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Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s7: II. Seats

Vāstu-śāstra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s7

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English

II. Seats

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**(i) Asana.**—We have seen the Mudrās, that is, the poses of hands and fingers together with those associated with body in general and legs and feet in particular. This is one sense in which Mudrās can be taken into consideration. The objects like weapons and implements and other improvised weapons (musical instruments), the object of hands together with the seats can also pass for the Mudrās in their broader sense of the term. The weapons and implements have already been taken into consideration. Let us now come to, the seat (the Āsana). It may mean either sitting posture or the object to sit upon. We are familiar with Yogic Āsanas, where it signifies a variety of modes of sitting assumed in the performance of meditation and mental concentrations. "Iconographically, the Āsana refers to particualr position assumed by the deities, male and female, in their sculptural representations. Āsanas are in fact physical postures of the legs and feet just as Mudrās are postures of the hand and fingers. Symbolism of the Āsana in the representation of the divine images is illustrative of the fact that all forms of Hindu worship are governed by the practical side of Yoga philosophy'. The principal Āsanas which are met with, in the authoritative texts (cf. Ahirbudhnya Samhitā) Chapter 30), are:—1. Cakrāsana 2. Padmāsana 3. Kūrmāsana 4. Mayūrāsana 5. Kaukuṭṭāsana 6. Vīrāsana 7. Svastikāsana 8. Bhadrāsana 9. Simhāsana 10. Muktāsana 11. Gomukhāsana.

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J. N. Bannerjea says (vide D. H. I. p. 269-70), "It should be noted that in the above list, some can be understood to mean the particular animal or object whose name is associated with them. Thus Kūrmasana in one context may mean that it is the tortoise which serves as the seat of a particular god or goddess" (cf. the river goddess, Yamunā, who is Kūrmasanā) while in another would indicate that type of sitting pose in which "the legs are crossed so as to make the heels come under the gluteals". Similarly other Āsnas too can be interpreted. These are only the principal varieties of the Āsana as found associated with the images of the deities. The Nirukta-tantra (Śabdakalpadruma) refers to innumerable Āsanas (as many as 84 lacs). Some other Āsanas not listed here though seen in the representation of the deities in sculpture or painting are:—

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| 1. | Utkūṭikāsana | 4. | Baddhapadmāsana |
| 2. | Paryaṅkāsana | 5. | Vajrāsana |
| 3. | Vajrparyaṅkāasana | 6. | Lalitāsana. |

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We have taken Āsana so far only in one sense (some of them however, illustrate both the senses). In another sense, the word Āsana can also mean a seat or even a pedestal. For the pedestal, however, the word Pīṭha is frequently used. T. A. Gopinath Rao refers to five different kinds of seats as mentioned in the Suprabhedāgama viz. Anantāsana, Simhāsana, Yogāsana, Padmāsana, and Vimalāsana. According to Chandra Jñāna, Anantāsana is a triangular seat, Simhāsana is rectangular, Vimalāsana hexagonal, Yogāsana octagonal, and Padmāsana circular'. According to Sri Bannerjea, these are the detached pīṭhas which were used on particular occasions for seating the images, *e. g.* worship, offering, witnessing amusements or invocations.

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The principal āsanaṣ associated with Indian images, are quite popular for their lakṣaṇas, the Pratimā-lakṣaṇa p. 40., may be consulted. Something, by way of their representation in art, remains to be said here.

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**Kurmasana.**—Dr. Bannerjea gives the earliest illustration of this sitting posture in seated protoypes of Śiva-Paśupati on some Mohenjodaro and Harappa seals.

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**Padmasana.**—is the most commonly depicted pose in sculpture.

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**Virasana.**—is represented on an Ujjayinī coin and also on a Bharhut relief. The Aihole figure of Viṣṇu depicts the **Sukhāsana**. A gold coin of Śaśāṅka in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, depicts Śiva (seated on his mount) also in this pose. An āsana called **Utkūṭikāsana**, is illustrated in some images of seated Kevala Nṛsingha and of Lakulīśa, the so called founder of Pāśupata sect. Seated figures of Maitreya in medieval Buddhist art illustrate **Paryāṅkāsana**. ‘The figure of Ambikā, on the reverse side of some coins of Chandragupta-Kumāradevī type sits on her lion mount in this manner’. The **Vajrāsana** is said to, be particularly depicted in Buddhist images (*cf.* Vajrāsana Buddha) Dr. Bannerjea remarks ‘One of the commonest types of sitting modes is the **Ardhaparyankāsana** known also as **lalitāsana** or **lalitaksepa**. Many Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain deities who are profusely endowed with ornaments are often depicted in this pose’. A word now remains to be said of **Pretāsana.** It is really a yogic āsana, in which the whole body lies rigid like a corpse. Its representation, in the art, however, is quite different and is literal e. g. Cāmuṇḍā, one of the seven Mothers described as Pretāsanā, is seated on a dead body.

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**(ii) Vahana.**—Āsana and Vāhana are allied topics in the Hindu Iconography; what are called Āsanas may be taken as Vāhanas also. We have already noticed that some of the Āsanas described by the authorities like Ahirbudhnya may be taken in the sense of Vāhanas, viz. Kūrmāsana, crocodile as Āsana which in its turn becomes Vāhana also. According to Hindu mythology, gods are supposed to have their respective vehicles, e. g. Brahmā Hamsa; Viṣṇu Garuda; Siva bull; Durgā lion; Ganeśa mouse; Kārtikeya cock; Indra and Rudra elephant; Śītalā the ass; Laksmi the owl; Gaṅgā the crocodile, etc., etc.

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It may be remarked here that among the renowned texts on Vāstuśāstra, Mānasara has a unique distinction to have devoted as many as four chapters on the most popular vehicles—Hamsa, Garuda, Vṛṣabha and Simgha, of the most popular gods and goddesses—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and Pārvatī—vide Pr. Laks p, 40-43. It gives vivid and glorious descriptions of these so called Vāhanas, really deitified into worshipful animals.

Cites (8)