MOTHER-GQDDE8S
AN ICONQBRAeHIC STUDY
divinities,
made
regions
of
Bengal
A.D.
stone
that
by
the 12th
an
of
century
universal
heterodox.
texts,
different
recognition
and
In
Brahmanical religion,
the
later
propagated
Vedic
the
idea
the
Deyimahatmya
the
describes
personified
thirty
section of the
chief
form
goddess
Markandeya
Candika
ultimately
h~r
as
least
male-
of
those
great
draws
goddess
an
and
outline
the
at
of
in
which
Purana~
deities,
or
Candi
explained
of
the sculptors
the
image
intending
to
gods
The
of
give
in
respect of placid or
benevolent
iconographic
and
terrible
attributes
are concerned.
Side by side with
the
respective
male
of
them
like
Parvati
like
goddesses
like
Manasa,
and
Sasthi
and
the
river
incorporated
in
the
Brahmanical pantheon
Again, the concept of "Sakti" came to be recognised
the
VaJrayana
(universal
father
and
universal
by
faith.
a9.!=.
mother
Sakti
sambhava,
of
the
Tantras ).
There are
Aksobhya,
Ratna-
respective
associated
with
Tara
Yellow
Tara,
Rakta
Green
consorts
of
Mahayanists
is
Tara
who
171
The
has
chief
goddess
numerous
the
female
of
the
manifestation
Sarasvati
enjoy
some
individuality
Prajnaparamita
in
the
Mahayana
pantheon.
The
derived,
iconography
divinities
from
derived
and
For example ,
Visnu,
goddesses
features
from
Avalokitesvara
Siva,
is
Manjusri-
from
1
from
Marici
Sarasvati,
Again
gods
to
Brahmanical
of Buddhist
, many Brahmanical
divinities
were
Laxmi.
incorporated
in
the
goddess
Tara
and
Marici
such
Vasudhara
concepts
Jainism
also
"Saktis",
Saktism
the
Cult
been
who
were
bondage&,
in
inherent
adopted
Tirthankaras
derived
from
also
associated
of
Mother-goddess.
free
respective
their
with
Yak!!inis.
or
religious
worldly
all
form
The
Thus,
and
non-
recognition
names
and
of
forms
Cult
the
female-divinities
the
Brahmanical
in
the
Piilrnasabari,
Mahamayavijayavahini,
seem to have been
of
.3
Puranic
Sakti
as
manifestations
life
the
diversity.
tvam
suqatagame
kaulikasasane,
srutisalini
jinamate
bhagavati
padmavati
Prakritirityuktasi I
.
sai.vagame/vaJ ra
gauriti
visruta
Samkhyaaame
4
Gcwatri
/Matarbharati
,~,
classification
necessity
as
'
of
the
the textual
female
reference
divinities
and
is
archaeological
Of
60DQE8SES
forms:
Visnu
popular
gods
like
without
group.
Surya
As
insignificant
quite
and
position
Ganapati
held
, their female
to
Saivite
comparatively
counterparts
goddesses
had
of Ganapati
a
is
tilAka-Ttntra
these
in
wives
in
some
aspects
Sakta
matrka
iconic
The
independent
neutral
independent
who
representations.
as
predecessors of the
Sakta
terracotta
deities.
the
The
aspect
Mahitsuramardini,
the
goddess
as
Candi
are
represented
Carcika,
Rudracarcika,
Camunda,
goddesses
Siddha-Yogesvari,
associated
Sarasvati
and
).
their
learning
with
Laksmi
and
Vianu.
Vasundhara
of
emerging .from
daughters
of
Laksmi,
included
in
to
the
female-divinities
are recognised
as
with
connectd
stays
as
MHAYANA
BUQDHI ST BOQDESSEB I
of
mystic
growth
the
text
Buddhism
composition of the
of
Tantric
..
