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Vishnu is one of the most important Brahmanical cult deities. He is one of the gods of the Hindu Trinity, and is considered to be responsible for the universal protection. Brahma and Siva, the two other gods of the Irinity are held responsible for the creation and destruction of the universe. Visnu is mentioned in the Vedas many times, but not as a supreme deity. The Vedic Visnu is identified with the sun. He

197 is given epithets like Urukrana, Urugaya, Trivikrama etc. 1... he of the great strides or three strides. Vedic Vismi is said to have stridden over the seven rigions and to have covered the universe with three steps. This must have developed into the myth relating to the Vamanavatara of the Puranic Vismu. The Puranas have clearly established the supremacy of Vismu. The special characteristic of the Puranic god is that he is the preserver and the benevolent deliverer. The vaisnsva Puranas like the Vishnu Purana or the Vishnudharmottara Purana worships Visnu as the only supreme divinity. In the end pusat Put also, the only supene divinity. In the Agni Purana also, Vishnu seems to be the most important god. In the cosmogonical account, he is described as the sole cause of the universe and all the creative processes are assigned to him. In the Puranic period Visnu had attained such an eminent position that other deities were more or less subordinated to him. The Avatars theory of this supreme deity established his superiority. He is also mentioned in the Agni Purana in the list of the twelve Adityes, the sons of Kasyapa and Aditi. Though Saguna, he is described in the same Purana as Aguna, entering into Prakrti and Purusa to agitate them. But greater stress is laid on the Saguna aspect of the god. The Vism cult which acquired both devotional and ritualistic aspect of religion was clearly reflected in the Agni Purane. 23

- 198 The iconographical details of the god Vishnu in general are found in the Agni Purana, Adhyaya 51. God Vismu is represented as possessing eight hands, riding Garuda and holding in his right hand a sword, Gada, bow and arrow, and Khetaka in the left, while the remaining two hands are represented as giving blessings. He is described with his paraphernalia and the attendants in Adhyaya 23, 15 - 17. Lakami is his consort and Garuda is his attendant conveyance (Vahana). He has discus, club, conch-shell, bow and arrows, the Vaijayanti-mala, the mystic mark Srivatsa, the Kaustubha gem and the Dikpalas. And it is said that such an image of Visnu 24 should be worshipped. The Vishnudharmottara describes Lord Vishnu in the Adhyaya 44 and 47 as seated on Garuda, wearing celestial yellow garment with Kaustubha on his bosom and with all sorts of ornaments. He has four faces and eight arms. The eastern face is called Saumya, the southern Narasimha, western Kapila and northern Varaha. He wears vanamala. He carries in his right hand an arrow, a rosary, a club etc. and in his left hands hide, cloth and rainbow. The eight hands symbolise the Astadisah (eight directions) and his four faces represent strength (Bala), Knowledge (Jnana), sovereignty (Allvarya) and energy (sakti). The Kaustubha suggests pure knowledge. The world is bound together by the long Vanamala. Garuda represents a mind pervading the bodies of all creatures.

- 199 Adhyaya 60 of the Vismudharmottara describes Visnu as having one face and two arms carrying Gada and Cakra. Visnu In the Epic and Puranic age Vignu is regarded as the most influential deity of the Brahmanical triad Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Naturally he possesses a thousand names by which he is praised and round him a very important Brahmanical cult grew up. Among the several names of Visnu twenty four are regarded as most important (Caturvin satimurtayah). Among the 24 forms of Visnu, those of Vasudeva, Sahkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha are considered to be of great importance. as Vasudeva was regarded as the highest aspect of god in whom all things in the universe live, move and have their being. According to the Visnudharmottara, Lord Visnu's four faces one represents strength (Bala), and is called Vasudeva, another represents knowledge (Jnana) and is called Sankar sana. The third represents sovereignty (Aisvarya) and is called Pradyumna; and the fourth represents potency or energy (Sakti) and is called Aniruddha. These are the Caturvyuhas or Caturmurtis. 25 According to Agni Purana (Chapter 44 Vs 46 - 49) Para-Vasudeva may also be sculptured as a standing image. In this case there should be on either side the goddess Sri and Pusti, carrying respectively a Padma and a Vina. The figures of these goddesses should not reach a higher level than the hip of Vasudeva. In the Prabhamandala, ornamented with the figures of elephants and other animals, two flying figures of two Vidyadharas, carrying each a garland of flowers should be

