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33, No. 1/4 (December 1983), pp. 53-56 Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29756647 . Accessed: 19/11/2013 16:47
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Two
Interesting
Yama
Images
from Osian
by Devendra
Handa
Yama
Yama, son of Vaivasvata M?rt?nda C) and Saranyu (daughterof Tvastr) (2), was the firstof themortals that died (3). He is the lordof men and manes and with death (4). In the Atharvaveda and later literature, has been identified and identified with Dharma who punishes thewicked (6). He carries a rod of justice (danda) with which also he himself is often identified (7), and a noose
to catch souls deeds (8). of men Citragupta, and Yama Yama's passes has been associated with the terrors of death (5). He is also equated to
bad
in the Epics, he is whereas the golden-eyed and iron-hoofed steeds of Yama, as riding on a car or going afoot (12). The buffalo as his vehicle ap? described are described two dogs (13). Though pears for the first time in the Harivamsa
The Taittirlya ?ranyaka (10) and the ?pastamba Srauta S?tra C1) refer to
record
of
accordingly
and
as his regular messengers (14)yet a bird, either the owl or the pigeon, is also
said to be his messenger (15).
He
Yama is one of the eight great gods who protect the eight quarters {diks). is in charge of the southernquarter (16). In the Brhatsathhit?,he is de
(*) Rgveda X.14.5. (2) ibid. X.17,1-2. (3) Atharvaveda XVIII.3,13. (4) Ibid. VI.28,31 and 43,1. (5)Mac Donell 1971: 172. (6) Ibid. (7)Wilkins 1972: 82-83; Max Muller (1882): 135 and Max Muller (1886): 217. (8) Hopkins 1968: 111 ff. 1972: 82; Hastings 1967: vol. II, 806b. H Wilkins (10)VI.5,2. (") XVI.6. (12)Hopkins 1968: 116. Cf. Satav?jiyuktam ratham sam?rohita-S?ryakalpam [Harivamsa, Gita Press Ed., Bhavisya Varvan, Ch. LII, v. 30). (13) Ibid. (14)Rgveda X.14,10-12. (15) Ibid. X.165,4. Cf. X.123,6. (16)Hopkins 1968: 108. 53
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dharmottara
scribed as holding a staff in his hand and riding on a buffalo (1T). The Visnu
Pur?na (18), however, furnishes a detailed description of
armed god seated on a buffalowith his spouse Dh?morn? on his left lap, his with righthands holding a khatvanga and a sword and the left ones a trident
flames and a rosary, accompanied on his right by Citragupta dressed as a Nor?
the four
therner (udlcya-vesa),holding a pen and a leaf inhis hands and by fierce-looking Kala holding a noose in his hand on his left. Amsumadbhed?gama (19)describes the two-armeddeity as holding a sword and a shield while Silparatna (20) de?
scribes him Yama two. fire-coloured and possessing (Kar?la) eyes dana text, however, (22), a late Rajasthani as holding a staff and a noose is said to be having terrible in two hands and a bow in the other tusks (Kar?la-damstravadana), {pradlpt?gnivilocana) as describes Yama (21). frightful
of many
and holding a pen, a book, a cock and a staffin his fourhands. Very few sculptures of Yama have been published and illustratedin books on iconography though the images of this dikp?la exist on the southern walls on or standingnear his vehicleMahisa
old temples (23). Generally, the dikp?la Yama
is represented
ias seated
v. 57:
1971:
phalapallavap?ninam //. (22) Lekhanim pustakam dhatte kukkutam dandameva ca / Mah?-Mahis?r?dho Yamah Krsn?nga iritah // (R?pamandana, 11.33). (23)The Hindu concept of the Dikp?las is very old. In spite of the temporal and textual variations in the number of the guardians of the quarters, we find that by the medieval period their representation on temple walls had grown fairly popular. Incidentally, we may refer here to an image on the south basement wall of the Pahar (1938: Sculpture No. 39) pur temple which has erroneously been identified by Dikshit as Yama. Sarasvati (1962: 72, fig. 19), has also accepted this identification but Banerjea Shastri (1969: 143-44, fig. 2) and (1956: 525) suggested it to be an image of Varuna. Sahai (1975: 40-41) have followed Banerjea. The figure actually represents Vayu and not Yama. What has been described as a long noose passing over the head held by the two hands with the ends hanging down is in reality a scarf. Such representation of scarf is very common in the V?yu images of Osian. ?b?neri V?yu image of the Gurjara-Pratih?ra period, too, has a similar scarf. Anyway, this and other images of Indra, Agni, Kubera, Candra etc. from Paharpur, however, indicate that the dikp?las began to be represented on the temple walls in the Gupta period in eastern India at least. The culmination, however, was reached in the medieval period when, according to V?stu injunctions, fanes were to have the dikp?la figures in the fixed corners of the temple walls. (24) To right or to left, sitting or standing. 54
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a danda Osian
Harihara
from Two and a p?sa (noose). interesting images of Yama to the notice of the author and are published here. is the earliest extant quincunx 1 at Osian No. {Panc?ya
of
(26).
