South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s18.6

c9.s18.6

SHADĀNANA-SUBRAHMANYA. The most common variety however is the six-faced Shadānana-Subrahmanya, showing in his twelve hands the symbols and weapons, sakti, arrow, sword, discus, noose and abhaya on the right and a kukttuta (cock), bow, shield, conch, plough and varada on the left. He rides on the peacock vehicle and may have on either side of him the attendants Jaya and Vijaya (fig. 114), or perhaps the goddesses Vallī and Dēvayānā or Dēvasēnā, “the army of gods.” A fine stone figure (fig. 115) of Kumāra on the peacock vehicle, with a single face and four arms and attended by the goddesses Vallī and Dēvayānā, comes from Samayapuram in the Trichinopoly district. A sketch from Chidambaram (fig. 116) shows Skanda with three visible faces, ten arms and the peacock vehicle fighting with giants—evidently Tāraka and his retinue. In four of his right hands he holds the weapons, sword, axe, arrow and club while the fifth is in the posture of pulling the bow string (missing in the illustration). The uppermost of his left arms shows the vismaya posture, and the four others hold the shield, bow, noose and bell. Subrahmanya may also be shown with one face and ten hands and riding on the peacock vehicle.