Elements of Buddhist Iconography c4.40

c4.40

Further as to the shape of the vajra, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, II, 35, tells us that it was narrow at the beginning, and divided above like a club or axe, comparison being made with the bifurcation of human legs (cf. Foucher, Beginnings of Buddhist Art, Pl. I, Fig. 6); this, indeed, implies a two-pronged rather than a three-pronged termination, and it may be remarked that in actual iconography (cf. Foucher, ibid., Fig. 7) the two lateral tines are often much more conspicuous than the central tine, which is in fact a prolongation of the stem. Types with from one to eight tines are found in Shingon usage. In Śaiva usage, the three-pronged triśūla is borne by the Father (Śiva), the one-pronged śūla by the Son (Kārttikeya, Kumāra). In the Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇa, VI, 9, “Vajra” is one of the eight names of Śiva.