(Fig. wears 1) a
In
the
seated
single the nether and wristlets ear-ornaments, armlets, (ek?vali), stringed The is two-handed. He right hand is broken but the disposition garment. of the arm indicates that it was placed on the respective knee (27). The face of The ferocious nature of the deity gets further confirmation from
Khatv?nga held in the lefthand. The danda portion of the Khatv?nga is os? seous,with a slightcurve, joined to the human skull (partially damaged) through body of the buffalo just below the left foot of the deity. Cock, no doubt, is
associated of his vehicle. The its foramen. Of unusual interest, however, is the depiction in some of a cock on the with Yama as one of his attributes is thus a unique (Fig. 2) texts, but nowhere in any other do we
head.
the dikp?la is placid but his ferocity is indicated by the frizzled locks on the
the
find any reference to the depiction of the kukkuta (cock) on the very person
This feature not seen
wall of a Devakulik? (chapel) lotus pedestal in a pillared niche on the southern rightbehind the god who holds a khatv?nga in the upper righthand and a bird (which looks like a pigeon) in the upper left, thenatural hands holding respect?
a pearl necklet, ear a karanda-mukuta, a long wreath simulating a vaijayantim? to the west of the Mah?vira Temple at Osian. Mahisa, the vehicle, stands to
second
image
represents
four-handed
Yama
wears ively a stylus and a leaf. Yama ornaments, anklets, armlets, wristlets,
l? (29) and a dhoti having a graceful fold on the thighs,bound with aksa-s?tra at the waist, with stringed uruj?lakas and pendants hanging below. The god
is shown as bearded {harisma'sru), frightful, possessing round open eyes {pradipt?
gnivilocana) (30). But for thepigeon in the upper lefthand which may represent
of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. See for detail Bhandarkar 108-09: 100-115. (26) Brown 1959: 115. (27Cf. The two-armed Yam a image on the southern main niche of the Sun Temple on the hill (adjacent to the Saciy? M?t? Temple) wherein the god is shown as resting his left hand on the left knee. (28)Two ninth-century four-handed Yama images are now preserved in the Kota Museum also. One of these, with all the four hands damaged, was found at Vil?s in Kota district and the other from Atru in the same district shows the deity as holding a mace, cock, noose and kamandalu. See the Catalogue 1960-61: 30, Nos. 301 and 312. (29)Cf. Hartvamsa, Bhavisya Varvan, ch 52, v. 32b: (Hiranmay?n?m Kamalotpal?n?m
m?l?m
(25) Osian
is
an
important
medieval
temple-town
situated
about
65
km.
north-north-west
manojan?mavasajya
kanthe'.
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an old
from Rgvedic times, the sculpture conforms to the description And this It may be dated to c. eleventh century A.D. of the R?pamandana. as than before some saw in that such Mandana indicates examples Raj incidentally tradition
many
References
(1938) Paharpur, MASI, LV. Hastings, James (Ed.) (1967) Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, New York. (1968) Epic Mythology, Varanasi-Delhi. Hopkins, E.W. A.A. (1971) Vedic Mythology, New Delhi. MacDonell, Dikshit, K.N. Max Muller, E. Max Muller, E.
Banerjea, J.N. (1956) The Development of Hindu Iconography, Calcutta. (1908-09) The Temples of Osia, ASIAR. Bhandarkar, D.R. Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods), Bombay. Indian P. (1959) Brown, Government Museum, Kota, Jaipur. Catalogue (1960-61)
(Ed.), (1882) The Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XIV. (Ed.), (1886) The Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXV. Rao, T.R. Gopinath (1971) Elements of Hindu Iconography, Vol. II, Part II, Delhi. Sahai, Bagwant (1975) Iconography of Minor Hindu and Buddhist Deities, New Delhi. Sarasvati, S.K. (1962) Early Sculture of Bengal, Calcutta. Shastri, A.M. (1969) India as Seen in the Brhatsamhit? of Varahamihira, Delhi-Patna-Vara
nasi.
Wilkins, W.J.
56
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>
u >
Fig. 2 Devakulik? Yama, in wall Mah?vira the southern of ? a ^ Temple 11th Complex, Osian. C. century. ^^^^ ^HH^B^^^^^BHHP^^
C. 8th century. Fig. 1 Yama, Harihara Temple wall of southern No. Osian. 1, -
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