The Development of Hindu Iconography c19.s2.10

c19.s2.10

Agni, the lord of the south-eastern quarter is not described in the *Bṛhatsaṃhitā*. The *Viṣṇudharmottara* gives us an elaborate and characteristic description of the god, in which he is bearded, four-armed, four-tusked, three-eyed, riding a chariot with smoke standard drawn by four parrots and driven by wind, having his consort Svāhā on his left lap, holding flames, trident and rosary in his hands. (Bk. III, Ch. 56, vv. 1-10). The *Mahābhārata* describes him as having seven red tongues (*saptajihva*), with smoke for his standard and head-gear, holding a flaming spear, riding on a chariot drawn by seven red horses, the winds being the wheels of his chariot; the god has seven faces, a huge mouth, red neck, tawny eyes, bright gleaming hair and golden steed (*Epic Mythology*, p. 97; these descriptions of Agni are collected by Hopkins from the various sections of the Great Epic). The Āgamas characterise the god as having four arms, three eyes, red *jaṭās*, with the front hands showing *varada* and *abhaya* poses, the back ones holding *sruk* and *śakti*. The figure of Agni (of the mediaeval period) reproduced here (Pl. XLV, Fig. 4) does not correspond to any of the descriptions just quoted. It shows the pot-bellied two-armed god seated on the back of his mount (a ram or a goat) in the *paryaṅkāsana* (so-called ‘European fashion’) holding a rosary in his right hand and a water-vessel in his left; he has beard, an angry stare, long waving flames emanating from his body, sacred thread and a few ornaments. The Paharpur basement figure of Agni of an earlier date shows the two-armed god standing holding a rosary and a water-vessel in his two hands; flames issue forth from his sides, but his mount is not shown (K. N. Dikshit, *ibid.*, p. 48, Pl. XXXII, Fig. b). The figure of Agni from the Śiva temple at Kandiyur (Travancore) described and illustrated by Rao (ibid., p. 524, Pl. CLII) is very interesting. The god has two goat-heads (according to some Purāṇic texts, Agni has a goat as his mount) seven arms and three legs. It has some affinity with the Chidambaram sculpture described as Agni by Rao; but in it the god stands in front of a bull (ibid., Pl. CLIII, Fig. 2). It has, however, been pointed out by the present writer, that the Chidambaram figure may really represent Yajñapuruṣa, one of the minor manifestations of Viṣṇu (J.I.S.O.A., Vol. XIV, pp. 46-7).