Studies in Indian Art c12.s13.30

c12.s13.30

A fragmentary statuette of the Kuṣāṇa period (1010) showing an eight-handed male figure is of exceptional interest Of the four right hands which are preserved, three seem to carry the mount Govardhana, ‘pāśa’ (or śakti), and ‘daṇḍa’ and the fourth one doubled at the elbow is stretched towards the breast and also held an indistinct object. This represents the Virāṭ form of Viṣṇu and is the only male figure of the Kuṣāṇa period in which such multiplicity of hands is visible.