DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0431
BADAMI CAVES. 409
the other figure, and with the chahra and sankha in his up-lifted
hands, but with a boar's bead, standing with bis left foot on the coil
of a snake, tbe bead of which is buman, with five hoods behind it.
In one of bis left bands be bolds a lotus flower, on which stands
Prithivi, also called Bhumidevi or Bbudevi—the Earth personified
—steadying berself against his shoiilders.1
In front of Varaha's knee kneels a buman figure witb tbe
five Naga-hoods over bis jewelled muhuta, and behind stands a
female chauri-be&rer witb the single hood; another figure lies
between Varaha's feet, holding by the long cord or yajnojpavita that
hangs down from his shoulder. Over Varaha's shoulders are two
pairs of vidyddharas, each apparently with offerings.
On the pilaster by tbe side of this sculpture is the inscription of
Mangalisa, dated in Saka 5002 (a.d. 579).
At the west end of the verandah is another of the avataras, namely,
the Narasinha or man-lion. Tbe demon Hiranyakasipu, tbe son of
Kasyapa and Diti, and brother of Hiranyaksha, having, in conse-
quence of severe penance, obtained from Brahma the boon that he
should be invulnerable to gods, men, snakes, &c, became imperious,
and troubled earth and heaven, when, at the desire of Prahlada, the
son of Hiranyakasipu, Narasinha bursting out of a column destroyed
him, to the great joy of the devatas. He is here represented four-
armed, one of the left arms resting on his huge club or gadlia,
besides which stands Graruda in human form. On the other side is a
dwarf attendant, and above Narsinha's shoulders are figures floating
wth garlands and gifts. Over the lion-head is a lotus, and his
jewelled necklaces are elaborately carved.
On the other side of the front pilaster of the verandah from this
last is a large and very striking sculpture, repeated also on a smaller
bCale in the other Vaishnava cave here, in the Dasa Avatara cave
and in other places at Elura, Mahavallipur, &c. Locally it is called
tboW
1 f ithivi is the wife of Vishnu in his Varaha avatara. She is represented in my-
°Sy as a woman with two arms, standing on a lotus-flower, and holding in one hand
fler lotus-blossom, with a crown on her head, her long black locks reaching to her
. ' ydlow complexion, and with a tilaka of red paste on her forehead. Bhumidevi
goddess of patience and endurance, but receives no special worship. See, how-
®>Mam. iii. 85, 86 ; ix. 311; Colebrooke's Essays, vol. i. p. 137.
and * ful1 translation of this see Lid. Ant., vol. iii. p. 305 ff.; or vol. vi. pp. 363 ff.;
^'■irchaol.Ilep., vol. iii. p. 120.
the other figure, and with the chahra and sankha in his up-lifted
hands, but with a boar's bead, standing with bis left foot on the coil
of a snake, tbe bead of which is buman, with five hoods behind it.
In one of bis left bands be bolds a lotus flower, on which stands
Prithivi, also called Bhumidevi or Bbudevi—the Earth personified
—steadying berself against his shoiilders.1
In front of Varaha's knee kneels a buman figure witb tbe
five Naga-hoods over bis jewelled muhuta, and behind stands a
female chauri-be&rer witb the single hood; another figure lies
between Varaha's feet, holding by the long cord or yajnojpavita that
hangs down from his shoulder. Over Varaha's shoulders are two
pairs of vidyddharas, each apparently with offerings.
On the pilaster by tbe side of this sculpture is the inscription of
Mangalisa, dated in Saka 5002 (a.d. 579).
At the west end of the verandah is another of the avataras, namely,
the Narasinha or man-lion. Tbe demon Hiranyakasipu, tbe son of
Kasyapa and Diti, and brother of Hiranyaksha, having, in conse-
quence of severe penance, obtained from Brahma the boon that he
should be invulnerable to gods, men, snakes, &c, became imperious,
and troubled earth and heaven, when, at the desire of Prahlada, the
son of Hiranyakasipu, Narasinha bursting out of a column destroyed
him, to the great joy of the devatas. He is here represented four-
armed, one of the left arms resting on his huge club or gadlia,
besides which stands Graruda in human form. On the other side is a
dwarf attendant, and above Narsinha's shoulders are figures floating
wth garlands and gifts. Over the lion-head is a lotus, and his
jewelled necklaces are elaborately carved.
On the other side of the front pilaster of the verandah from this
last is a large and very striking sculpture, repeated also on a smaller
bCale in the other Vaishnava cave here, in the Dasa Avatara cave
and in other places at Elura, Mahavallipur, &c. Locally it is called
tboW
1 f ithivi is the wife of Vishnu in his Varaha avatara. She is represented in my-
°Sy as a woman with two arms, standing on a lotus-flower, and holding in one hand
fler lotus-blossom, with a crown on her head, her long black locks reaching to her
. ' ydlow complexion, and with a tilaka of red paste on her forehead. Bhumidevi
goddess of patience and endurance, but receives no special worship. See, how-
®>Mam. iii. 85, 86 ; ix. 311; Colebrooke's Essays, vol. i. p. 137.
and * ful1 translation of this see Lid. Ant., vol. iii. p. 305 ff.; or vol. vi. pp. 363 ff.;
^'■irchaol.Ilep., vol. iii. p. 120.