DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0456
434 BRAHMANICAL CAVE-TEMPLES.
These last four are frequently represented in other caves with
more or less detail.
6. In the pradahhina on this side is a remarkable group (Plate
LXXII). The first portion of it is very much in shade, but consists
of three skeletons ; Kal, four-armed, with a scorpion on his breast;
Kali, the female personification of Death ; and a third kneeling. Then
comes Ganapati eating his favourite balls of sweetmeat, beyond
whom are the seven divine mothers, four-armed, each with a child,
and, on the base below, her cognizance—(1) perhaps Chamunda
with the owl, (2) Indrani with the elephant, (3) Varahi with the
boar, (4) Vaishnavi or Lakshmi with Garuda, (5) Kaumari with the
peacock, (6) Maheswari with the bull, and (7) Brahmi, Brahmani, or
Sarasvati with the liansa or goose.1 On the return of the wall at
the back is Siva seated with the mace or axe and damru or small
hand-drum.
On the north wall, commencing from the front, are—
1. Bhavani or Durga, four-armed, with her foot resting on her
tiger, holding a trisula or trident in her upper right hand; the
others are broken.
2. Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, over a mass of lotuses, in which
are Naga-canopied figures holding up water jars, and a tortoise among
them. She has two arms, but her attendants on each side holding
water-pots have four; one on her right also holds a sahkha or conen,
one of the symbols of Vishnu. Elephants bathe her with water
from jars, as in the similar Buddhist sculptures.
3. Varaha, the boar-incarnation of Vishnu, his foot on Sesha, the
great serpent, holding up Prithvi, the personification of the Eartn,
whom he rescues from destruction. A snake-demon is between ms
feet, and figures with Naga-hoods over their heads stand on eac
side, one supplicating.
4. Vishnu, four-armed, in his heaven of Vaikuntha, sitting
between his wives Lakshmi and Sita, and four attendants benm
with chdmaras. Below is Garuda and several males and fema
some of them playing on musical instruments.
5. Vishnu and Lakshmi seated on the same couch under a wr<W
or ornamental arch, with attendants behind. Below are
dwarfs seated, four of them with musical instruments.
1 See Indian Antiquary, vol. vi. p. 74, note |).
These last four are frequently represented in other caves with
more or less detail.
6. In the pradahhina on this side is a remarkable group (Plate
LXXII). The first portion of it is very much in shade, but consists
of three skeletons ; Kal, four-armed, with a scorpion on his breast;
Kali, the female personification of Death ; and a third kneeling. Then
comes Ganapati eating his favourite balls of sweetmeat, beyond
whom are the seven divine mothers, four-armed, each with a child,
and, on the base below, her cognizance—(1) perhaps Chamunda
with the owl, (2) Indrani with the elephant, (3) Varahi with the
boar, (4) Vaishnavi or Lakshmi with Garuda, (5) Kaumari with the
peacock, (6) Maheswari with the bull, and (7) Brahmi, Brahmani, or
Sarasvati with the liansa or goose.1 On the return of the wall at
the back is Siva seated with the mace or axe and damru or small
hand-drum.
On the north wall, commencing from the front, are—
1. Bhavani or Durga, four-armed, with her foot resting on her
tiger, holding a trisula or trident in her upper right hand; the
others are broken.
2. Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, over a mass of lotuses, in which
are Naga-canopied figures holding up water jars, and a tortoise among
them. She has two arms, but her attendants on each side holding
water-pots have four; one on her right also holds a sahkha or conen,
one of the symbols of Vishnu. Elephants bathe her with water
from jars, as in the similar Buddhist sculptures.
3. Varaha, the boar-incarnation of Vishnu, his foot on Sesha, the
great serpent, holding up Prithvi, the personification of the Eartn,
whom he rescues from destruction. A snake-demon is between ms
feet, and figures with Naga-hoods over their heads stand on eac
side, one supplicating.
4. Vishnu, four-armed, in his heaven of Vaikuntha, sitting
between his wives Lakshmi and Sita, and four attendants benm
with chdmaras. Below is Garuda and several males and fema
some of them playing on musical instruments.
5. Vishnu and Lakshmi seated on the same couch under a wr<W
or ornamental arch, with attendants behind. Below are
dwarfs seated, four of them with musical instruments.
1 See Indian Antiquary, vol. vi. p. 74, note |).