Elements of Hindu Iconography v1.c11.86

v1.c11.86

In some instances of the sculptures of Trivikrama we see directly in front of the finger of the outstretched hand of Trivikrama an ugly face with wide open eyes and a gaping mouth carved out. It is not easy to explain this face-figure satisfactorily. The statement—*ēkōrdhva-vadanah-kāryō dēvō-visphāritēkṣaṇaḥ*—is found in *Viṣṇudhar*- mōttara; in another reading of this passage the expression ēkōrdha is found instead of ēkōrdhva. Evidently this passage means that the face of Trivikrama should be sculptured so as to be somewhat upraised and with large eyes. If the second reading be adopted, the passage might be understood to mean that a god should be worked out with a half-face and with a wide open eye. In a number of cases, the face of Trivikrama is slightly uplifted in conformity with the first reading interpreted above. The second sense seems to have been adopted by those sculptors who have worked out the ill-looking face in association with their representation of Trivikrama. There is yet another possible explanation of this face-figure. In the Varāha-purāṇa it is stated that when the foot of Trivikrama was lifted up to measure the heaven-world, the Brahmāṇḍa burst and cosmic water began to pour down through the clefts of the broken Brahmāṇḍa. This face is perhaps meant to represent the Brahmāṇḍa in that condition. The kautuka-bēra of Trivikrama should be made in the ordinary form of such Viṣṇu images with only four arms.