Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c11.s2.8

c11.s2.8

We still find some very big images made temporarily of earth and worshipped for a time only, both in North India and the South (Tamil, Ayyanār images). Thus the iconographic tradition of the Yaksha figures have been preserved. The right hand was shown in abhaya-mudrā, a divine feature later on accepted for Buddha, Bodhisattva and other images. Sometimes the flywisk was a distinguishing emblem of Yaksha or Yakṣī image (cf. the Dīdārganj Yakṣī), the idea being that these deities were attendant on their king, Mahā-rāja Vaiśravaṇa or Kubera and this was a mark of honour proclaiming their relationship with the god of wealth and immortality. There are long lists of Yaksha names but of them five were chosen as a group named Pañcha Vīra, viz. Māṇibhadra, Pūrṇabhadra, Dīrghabhadra, Yakshabhadra and Svabhadra, who in the gradual replacing of the Yaksha hegemony by Bhāgavata deities became a group of the five Vṛiṣhṇi heroes (Pañcha-Vṛiṣhṇi Vīras) (as Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sāmba) mentioned in the Morā Well-Inscription from Mathura. It was believed that an auspicious Jewel (Bhadra Maṇi) was in the custody of Yaksha Māṇibhadra, a close associate of Kubera and the Master of his treasures. Wealth and immortality or long life were the two human factors which made Yaksha worship of irresistible appeal to the folk mind. Religion, literature and art all testify to the importance of this ancient cult.