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DIKPALAS 59 Dikpalas or Lokpalas are eight in mumber. Indra, Agni Yama, Nirrti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera and Isana. They are the guardians of the quarters of the worlds. All these deities held prominent positions in the Vedic period. The Agni purana describes the images of seven Dikpalas Kuber and Isana in viz. Indra, Agni, Yama, Varuna, Vayu, Chapter 51. The Matsya Purana, in Chapters 260 and 261 describes Agni, Yama, Kubera, Indra, Varuna, and Nairti. The Visnu dharmottara gives elaborate description of Agni (Ch. 56), Varuna (Ch. 52), Kubera (Ch. 53), Yama (Ch. 51) Vayu (Ch. 58) and Sakra or Indra (Ch. 50).

233 INDRA The Agni Purana depicts Indra as riding on an elephant and wielding a thunderbolt. According to the Matsya Purana Indra is Suraraja or the King of Gods. He should be represented with thousand eyes and seated on a wild elephant. He should hold Vajra (thunderbolt) and a lotus (Utpala) and decked with all sorts of ornaments. Indrani holding a lotus should be on his left side. The Visnudharmottara gives an elaborate description of the four-armed Sakra or Indra. He is mentioned as three-eyed and having a four-tusked elephant mount. His two armed consort SacI is seated on his lap. The symboliam underlying all his other iconographical traits is also elaborated there. He holds in his hands the Ahkusa (elephant goad), the lotus, the thunderbolt and one of his left hand is on the back of SacI. In the early Buddhist reliefs of Mathura and Gandhara, Sakra is represented as an attendant of Buddha, with basket like head dress. The four-armed figure of Indra, from the Cidambaram temple seated on his elephant, has his front hands in the Varada and Abhaya poses, the back ones carrying the Ankusa and the Vajra. 60 AGNI The Agni Purana describes Agni as seated on a goat, and holding a spear in his hand. The Matsya Purana The Matsya Purana depicts him as very bright with flames and Yajnopavita, holding Kamandalu in his left hand and Aksamala in his right hand. In the Visnu

234 dharmottara he is described as bearded, four-armed, four-tusked, three eyed, riding a chariot with smoke, driven by wind, having his consort Svaha in his left lap, holding flames, trident and rosary in his hands. There are several Gupta sculptures showing Agni as a Brahmanical deity with a halo of flames round the body and also with Jatajuta, a beard and yajnopavita, pot-bellied and holding Amrta-ghata in the right hand. The two images of Agni at the Mathura Museum and Indian Museum agree with the description given in Agni Purana and Matsya Purana. YAMA According to the Agni Purana, Yama is to be depicted as riding a buffalo and carrying a club. The Matsya Purana depicts him as seated on a buffalo holding a staff and a noose. The Visnudharmottara describes him as a four-armed god seated on a buffalo with his consort Dhumarorna in his left lap, his right hands holding a staff and a sword and the left ones a trident with flames and a rosary. The Cidambaram figure of Yama illustrated by F.A.G. Rao shows the two-armed god standing in front of his mount, his right hand holding a noose, and the left one resting on a club. 62 VARUNA The Agni Purana describes Varuna as riding on a seamonster (Makar) and carrying a trident in his hand. According to the Matsya Purana, his vehicle is Jhasa. He is characterised

- 235 by his famous noose (Pasa). He is bright like a crystal and wears a white garment. He is decked with Kiritamukuta and angada. The Visaudharmottara includes the figures of Ganga and Yamuna on their respective mounts viz. a makara and a tortoise on his two sides. He is four-armed holding a lotus, noose, a conch-shell and a jewel-box. He is riding a chariot drawn by seven swans representing the seven seas because Varuna is the lord of waters, In the Rajagrha temple at Bhuvanesvara there is a beautiful figure of Varuna. The god stands in a graceful pose, holding a looped noose, the left hand being in the varadamudra with the jewelled headgear and all kinds of ornaments. 63 VAYU The Agni Purana says that Vayu is to be depicted as driving an antelope with a full furled streamer gaily flying by his side. According to the Matsya purana the form of Vayu is a quiet youth wearing a variegated garment and with a twisted eyebrow. He is on his mount, a deer and endowed with a banner and a flag. The Visnudharmottara states that the colour of the body and arment of Vayu should be sky-blue and that he should carry in his hands the Cakra and the Dhvaja (flag). In sculptures Vayu is invariably shown as seated on a deer. Dr. Banerjea observes "in early medieval temples of prominent cult gods, Vayu is shown as riding on a stag and holding a flag in his hand and occupying his allotted corner on 64 the outer side of the structure.'

- 236 KU BERA According to the Agni Purana, Kubera should be pictured as carrying a mace and riding a sheep. The Matsya Purana says that Kubera should be shown with a big belly and huge body. He is adorned with ornaments and Mukuta and riding in a vimana with men. He is accompanied by Asta-nidhis and Guhyakas on all sides, He wears a white garment and a mace (gada). The Visnudharmottara describes him as 'tundila' (pot bellied). He has four arms carrying a shield, a mace, a jewol and a pot. His other traits are the two fangs in his mouth, a beard and Rddhi (the goddess of prosperity) seated in his left lap. His dress is that of a northerner (udIcyavesa), wearing a Kavaca and fully decorated with ornaments. He rides on a man (or a chariot drawn by men ?). The Pancika and Hariti reliefs partly agree with this description. The image of Aubera of Mathura Museum more or less 65 agrees with the description given in the Visnudharmottara. The four Lokapala gods are represented frequently on the torana gateways of the stupas. Among them one is Kubera. NIRRTI Nirrti is depicted in the Matsya Purana as riding on a man, accompanied by many demons. He is black like a lamp black. He holds a sword in his hand. His illustrations are very rare. A relief depicting Nirrti is in the collection of the Rajasahi Museum. The god is shown here on the back of a man (Naravahana) 66 end holds in his two hands a sword and a shield.

- 237 Isana is represented by the Agni Purana as having clotted hair and sitting on a bullock. He is a particular aspect of Siva. Vismudharmottara calles Isana