Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s5.5

v2.c74.s5.5

**2. Samapādam.**—Its presiding deity is Brahmā. It is also called Samabhaṅga—this denotes the equipoised body where ‘the right and left of the figures are disposed symetrically, the Sūtra or plumb line passingthrough the navel, from the crown of the head to a part midway between the heels’ (Tagore). “Thus”, says J. N. Bannerjea, “the weight of the whole body is equally distributed on both the legs and the pose is firm, erect, there being no bend in the body. This posture is illustrated in many Indian images which are shown in this attitude, the most typical being the early and late figures of the Jain Tīrthaṅkaras”. Sirimā devata and many other Vyantara-devatās on the Bharhut railing stand in the samabhaṅga attitude. Early Indian coins and seals such as varieties of Śiva on Ujjayinī and Audumbara coins; Mahāsena on Huvishka's coins; Gajalaksmi on Bhita seal also illustrate this pose.