The Development of Hindu Iconography c9.26.3

c9.26.3

This is the opinion of those who know the legends."' This long quotation fully illustrates the attitude of a person of the 6th century B.C., well-versed in the Vedic lore, to the whole question of anthropomorphism of the Vedic divinities. To this anthropomorphisation will have to be added the characteristic manner of presenting many of the gods in theriomorphic forms, the latter again in some instances being ideologically connected with the different deities. Thus, the sun traversing through the wide firmament of the sky could be easily conceived as a mythical bird having beautiful wings (*suparṇo garutmān*); the fleet-footed horse might also symbolise the sun as a Ṛgvedic verse indicates (VII. 77, 3; here the goddess Dawn is said to lead a white steed). Sometimes, this connection cannot be easily established. Thus, Agni is very often likened to various animals, " in most cases doubtless with a view to indicating his functions rather than representing his personal form." He is endowed with various animal and other forms such as those of a bull, a calf, a steed, an eagle, a swan and many other things. Two deities who are conceived invariably in animal form are the one-footed goat (Aja Ekapād) and the serpent of the deep (Ahi budhnya). The former may be the lightning flash coming down to earth in a single streak while the latter would seem to be an atmospheric deity dwelling in the atmospheric ocean.