GuhvasamaJatantra ,
Buddhism, assigned
174
to
the
the
3rd
The
ti~e
of
earliest
century
A.D. The
system
however,
development
8
during
the
Large
number
of
shelter
Buddhist
in
Nepal.
manuscripts
of
India
The
illustrated
expansion of Tantric
paintings
of
Buddhism from
Mahayana
manuscripts of the
Easterm
deities
Nepalese
found
tradition are
in
of
the
Sadhanamala
Century
do
sources
not
correspond
to
the
iconographic
occurred
to
attention is drawn
Candradvipe
Bhaqayati
Tar~
of
Tara
P@tikerw
vumkara
Uddiyana
Cund@
Marici (Marici
Uddiyana, identified
with
the
village
10
Vajroyogini in Dacca)
Of
pantheon,
the
Tara
Mahayana
Buddhist
Many
or aspects
list
of
is
controversy amongst
175
origin
popularity
of
place
Tara
goddess
of
hr
in Bengal since
Plete of 9oyinda
snatched
the
Dharmapala's
Palas.
defeated
away an image
(Dharmapala),
tt1e
king
emblem
of
reign
of
the
Jagaddala
the
Avalokitesvara.
(Tarabhavana)
with
consort
her
records
script
along
the
by
newa
of
construction
of
Indian
temple
family
of
the
12th
century
A.D.
makes
reference
in
first
to
the
Paharpur,
seem
to
suggest
recognition
Chine,
district Rajshahi).
tt1at
the
Archaeological
Buddhist
goddess
Japan,
Eastern
, Western
and
finding
Tara
gained
Indonsia,
Tibt,
Southern
India
and
13
Ceylon.
Among the Mahayana female- dvinities found in
mention
may
Prajnaparamita,
iconogoaphic
form
tiara
Parnasabari,
Cunda
and
over
types),
Marici,
Hariti
In
identification.
As
176
pointed out
miniature
engraved
Bngal,
key
above
on
to
'
the
proper
Mahayana
Jainism
decline
suffered
due
to
popularity
wide
Bengal
Puranic
of
of
with
the
comtemporary religious
adaptation of bhakti
divinities.
The
seem
The
to
scenario
have
by
different
Jaina
female-deities
and
are
or special
serpent-hood.
counterpart of Puranic
devi (sakti) of the
worshipped
some
an
and
Jaina
as
Yaksinis
and
are
found
in
the
districts
of
West
Bengal
A Terracottas:
8ENBAL
of
remote
historic
antiquity.
terracotta
art
represented
the
by
tr.aced
the
177
proto-
goddess
to
of
artistic
design
can
period.
hardly
But
before
Kharosthi
be dated long
Brahmi
inscriptions
the
Maurya-Sunga
seals
have
contining
attnlcted
our
The
first
found
from
Hadipyr,
North
24-Parganas,
the
left
right
side,
this
hand
and
the
her
her
left
inscription
of
"Pevi
The
of
site
of
is
found
with a carved
image
of
3rd
female
left
while
hand
'
waterpot
t@&@oadhiprana chunagasi
be
carved
image
~th
thirst"
tha
of a standing goddess
178
and
an
same
obverse
inscription
cooking rice'
for
B.N.
Mukhop.a.dhyay,
number
of
mean
seal
ha&
here would
who
terracotta
images
and
mother-goddess
of
culture-centres
&pecimens
of
Banqarh.
Bengal
One
of
tha
was
early
found
from
She
&amapada
from
the
of
from
Candraketurqarh,
Haroa,
Tamluk
and
other
sites
of
18
period
visualises
full - blown
lotu&.
Another
stylistically
furnishes
lotus,
plaque
part only on
a
19
Candraketwgarh
from
century
holding
full-bloomed
association
establishes
lower
obvious
her
their
of
all
identity as
lotuses
the
B.C.,
stands
on
in
figurines
Sri-Laksmi.
with
One
lotus
terracotta
20
the
ocean
of
depicts
the
the
demons',
~he
179
found
Sunga style.
terracotta
and
divinity
Sungais
seen
standing
~1
the
devotees.
terracotta
specimens
appear
Tamralipti)
to
be
found from
of
Jamluk
considerable
ancient
in
interest
abhiseka
,being
the
than
Later
early
of
with
the
sculpture
Laksmi
can
basis
Pala-
Sena
sculptural
representations
The
the
her
often
records of Bengal.
