Elements of Hindu Iconography v3.c18.13

v3.c18.13

According to the *Aṃśumadbhēdāgama* and the *suprabhēdāgama* the figure of the sun-god should be sculptured with two hands, each holding a lotus. The hands should be so held up as to cause the fists holding the lotuses reach the level of the shoulders. His head is to be surrounded by a halo (*kāntimaṇḍala*) and his person should be adorned with many ornaments; on his head there should be a *karaṇḍa-makuṭa* and the garment worn by him should be red in colour. He should wear a pair of ruby ear-rings (*kuṇḍalas*) and over his chest there should lie a *hāra* (necklace). He should wear only one cloth and the body should be covered (with a coat) as ‘in Northern India’. The fabric of this coat should be so delicate in texture as to make portions of the body visible through it. There should also be a *yajñōpavīta* on his person. The figure of Sūrya should be made to stand on a *padma-pīṭha* by itself or should be placed in a hexagonal chariot drawn by seven horses fully caparisoned. The chariot should have only one wheel and be shown to be driven by the lame Aruṇa. On the right side of Sūrya there should stand Uṣā; and on the left, Pratyuṣā. A second authority mentions four consorts to Sūrya; namely, Rājñī, Suvarṇā, Suvarchasā and Chhāyā, while a third says that one half, taken vertically, of the body of Sūrya should have the shape of a dark complexion-ed woman, probably indicating that the sun in spite of his being the god of light, is inseparably wedded to night and its darkness.