऽस्तु मच्चित्तवर्ती ॥
(S., Radhakrishnan, Brahmasūtra, Intro., pg. 38) Kalki is the tenth incarnation of Vişņu which is yet to be. In Bhagavadgitā Krsņa as incarnation of Visņu declares that when Dharma is dissipated and immorality ascends in society and there is a moral crisis all around, He incarnates in human form to save society from the crisis by doing away with the wicked and re-establishing Dharma. The Kalki avatāra will come into being when society suffers from the collapse of moral values and calls in for a saviour for redemption. This incarnation will be Kalki avatāra. This is a very forcefull panel in the Queen's step-well. Here Visņu is shown mounting a very elegant yet sturdy horse. He has all the dignity of a benevolent ruler and the valour of an ardent warrior. We are reminded of Bhavabhuti
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