.L
Bengal
may
be
namely~
under
three
heads,
Brahmanical~
Again
Bengal,
Major,
b)
surrounding
The
first
heads
a)
includes
category
a particular cult
those
or
sect,
category
Saivite and
the
fir6t
gods
it has
like
been
Manasa,
Ganga,
the
Sasthi,
Sitala,
Matrkas,
and
deities
river-goddess
IMAGES QE
The
MAJOR GODDESSES
goddesses
associated
with
Vi6nu,
Laksmi
and
sculptures,
twofold
Sarasvati.
though
aspects,viz.
few
We
find
in number,
Gaja-Laksmi and
in
different
representations
Laksmi
exhibiting
in
Bengal
herself
Laksmi-Narayana.
in
Two
26
Gajalaksmi
images
respectively.
belong
to 10th
and
11th
written
Kamale-Kamini)
elephants,
elephant
century
showing
been
the
portrayed
Devi
in
devouring
bathed
Candimanqal@
Candi
(named
association
and
A.D.
with
eructing
black
an
basalt
stone
from
stretching
27
village
the
Basta~
left
district Dacca.
thigh
Raghurampur
Laksmi
of Visnu reminds us of
images
Mahesvara
Goddess
of Bengal. The
the
typa
Visnupattas~
with Visnu in
sitting
on
of
Uma-
found
from
Sarasvati
along
Visnu
one~
on
S~rasvati
his
both
30
Visnu in
two
sculptural
recoverd from
two
his
from
two
villages
of
31
Dacca
district .
Regarding
the
.image
of
the
Rajshahi
of
Bogra
is
and Rajshahi~
are described. Only one of the~
32
entire" . The image of Sarasvati usually
worshipped
Bengal
pust~k@-m@lika
in
-hasta
33
vina-hasta
Sarasvati, is
however
rare
in
stone or
met~l
it
appears
her
children~
Siva
and
with
182
her
lying
position
Bengal. The
ancient
culture-centre&
in
larger
already
described in
in
Samatata
and
Magadha . The
eight-armed
Sakti
prominent
Sarvani
image
named
inscription
It is known
Deulbadi in Tipperah.
on
from
the
queen
of
34
has
with
gold.
the
goddess
closely
that
follows
of
and
Ambika,Kshemankari
Bhadra-Durga,
Vedagarbha,
Saradatilaka
!antra
this
aspect
as
Bhadra-Kali,
found
the
in
as
of
"Durga
3~
is
Stella
Kramrisch
and the
two-armed
One
early
Bhubanesvar,
surrounded
by
four
Durga(four-armed),
other
prominent
Ardhanarisvara,
deities
is
such
Sapta-matrkas
seen
as
and
36
Camunda
The
The
found
have
goddess,
far,
goddess
is
terrible-looking.
at
least
belonging
five
to
or
the
183
six
tenth
images
century
only
one
of
37
Darjeeling, showing her fighting aspect in a graceful fashion.
We
so
eight-armed
of
village
the
A.D.
warriorA
very
interesting
goddess
stone
sculpture
representing
the
ten-armecl
Dulmi
fro~
38
goddess
is
shown
in pratyelidha
pose with her right hand and left legs planted firmly on
lion
trisula
the
neck
of
parasy,
the
demon),
ankusa,
the
hands
KhetAka,
naqapasa
and
39
sucimudra.
image,
black - stone
The
similar
in
composition,
eleventh
considered
metal
in
bears
on
the
12th
the
tenth-
century
as
found
in
from
remarkable
characters
Kitching,
piece
of
MayurbhanJ,
40
this series.
standing
with
deserve
alloy
arms,
his
Ambika,
hailing
from
Paharpur
of
human
a tn-armed
Sarvani
One
village
twelve
West
is
her
Durga
pedestal
the
of
inscription,Sri-Masika-Candi
century
Mahishamardini
ten-armed
and
from
The
(Rajshahi),
in
Malda
octothough
and
anothE't"
in
184
has
early mediaeval image of
an
45
installed A fine specimen of eight-armed
made
the
goddess
Mahisamardini
Parisat
Museum,
small
Sahitya
and
remains
yet
of
is
central
rare
figure
is
goddesses
surrounding
Rudracanda,
Pracanda,
Candogra,
twelfth
Candarupa
century
Darjeeling
which
Ugracanda
the
is
found
yielded
and
central
from
the
The
other
one
Candanayika,
A.D.
from
47
instance in Bengal.
sixteen-armed
Candavati,
found
are
Canda,
specimen
same
of
place
ninth-century
in
image
of
48
Mahisamardini.
have
Three
Mahisamardini
images
are
known
to
name
49
of
Candi
(inscribed) during
the
reign
of
the
Sen a
kings.
