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[Full title: Major Male Divinities (4) Indra (Fig. 5.4)]

Judging from the number of hymns addressed to him 103 Indra, look to be the most prominent god during the Rig-Vedic period. Started his career as the sole proprietor of rain and 101. A 10 th century feature Bandopadhyay, B.: Op-cit, 1981 pp.32. 102. A late 9 th century feature- Dutta, M. Op-cit, 1990, p.76. 103. Sahai, B.: Iconography of Minor Hindu and Buddhist Deities, 1975, p. 11.

108 thunder, he was successful in maintaining his popularity during the epic period, this time however, as the king of Gods. But, his dazzling career has came to an end with the incarnation of the Puranas where he found himself in a debased position of a minor divinity as dikpala or guardian of eastern quarter. 104 The iconography of Indra mainly be discussed in the Agni Purana, the Matshya Purana, the Vishnudharmottara Purana, the Brihat Samhita and in the Rupamandana along with the south* Indian agamas. The Matshya Purana describe him as a two handed deity and the carrier of Vajra in one of his hand and lotus in others. 105 The Agni Purana described him as the bearer of thunderbolts as his emblem and elephant as his vahana. 106 The Suprabhedagama adorned him as a two handed deity with thunderbolt and elephant goad as his main emblem. 107 The Amsumadbhedagama describe him with a shakti in one hand and elephant goad in others. The Vishnudharmottara gives the most elaborate description of Indra. According, to this treatise he is a four armed three eyed deity, elephant as his vahana which should have four tusked. The emblems that are being described in association with these god are as follows Ankusha, representing command which subdues all beings, lotus while representing prosperity, the thunderbolt representing anger. The Padma and Ankusha when are in right hand, one of his left hand should place 104. Barpujari, H.K.(ed.): Op-cit, 1990, p. 411. 105. Matshya Purana 260/6. 106. Agni Purana 51/14. 107. Rao, T.A.G.: Op-cit, Vol. II, 1914, p. 251. 108. Sahai, B. : Op-cit, 1975, p. 12. 109. Shah, P. (tr.) :Op-cit, 1961, p. 159.

109 on Sachi and other should carries thunder bolt. The Rupavatara 110 also described Indra as a four handed deity however, with different attributes, Ankusha and Kamandalu in two of his hands and other two should have been in Varada mudra. Thus, with the increasing number of hand, our ancestral theologist might have tried to impose a super human or magical status to the guardian of eastern quarter probably, to expose the influence of Tantric sadhana. In this connection, it is also interesting that the four handed Indra always be a phenomenal representation primarily because of its rare availability. According to B Sahai, they are not only unknown to north India but even in south India also they are being rarely available.111 Whatever might be the number of hands but the identical emblem of Indra are as 1) Vajra 2) Ankusha 3) Shakti 4) Utpala 5) Kamandalu 6) Varadamudra. The text like The Brihat Samhita, the Vishnudharmottara Purana prescribed him as the three eyed god while the Matshya Purana described him as being adorned with thousand eyes. His well ornamented stand has generally been received by the attendant divinities mainly, the consort who is enjoined sometimes to be seated on his lap. Sometimes he is said to be accompanied by two females holding Parasol and Flywhisk each. 112 With this brief discussion, the elegant looking sculpture in the site museum at Madan-Kamdev has successfully assigned a new dimension to the grandeur and dignity of this centre of plastic activities. Referring to its skillful execution with 110. Sahai, B. : Op-cit, 1975, p. 13. 111. Ibid, p. 26. 112. Barpujari, H.K.(ed.): Op-cit, 1990, p. 412.

110 minute details and more appropriately to its present state of condition, it can better be considered as one of the best conserving specimen in the site museum. Present condition and iconographical standard of this sculpture in brief are as follows a) Condition: good, however the architectural stone block on which the image being carved are now partially damaged. b) Length: 44 cm Width 19 cm c) Posture: slightly tribhanga d) Specific existence: Third eye on the forehead e) Hands: four f) Emblem: i) ii) Left upper hand-Elephant goad or Ankusha Right upper hand-Vajra iii) Left lower hand -inverted Hiranya mudra with a (meditational) ball in the clutch of the two middle fingers. g) Pedestal: iv) Right lower hand -Varada mudra with a sign of shakti on the palm. the god stands on a full blown lotus along with a sitting elephant in the posture of shouting as the tusk raised in the direction of sky. Thus, the iconographical traits have duly confirmed it as being a deity of Indra, the lord of eastern quarter or the pioneering deity of ashtadikpalas. Ascribing to a stereotype delineation, no major innovation, in terms of ornamentations are there to observe to the

111 body of this sculpture. Conical kiritamukuta shape, karna kundrala, two tired necklaces of which lower one composed of rectangular beads while the other one is knitted with rounded beads, wrist bengles, waist griddle of rounded beads, urudamas are some of the main, ornaments as commonly visible almost to all other divinities at Madan-Kamdev. One of the strange appearance is the vanamala or vaijanti (vanamala to Surya is understandable but same to others except Vishnu is quite confusing one) Similarly the preference to diaphanous garment still continued, however the existence of a diagonically flowing yajnopavita from left to right is distinctly observe to the body of the sculpture which further intensified its sensuous charm. Physiognomy : Worked under a canonical prescription, in case of this well survived sculpture, the religious abstraction and realistic vision of physical charm, almost to the point of sensuousness, go hand in hand. Naturally, no major physiognomical innovation be referred to the bodies of this sculpture. The oval oriented rounded face of the image has duly exposed a spiritual grace in its appearance with a good pair of bulging open eyes, normally curve eyebrows and a small pair of lips expressing the blissful eternal smile. The torso of this robust bodily form highlighted a sense of breath and the wasp curves in the narrow middle have further aggravated the perception of roundness to the sculpture. The introduction of soft flesh in and around the naval and lower abdomen have almost to 113. Conical kiritamukuta is a 11 th century feature Bandopadhyay, B.: Op-cit, 1981, p.38.

112 attained anatomical accuracy of ultimate standard. Though, slightly downward tapering tendency worked over the column (almost) like legs but, still the flesh in the thigh and the delicate knees have indirectly referred first, a sense of movement and than to an urnest endeavour (however of little success), to have a good sense perity between the two half of the body. 114 Here also a synthesis form of linear and sinuous movement (specially be realized in the projection of hand and in the execution of narrow middle) looks to be the dominant aesthetic feature of the time when probably the Tantric Sadhana received an overwhelming support from all corners of the society. All these are some of the physiognomical feature which are common almost to the all available sculptures at MadanKamdeva. Regarding this sculpture the most important aspect which attract our attention is the sloping shoulder 115 which indirectly assigned a period of 11 th/12 th century for its production.