The Development of Hindu Iconography c19.s3.7

c19.s3.7

Textual descriptions of the developed motif may now be noted. The *Śritatvanidhi* and *Śilparatna*, as quoted by Rao, describe a two-armed image of Garuḍa; but the latter text also refers to another variety of Garutmān which is endowed with eight arms, the hands holding such objects as a water-vessel, a mace, a conchshell, a discus, a sword and a snake, the feet of his rider Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa resting on the two front hands; the two-armed image of Garuḍa is designated as Tārkṣya in the *Śilparatna*. The *Agnipurāṇa* (Ch. 49, vv. 19-21) describes the images of Trailokyamohana and Tārkṣya as eight-armed, with *cakra*, *khaḍga*, *muṣala* and *aṅkuśa* in the right hands, and *śaṅkha*, *śārṅga*, *gadā* and *pāśa* in the left; Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī holding *padma* and vīṇā respectively are to be placed on either side of this type of image. The Viṣṇudharmottara enjoins that Tārkṣya should have a nose like the beak of a bird, four arms, a face with round eyes, the breast, knee and legs like those of a vulture, and two wings; his back hands should hold an umbrella and a jar full (of nectar), and his front hands should be in the añjali pose. When lord Viṣṇu is riding on him, the back hands of Garuḍa (or Tārkṣya, as he is named here) instead of holding an umbrella and an ambrosia-pot support the legs of his master; he should be shown slightly pot-bellied (kiñcillambodara) and should be decorated with all ornaments (Book III, Ch. 54, vv. 1-9). It is curious that it is only according to the Śilparatna description of the eight-armed variety of Garuḍa that he holds a snake in one of his hands; the Śrītattvanidhi, however, tells us that his head should be adorned with snakes (mūrdhnā ca phaṇimaṇḍitaḥ), and one of his epithets according to the lexicons is phaṇiphaṇabhṛt (‘holder of the hood of a snake’). The association of Garuḍa with snakes is emphasised in the epic and Purāṇic myths, and is also illustrated in his earlier and mediaeval representations.