The wide distribution of the Mahisamardini images
from
it
obvious
probably
the
the
However
Parvati,
Gauri~
well-known
in
Bengal
remarkable
forms
such
as
Ambika
and
number
of
was
images
museums
of West Bengal.
type
are
iguana
two
, shows on
him,
of
beneath
antelopes.
There
figures
Rajsahi
and is illustrated in
the
Malda
from
Museum
50
Catalogue.
The
standing
goddess
is
found accompanied
by
and
Ganesa,
latter
school
one
of
'Gauri',
the
of
the
Bengal
remaining
as
in
and
Ganesa,
and
the
its
unpublished
image is
Ambikanagar,
Parisat
Bankura
Museum.
attended
the pedestal
and
The
by two
properly
found
from
now
goddess
female
and
is
the~e
is found
with
heavy
of
Sahitya
breasts,
(Plate~III
identified
image
Fig-4).
of
an
animal,
not
The characteristics of
the
on
Nowgong
form of
this
image
of
53
lion. Seated
well-decorated
from
from
found
seated
seated
(Rajshahi)
Devi
was
is
found
discovered
Ganesa on either
54
side.
She
holds
bhringara. She is
Aoarajita
of
by a
stone
sand
showing the
in
her
hands
identified as
the
pevipurana
specimen
attributes of
(9th
padma,
~'
trisult
and
55
Devi.
Sarvamangala aspect of
appears
to
century)
be
represented
from
Niyamatpur
shield
56
and
trident
known as
still
held
mutilated
stone
the
ruins
reports
one
ancient
ruins
temple.
The
preserves
and
four
hands
A six-armed goddess
Bhuvanesvari
worshipped
from
in her
image
rep~esenting
of
Mahasthan
Vangiya
one fine
another
slab
Sahitya
image of
Parisat
Candi
found
of pot-stone containing
worshipped
Museum,
from
seated
in
Calcutta,
60
Dinajpur
image
the
of
hands
61
(found
at a time
were
found
from
Calcutta).
in
the
Malda
62
One
Museum.
lion
and
peculiar
iguana
image
village
in
both
Jalpaiguri
63
district
this
and is
preserved
in
Museum.
Some
images
of
preserved
in
of
Dacca.
In
this
connection
we may refer to
seated
miniature
identified
Linga
by
on
its
Gopinath
head,
which
tentatively
is
Rao as Mahalaksmi.
It
is
rare
terrific
that the
goddess
had
taken
One
representations
Camunda
skeleton
skulls,
the
goddess
by
of
little
sculptural
different
names
Rudra-Carcika,
characteristics
variations
Dantura,
like
Siddha-
Siddha-Camunda,
in
however,
those
all
the
image.
on
The
same,
as
garland
of
corpse
in
cases.
are,
of
different
Rupavidya,Rudra-Camunda and
consideration
general
of
Scholars identify
,Bhadrakali,
Yogesvari,
some
forms
is
often
from
Itahar,
Dinajpur
four-armed
The
found
from
not
The
Dinajpur
specimen
is
Govt.,
styled
Dantura,
was
from
recovered
the
village
is
of
Attahasa ,
68
Burdwan. It
is
marvelously
sculpture.
Vangiya
Sahitya
( Bankura),
has
image of
one
well-executed
Parisat
piece
Museum,
Camunda
in
Vishnupur
its
collection,
In
according
Bengal
such
ass-riding Camunda
in
is
the
resemblance
designate
still
of
respect
Bankura
'Sitala'
~ardabhavahini
Rudracarcika
the
specimen as
(goddess
of
ass-mount,
'pisitasAna'.,
small - pox)
we
may
also
although
in
known
as
is
(riding on ass).
six-armed
of
found
miniature
from
of
Dinajpur
the
is
goddess
found
styled
on
seated
69
forms
of
Rudra-Camunda
and
Siddha-
of
70
Birbhum.
The
former
is
known
189
to
be
worshipped
in
Rupavidya
71
was
found
from
Siddha-Yogesvari
Betna, Dinajpur.
Twelve
armed
dancing
somewhere
1'2
in
the
of
ruins
Rampal
in
Dacca.
