Essay name: Arts in the Puranas (study)
Author:
Meena Devadatta Jeste
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune
This essay studies the Arts in the Puranas by reconstructing the theory of six major fine arts鈥擬usic, Dance, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature鈥攆rom the Major and Minor Puranas. This thesis shows how ancient sages studied these arts within the context of cultural traditions of ancient India.
Chapter 4 - Sculpture in the Puranas
41 (of 64)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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- stiff and big ears. He wears a tiger skin for his garments and a serpent as his sacred thread. His one foot should be on the foot stool and the other should be on the seat. Such seated images of Ganapati of the early and late medieval periods have been found all over India. In the earliest stage, the Ganesa figure was of a Yaksa type; and an elephant headed Yaksa is to be found in an Amaravati coping and also in the early art of Mathura. In the Gupta period he was represented both as a squalling human figure with elephant's head and also in a dancing pose. KARTIKEYA 45 Kum膩ra, Skanda, Visakha, Guha are the synonyms of this
god. There are many mythological legends underlying the form
of Kartikeya. He is regarded as six headed, son of six mothers,
son of Ganga, son of Agni etc. He is the hero, leader of the
divine army. God Kartikeya or Subramanya attained great
popularity among the southerners of medieval times.
According to Agni Purana, Chapter 50, the image of
skanda, the commander-in-chief of the celestial forces and who
is known as s膩kha and Visakha should be represented as a boy
possessing two arms and riding on a peacock, with the images of
Sumuksi and Vid膩l膩ksi installed on his two sides. The god may
be represented as having one or six faces or possessing six or
twelve hands. The Purana further adds that in a wood or in :
village, his image should be made to appear with two hands.