200 sculptured. The Pitha on which Vasudeva and the Devis stand should be made to have brilliance of gold. The Matsya Purana (Ch. 257, 13) lays down that Sri and Pusti holding lotuses should be made by the side of Vismu. The Kalika Purina lays down that Sri should be made to appear on his right and Sarasvati on his left. on his left. Dr. J.N. Banerjea observes that this description corresponds with the description of the actual images while the Agni Purana text closely fits in with the actual images. In the South Indian images of Vismu, his two invariable attendant consorts are Sridevi and Bhudevi, holding besides s fly-whisk, a lotus and a blue lotus respectively. North Indian varieties of Vishnu images have almost invariably Sri and Pusti or Sarasvati holding a lotus and a lute in their hands. 26 The Visnudharmottara describes the image of Para Vasudeva in Chapter 85, as having one face and four arms; it should have great beauty; it should be of the dark blue colour of the cloud and should be adorned with various ornaments. The neck should resemble the Sankha or Conch. The vanamala should reach the knees. Vasudeva has Kaustubha on his bosom and Kirita on his head. Archaeological proof in the form of Vishnu image is forthcoming from the late Sunga period in the first century B.C. In the Kusina period, however, regular images of Vishnu began to be made. Several such images are found wearing a mukuta on the head and other ornaments on the body and dressed

- 201 in dhoti and a scarf. The position of the four hands is rather remarkable. The right hand is held in Abhayamudra, the corresponding left hand is placed nearly on the hip (1.e. akimbo) and holds an Amrta-ghata and the two extra hands hold a mace (gada) and Cakra respectively. In the Mathura Museum is found an image of Vishnu with four hands. This image belongs to the Kusana period. There are also other images of Visnu with eight hands holding different attributes. The image of Nrsimha-Varaha- Vishnu of the Gupta period is in the Mathura Museum. This is similar to the description of four faced Visnu, one of the four faces is of Narasimha and the other of Varaha which we find in the Vishnu-dharmottara. There are some statues 27 at Mathura showing four armed Vishnu with Lakshmi by the side and a small figure of Garuda between them. The Dvibhuja (two armed Visnu as described by the Visnudharmottara in Adhyaya 60) is found at Rupavas (near Fatepur Sikri, U.P.). The Badami stone figure is of an eight armed sthanaka Vishnu. The image of fourarmed Visnu which are found at Taxila and also at Nalanda exhibit most of the characteristics mentioned by the Puranas such as showing its back right and left hands placed on the top of a Gada and a Cakra, the front right and left hands holding Padma and a Sahkha; the jewelled kirita, the Vanamala, Yajnopavite the Hara and the Sirsacakra (halo) with a decorated rim behind the head. 28 The Visnudharmottara in Chapter 81 describes the image of god Padmanabha (1.e. Visnu), 'who is shown sleeping on sesa,

- 202 and the sesa lying on waters. His head dazzles the sight on account of the great jewels on his hoods. Padmanabha - the god of gods has four hands. One of his legs is placed on the lap of Laksmi and the other on the extended hood of Sesa. two One of his hands is placed over the knee, another on the navel, the third under his head, and the remaining one holding a cluster of the Santana flowers. Brahma is shown on the lotus, which sprung from Visnu's navel. Madhu and Kaitabha demons are shown clinging to the lotus-stalk. This is the Sayana-murti of Vismu. The asanamurtis of Vishnu (Visnu seated on Garuds) are rare and his sayanamurtis are rarer. Still one of such Sayanamurtis, is the terracotta plaque, originally at Bhitargaon (Kanpur, U.P.) of the 5 th Cen. A.D. and now in the Indian Museum depicts the motif which corresponds to the description of the Visnudharmottara Purana. In the Deogarh stone relief of 6 th Century A.D. is shown an image of Sega-SayiVisnu which agrees with the description given in the Visnudharmottara Purana. 29 The other minor forms of Vismu namely Hayagriva, Narayana, Dattatreya, Nara-Narayana etc. are also described by the Puranas such as the Agni Purana (Ch. 49), the Bhavisya Purana (Ch. 12) and the Vismudharmottara (Ch. 76, 80 etc.). Dr. Banerjea is of the opinion that the two ascetic figures delineated side by side on the relief at Deogarh are of Nara and Narayana, and they correspond very closely with the description in the Visnudharmottara. 30

- 203 The Visvarupa or the cosmic form of Vismu is depicted by the Vishnudharmottara in Chapter 23, and by the Agni Purana Chapter 49. In the Gupte sculpture of the Mathura School several images of this type( i.e. of Cosmic form) have been found. A number of other divine figures are depicted there. 31 The Agni Purana has devoted Chapter 48 to the 24 images of Visnu. All possible permutations of the four emblems are found there. Among the various forms of Vismu, Sahkar sana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are important and are described by the Agri Purana in Adhyaya 49 and by the Visnudharmottara Purana in Adhyaya 85. The Agni Purana says that Pradyumna should be represented as wielding a thunderbolt with the divine conch in his right hands, a bow and an arrow in the left two hands and carrying Gadas in all the four hands. According to the Vishnudharmottara Pradyumna and Sahkarsana should be depicted like Vasudeva but instead of Gada and Cakra, Pradyumna should hold Capa and arrow while Sahkarsana should hold Musala and Langula which should have beautiful human forms. Aniruddha is like Pradyumna and should carry a shield and a sword. Agni Purana says that Aniruddha as well as Narayana should be represented as having four hands.