Excavation
Raghurampur yielded
jackal
eating
represents
inseparability
Such
and
Siva
together
Sakti
Kalyana-Sundara
Ardhanarisvara,
number of
half-male
sculptural
However,
we
the
ancient
interesting
depicts
ruins
The
We
have
of
compostie
growth
which
which
e~ergas
the
goddess,
identified by
74
Bhairavi, a Tantric
form
of anthropomorphic representation
leaning
to erotic sentiment
Such an image
in
the
enthusiastically
Tripura-
image
Vikrampura,
for
of
Siva
Parvati
given
goddess.
fervent
Parvati.
the
of a four-armed
in
half-length
Uma-Mahasvara,
from
the
system.
or Vaivahika culminated
discovered
with
Samkhya
Siva-Durga,
of
representing
Kalika-Purana
on
Sundari
corresponds to the
Uma
Siva-
description
(ch.6).
is
as
seated
resembles
excellent
image
with
bronze
(9th
artistic
from
form
was
found
its
Boram,
Purulia,and
Gallery
of
Archaeology,
assigned
to
remains
yet
West
Bengal
of
Govt.
the
The
1~th
unpublished.
In this
connection
we
State
image
is
18)
and
may
make
sculpture
of
of
sculptural
representation of Ardhanarisvara
the
in
Only
one
was
found from
76
Museum. Although
Rajshahi
female
Linga on
A
from
its
number
four
sides
and
styled
to
the
sites
9th
in
Four
surrounding
Caturmukha
different
assigned
this
Linga
type,
found
North
Bengal,
are
77
A.D.
Recently, an image of
century
and
78
type
in
is
known
as
type were
collected
from
Dacca
and
Bogra. The
found
Stuard Bridge
Goddess
herself
Collection
Durga
of
the
British
or Parvati in her
now
191
artistic
preserved
Museum,
mother-form
specimens
in
80
London.
exhibits
Ganesa
and
81
this
type
slabs
representing
carved
is
styled
as
this
Sadyojata. Generally
aspect
are marked
the
stone
linqa
with
of
goddess
Side
goddess
of
separate
Kuvera,
have
representions
been
of
in
Bengal,
their female-consorts
consort
Indrani,
discovered
Indra,
of
are
has
Varuna
sculptural
rarely
few
found.
sculptural
and
Brahmani
are included in
the
also
list
Brahma.
of
seven
and
of
slab
Museum.
Brahman!
~nd
Surya
is
goddesss,
images
are
are
found in the
metal
slab has
collection
on
it
of
three
the
on
Rajshahi
mothers,Kaumari,
mothrs
is
82
preserved
in
sometimes
represented
Indrani
Malda
Museum.
But
separately
the
We
mothers
have
an
were
image
in
of
Bankura
Museum
the
83
image
is
mutilated.
worshipped
in
Varahi images
from
the
temple of Siva at
Indrani
Kurmun,
is
West
Dvarvasini,Hooghly, and
Dinajpur
(Plate V, Fig.
still
Burdwan.
village
Bahirha,
A fine specimen of
the
was found
other
An
11).
Two
from
image
of
84
Brahmani
of the
Nadiya.
An
unidentified
with
from
Devagram,
some
peculiar
85
characteristics
bellied
hand.
is
now
in the
Malda
Museum. The
pot-
local
right
Tantric
images
taken
some local deities (Plate VII ,Fig. 20, Plate VIII, Fig.
as
21),
the
position
number
might be ascribed to
of
sculptural
Bengal,
the
with
left
hand
~'
her right
the
four-handed
variety of the
image,
The
lalitasant
head,
all
her
in
the
either
male person.
rosary,
193
this
described
hand
of
pose
pose
most
snake-goddess
representations
varada
the
snake,
early
shows a child
on
her
left
lap
the
Indian
Museum,
Calcutta.
Manasa
87
images
are
in
the
collection
of the
Malda
Museum
Gallery
of
inscribed
Govt.,
the
State
sculptures
inferior
of
Manasa
(lower
portions
is
sand-
broken),
One
and
Fig.
Calcutta.
Birbhum,
of
Sahitya
that
symbols
Two
represented
A.D.
the
other
information
of
from Bihar
Madanapaladeva
shows
its
installation
(A.D.1144-1158).
a goddess with
some
tree.
