South Indian Bronzes: A Historical Survey of South Indian Sculpture with Iconographical Notes Based on Original Sources c7.45

c7.45

Lamps texts of the *Sāstras* in each case. For instance the spiritual merits attaching to the gifts of lamps to the temples are prescribed in various texts collected by Hemādri on *Deep-dāna* in his *Dān Khanda* (Vol. I, p. 939-46, Bibliotheca, Indica, 1873), one of which is worth quoting: "*Deepadān-adparam-dānam na-vutam-na-vabisyati*," i.e., there has been and there can be no better gifts than the gifts of lamps. Of the various texts bearing on the directions for presenting images of various gods collected by Hemādri the most important deal with the gifts of images of Bramhā, Vishnu, Siva, Dakhināmurti, Gopāla, Garuda and others, and the images are sometimes given in groups and referred to as *Trimurtidānam, Chaturmurtidānam, Panchamurtidānam*. As a matter of preference golden images are recommended and silver and copper images are stated as optional gifts.¹ The gift of the donor's own images (*ātma-pratikritidāna*) is also recognized by the Sastras, the authoritative text being that of *Vabishyottara purāna*, which goes on to state that the image of the donor should also be accompanied by the donor's favourite relatives (*Priya-jana-sahitām*). Thus the various portraits of Kings are associated with their Queens or sons (*vide* plate LXXIV), a practice which has its parallel also in Egyptian sculptures, e.g., Mycerinus and his wife (Boston Museum), and Shemka and his wife and son (Louvre).