South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c10.s3.37

c10.s3.37

In contrast to the ugly and fearsome goddesses mentioned above, there exist in the Hindu Pantheon other Saivite goddesses who are described as mild and extremely beautiful. Among these may be mentioned Bālā-Tripurasundarī of dazzling brilliance, "like a thousand suns bursting forth at the same time"; Saubhāgyabhuvanesvarī, of red hue, a jewelled crown, a smiling face and heaving breasts, who holds a pot of gems in one hand and a red lotus in the other (fig. 136) and who places her right foot on a treasure of gems; Annapūrṇā² of two or four arms who, in the former case, holds gracefully in one hand a jewelled vessel containing food and in the other a spoon to distribute the same (among her devotees), or in the latter, holds the noose and the hook in two hands and shows the protecting and the boon-giving postures in the others; the goddesses Gāyatrī,³ Sāvitrī and Sarasvatī Sarasvatī who preside over the morning, mid-day and evening prayers of the twice-born classes and represent the Vēdas, Rik, Yajus, and Sāman or the three sacred fires, Gārhapatya, Dakshināgni and the Āhavaniya, respectively; Tulajā-Bhavānī, who like Annapūrnā holds in one hand a vessel of delicious food and in another a spoon for distributing the same; Rājamātangī who is absorbed in listening to the talk of a parrot and stands with one of her feet placed on a lotus, while her hands are fondly playing upon the vinā; Laghusyāmalā, a damsel who has just attained her youth and who plays upon the vinā, with a vessel of wine near her and with eyes betraying signs of intoxication; Vārunī, Sudhāmālinī or Amritēsvarī, "the goddess of boats," who is seated on a boat bedecked with gems and surrounded by an army of Saktis, bright as the growing sun, maddens the three worlds by her glance, decorates her tresses with the flowers of the pārijāta-tree and holds a vessel of wine, a lotus and a cooked piece of flesh in her hands; and Kurukullā,¹ also a goddess of boats, fully drunk with wine, riding on a boat of gems and holding in her hands a paddle of gems. Vindhyavāsinī,² classed as one of the Durgās, is called Mūkāmbikā in the Silpasāra. She is said to be seated on a golden lotus, to have four arms and to be dazzling as lightning. By her side stands the lion, her vehicle.