12th century
88
Rajshahi
and
from
89
an inscription, furnishing
with
regarding
by
the
child on
during
The
the
Rajshahi
90
her lap
The
the
reign
specimen
mount
of
used
to
be
worshipped by the
benign
and
from
Ganga (12th
91
Deopara, Rajshahi.
Another
Fig
29
shows
).
hailing
irom
Jessore
pearls
nagini
on
either side
four-armed
variety
of
and
, dated
touching
Mahayana-Vajrayana
The
deities
descriptions.
(Dacca,Faridpur,
Buddhism,
includes
are prescribed
from
the
dhyanas
Chattagram,Sylhet,
Comilla),
or
districts
Barisal,BackarganJ),and
the
numerous
image-
of
Van gil
Samatata(Tipperah,
districts
of
Burdwan,
in
Bhagalpur
number
Magadha-
Anga regions
yielded
correspond
to
the
Nispannayogavali,
descriptions
although
of
the
large
these
images
Sadhanamala
local variations in
some
and
cases
we
sculptures
93
but
also
by
S.K.Sarasvati.
245 - Mahapratisara ,
and 269-Mahamayuri,
268-Tara-ware
260found
in
Prajnaparamita, No.L.S.4-1958
the
year
36 of the
reign
to
of
of
L.S.10-195B
the
Pala
ruler
Ramapala.
The advent of the chief Buddhist goddess Tara
during
the
century
94
of Tara is
representation
temple
might
at
found
first
sculptural
be
between
The
A.D.
7th
occurred
considered as a production of
the
intermidiary
stage
art
colour),
generally
lotus
in
it
Mediaeval
depicted
and
A.D.,
her
An
was
96
found at Sompara(Dacca)
The first image of Tara belonging to the Pala period was
found
from
Hilsa
(Bihar) bearing
the
epithet
gm
Tare
sysmbolised
an
emanation
temple-site
Bhagalpur
(Bihar)
196
an
image
From
of
an
be
old
Vajratara
accompanied
found. The
early
by
image is
dated in
Buddhist
deities was
100
century A.D. Two
the tenth
found
from
Chittagong,
Vangiya
Sahitya
Parisat
image
Museum,Calcutta,
has
number
of
the
reign
century
of Mahendrapaladeva(Pratihara
A.D.)
of
9th-10th
Ramapala
One
and
king
the
four-headed
image
of Vajratara,
was
found
of
from
10th
seated
goddess
in
very benign
hands
found
is
representing
is
a
the
Samatata an octo-alloy
Bhrkuti
Brahmanical god
handed,
the
Tara (a terrible
Ganesa). The image
aspect
is
suppressing
the
three-headed,eight-
pedestal
of
carved
on
crown.
An
Buddhas
round
village
her
head
was
197
found
from
the
Vajrayogini(Vikrampur) and
106
Dayaganj, Dacca.
prominent
female
divinity
pantheon, is considered as
Parnasabari
'Jiyas
of
the
form
Mahayana
Buddhist
107
Tara. Two images of
of
Thakurani
at
a village and
the
other
found
as
from
tarjani,
miniature
section
figures
of
Buddhist
of
on
the
the
top
considered
as the Buddhist
109
'Maricimali, who
is not a
counterpart
female
Brahmanical
of
not
and
be
associated
form
of
Surya
syncretism
between
sculptures
of
this
originated out
the Saktas
deity
representing
Gallery
at
Marici
and
of an ideology of
110
Sauras. Some of stone
(Faridpur)
region, and
111
Museum, and
Rajshahi
household
mainly
Tipperah. A
beautifully
from
Vanga
the
Dacca
found as a
carved
image
the
State
from
Ujani(Faridpur)
A.D.
11th-12th
century
~ne
being
that
of a
sow ,
asokaleat,
suci,
eight
hands
drawn
by
accompanied
by
four
subsidiary
113
Vadali, Varali and Varahamukhi.
Buddhist goddess
Hariti,
goddesses,
the
chariot
Rahu.She
viz.
protector
on
of
is
Varttali
child like
Sasthi,is rarely represented in stone or metal in early mediaeval Bengal.Only two specimens come to our notice, one from
114
115
Dacca
the
other
from
Nalimda.
