South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c10.s2.16

c10.s2.16

We may begin the description of the Saivite Sakti deities with the group of goddesses known as Saptamātrikās,² or the “Seven Mothers.” They are:—Brāhmī, Māhēsvarī, Kaumārī Vaishnavī, Vārāhī, Māhēndrī and Chāmundā.³ These with Mahā-Lakshmī, described below, are sometimes counted as “Eight Mothers.” They have generally two hands, are red in colour and hold a skull and a lotus. Some authorities like the *Silpasangraha* state that as representing the active energy of Brahmā, Mahēśvara, Kumāra, Vishnu, etc., they have the same vehicles as their lords and hold the same weapons. Brāhmī (also called Brahmānī) consequently has four faces, six arms ¹ and the swan vehicle, and she is of yellow hue. Māhēśvarī (Bhairavī) rides on a bull, has five faces, three eyes and ten arms, and is decorated with the crescent. Kaumārī has six faces and twelve arms and rides on a peacock. Vaishnavī is of blue colour and rides on Garuda, has six arms and the garland of flowers called *vanamālā* (peculiar to Vishnu). Vārāhī has the face of a sow,² is black in colour, has a big protruding belly and rides on a buffalo.³ Māhēndrī (Indrānī) has a thousand eyes, like her consort Indra, is of pleasing appearance and of golden hue, and rides on an elephant. She has apparently also six arms and displays the symbols *varada*, noose and thunderbolt in her right arms and the *abhaya*, vessel and lotus in her left. Chāmundā⁴ is black and fearful with protruding teeth, long tongue, erect hair, emaciated body, sunken red eyes and a withered belly. It is stated that she can change her appearance at will. She rides on a corpse, wears a garland of skulls and has jewels of serpents. In her ten arms she holds the shield, noose, bow, staff and spear on the left side, and the pestle, disc, fly-whisk, goad and sword on the right. The *Mayamata* adds that she wears a tiger's skin, has red hair glowing like fire, and the banner of a kite. She may have four, eight or ten hands. According to the same authority these Seven Mothers are to be flanked by Vīrabhadra and Vināyaka on either side (fig. 122). In front of the Saptamātrikās the god Siva may be seated on a lotus flower under the banyan tree. Some of these goddesses are said to have each a tree specially sacred to them, e.g., Kaumārī has the fig-tree (udumbara), Vaishnavī, the pipal, Vārāhī, the karanja, Indrāṇī, the celestial tree kalpadruma, and Chāmuṇḍā, the banyan.