The latter is
and
shown as carrying a child on her lap, and the former holds
attributes
of
Buddhist
goddess
Vasudhara
are
or
showering
number
the
twelve Dhranigoddesses
Nispannayogavali,Cunda
single
with
regnal
image
an
described
in
the
Kurkihar,
Bhagalpur,
31st
this
E~xcellant
temple
goddess,
while
an
century)
Buddhist
reign
Niyamatpur(Rajshahi)
designating
the
representation(9th
eighteen-armed
the
image
match
with
goddess
Prajnapgramita
occupies
very
exalted
of
'transcendental
knowledge'
and
the
female
the
proper
identification of
the
goddess.
Another
image,
seated on
miniature
dhyani
Buddhas
are
and
hands
placed
against her breast, the right in the Vyakhyana and the leftin
the Jnana-mudra holding the book AstasahasrikaPreJnaparamit4.
The
on
In
the
Vajrayana-Tantrayana pantheon,
protective
Buddhist
goddesses(Panca-raksa),
householders. They arr
Mahasahasrapramardini.
They
are
in
bP!ieved
worshipper
from
being
every
Mahamayuri,
Mahamantranusarini.
mystic
spells.
people
$~Ve
Mahapratisara,
Mahasitavati and
five
to
v~nerable
f~ct
are
'th~re
It
rain
is
and
droughts,
a
good
is
being
in
family
of
Dacca 'town.
He
found
~nd
the
sculptures
of
the
manuscripts
collected
from
this
mandala
Nalanda(12th
centry
and
dated
Mahamantranusarin!
14th
regnal
year
were
of
and
of
with
an
128
Nayapaladeva.
some
the
Jaina
Mrs.
Bankura district
tour
in
were
the
early
mediaeval
named
201
village
Ambikanagar,
situated
Kumari
and
129
Kangsavati
rivers
Sasanadevi
or
Ambika
Sakti
is
recogni.sed
or Yaksini of
Tirthankar
Neminatha.
Barkola,
image
village
of
by
Parsvanatha
carved
image of Visnu
accompanied
An
Ambikt
accompanied
side
the
as
by
image
of
back
Laksmi
and
Sarasvati.
A notable numbe.
discovered
Most
of
these
images
remain
unidentified
of
Jaina
female
divinitie
and
unpublished.
Two
types
independent
number
heads
are
found,
Tirthankaras.
VIII~
on
their
found
with a child
one
of
be
tentatively called as
~eminatha-Amqika
This
or
and
type
Kyvera-
Hariti or Yaksa-Yaksini.
Two
(Plate
similar
independent
images
of a female
deity
peculiar
shown
as
standing on a corpse or a
202
living
human.
The
weapons
Jaina
Tantric
goddess or Mahavidya.
The
which
weapons)
resting
might
her
is
beside
goddess.
the
She
might
or
Anantanatha(cognizance-falcon)
be
the
might
found
(or
is
it
found
Sasaoadevi
be
of
Yaksini
of
or
she
might
be
is
not
be
cognizance
identification
iconographic
Prajnapti.
peacock,
may
features
the
Jaina
130
peacock
decisive,
goddess
But
because
the
last
the
other
'dhyana'
of
whose
vehicle
is
goddess
of
She
might
Prajnapti
be Jaina Sarasvati
image
of
female- deity
standing on a
lotus
underneath
bent
with
left
her
nude
of
the
to
be
Kusmandini
131
lion and two children.
An
Brahmanical,
from
the
the
6th
and
9th
assume
assimilation
century
and synthesis. It
Therefore, it would be
A.D.~
borrowed
prescribing
while
reasanable
Buddhist
goddesses,
Sadhinamalt or the
the
meditation
incorporated
the
goddesses
the
~ispannayogtvali,
forms
Tantric
of
(dhyana~)
elements
the
were
which
was
to
idea
appears
mutu.l
goddess
comparison
Mahlsamardini
goddesses
Marici
manifestations
held
in
their
of
Parnasabari
who
The
to
be
attributes
Parnasabari
or
Buddhist
are supposed
suggest
which
are
manifestations
Ugracanda,
Candogra etc.
iconographical
the
difficult
in
Camunda
like
Rudracanda,
represen~ation
examples of the
culminated
of
in
It
is
site
which
therefore
204
the
was
indebted
to
Brahmanical
Tantricism
because
it
has
been
the
words
art
that
or
in
might
be
constant
Buddhist
art
in Bengal at a
The
late~
hardly
introduced
distinguished
iconographic
attributes,
maintained
an iconographic standard
from
~s
above.
Jainas
which
might
norms.
Saktism
have
be
The
postures,
have
images
been
of
position.
her
association
her
waist.
in
Gauri
or
iconographic
types
known
as
Sadyojat~
may
also
Tara
be
both
Parvati,
form
the
is
concerned,
it
may
be
held
that
the
205
in
artists'
aspects
different
century
the
goddess
by
identified
with
goddess
found
or
is
species
by
accompanied
mount
and Ganesa or
9th
representing
to
two
goddesses
whose
iguana,
the
upper
alone,
we
Bhuvanesvari,
~conographic
emergence
Candi, Camunda
stc.
in
different
She
206
the
is
REFERENCES :-
1. Bhattacharya,
Iconography,
Delhi,
2.
~'
E.,
2nd
Ed,
~~
Introduction
8. Altekar,
B.C.,
op. cit.,
Introduction
Foot-note220,
'
p.10,
1e. Mss.
of
Bengal.
B.Bhattacharya
twenty-four forms of
~Vol
Tara See
has
IRl,
of
the
Nispannayogavali,
12.
A.!~
1643
SadhanamalA
prepared
list
and
of
introduction.
XXI, P. 99 ff
'Iconography of Tara'
in
207
21;
State
Archaeological
t:m.,
p. 439; cf
30. Saraswati,
S.K.,
2nd
Ed.,
Cal,
1962, P. 180
31. lBBSDM, PP. 104 -- 06
32. Ibid. p. 188 ;
, p. 440
40,
1200)
Museum,
~'
p. 136 (APP.C)
in
~'
App.C.pp,114-16
~,
P.550
East~rn
Sculptyre,
~,p.551
54. I bid.
55. VRS. Mus. No.1549.
56. VRS Rep. 1936-38, Fig.3
57. Banerjee,R.D, op.cit., p.123, Pl.Lvii(a).
58. ASIAR, 1928-29, Pp.95-97.
59. IBBSDM, Pp. 203-204
60. Ganguly,
the
Vanqiya
PL.XVI,
J(.a)1.
61. Ibid, Pp. 85-86, PL.XVI J(d)1
62. Bhattacharya, M.S,Op.cit, RPR-2,RPR-3,RPR-4.
63. Bhattacharya, P.K, Op.cit, p.28, Fig18
64. lBBSDM, Pp. 200-202.
65. Bhattacharya, M.S, Op.cit, p.30, RCM-1
66. Ibid. RCM-2
67. JASB, N.S.vol. XXVIII,1932,Pp.182-89
68. VSPP, vol XXII,p.28
69. VRS,
Annual
Rajshahi,
Reports
Monographs
and
Cat.No.
D(d)10/280
70. Chakraborty, M.R., Virbhum Yivaran, Ed. by H .. K.
Mukhopadhyay,
1924-1925,
P.
15~
192-94,
Pl.
LXIV
75. IBBSpM, Pp. 120-130 EHI, Pp. 337-52;
Utl1,
p. 156
Benoy,
II,
Cal,
1978, P.46.
78. Daily AJkal Patrika, 24th July, 1996
Page-si~.
R.P.,
Mediaevl
Indian Sculptures
in
the
British
Siddhartha
child
(Buddha)
Gauri/Parvati/Durg~
of
with
p77;
!:ia., P. 627
211
Pt
II,
C(e) 6
272
and C(e) 7
273
l
106. Ibid., Pp. 45-53
107. See Sadhanamala. Sadhana no 150 states Parnasabari es a
of
Tara.
like
the
form
great
Tara
specially
by the Sabaras.
108. IBBSDM, Pp. 61 - 62
109. Bhavisya-p., 7th Kalpa, Sahasranamamala of Surya.
110. Bhattacharya, D.C., op. cit., P. 19
111. IBBSPM, Pp. 43-45
112. Rajshahi
113.
HB~
(02 d
94
PI.XXVII .65
Jcooographic
Sources,
no.
ADD
1643
of Prajnaparamita
in
the
Camb.
Univ
Library.
119. IBBSDM, P-13
120. HB, PL.XXVI, 64.
121 .
B 1 oc h ,
T ,
Supplementary Catalogue of
the
Archaeological
Buddhist
JASL,
~'
213
Pp.