Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c77.29

v2.c77.29

The face beautiful all over should be fully developed : (it should be) well finished, benignant, marked with all the auspicious marks, not triangular and not crooked. One who wishes good to the people should discard (a too profuse employment of) large circles, triangles and other (geometrical shapes) when representing gods. (Oh) perpetuator of the Yadu race, the gods should be represented according to the Hamsa-measure. They should have hairs on their eye-lashes and eye-brows only; their body (however) should be entirely devoid of hairs. Those who live in heaven have always smiling faces and eyes, and look like (youths) of the age of sixteen. They should be drawn wearing auspicious strings of garlands and ornamented by crowns, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, ornaments of the upper arm, long girdles reaching up to the ornaments on the feet, and sacred threads with ornaments for the head. Their shoulders should be broad. (Oh) tiger among men, they should be represented with beautiful loin-coth on the left, reaching below the knee; the right knee (however) should be shown. The linen scarf which the gods wear round the upper part of their body should (also) be executed beautifully. The halo should be drawn round their heads, proportionate to the measurement of the head and the colour of the halo-circle, (oh) great king, should resemble the colour of the deity. In their case, all upward look, a downward look and also a sideward look should be discarded. The same applies to a too small, to a too big, to a depressed (looking), to an angry and to a harsh eye. It is said that upward look causes death, downward look causes sorrow, sideward look causes loss of wealth, too small eyes cause death, too large eyes cause sorrow and so do the depressed (looking) eyes, (oh) best of kings. A harsh look causes loss of wealth and an angry look causes tear. (The image of a deity) should not be done with either shrunk or inflated abdomen or with wounds (on the body, oh) perpetuator of the Yadu race. (It should not be) bent, of a rough colour, with an open mouth, or with limbs short of or exceeding (appropriate) measurement, (oh) descendant of the Yadus. (It should not fall) short of or exceed (the prescribed) measurement, (oh) ruler of the earth. A shrunk abdomen is conducive only to starvation and fear, and inflated abdomen causes death. A body with wounds causes death, one that is too short brings about loss of wealth, one too long creates sorrow, and one with rough colour induces fear. A halo in the east causes loss of wealth, in the south death, in the west destruction of sons, and in the north fear (*i.e.*, it ought to be behind and round the head). A nimbus short of measurement leads to destruction and one exceeding the appropriate measurement bespeaks ruin to the country. A rough (image) is said to cause death and an angry (one) destroys beauty. Even when (duly) invoked by the best of Brahmins, the gods never enter images short of (Sāstric) measurements and devoid of the marks (lakṣaṇas of divine form); (but) demons, ghosts and hobgoblins always enter into them, and so a great care should be taken to avoid shortness of measurements, (An image) possessed of all the beautiful marks is said to be excellent from every point of view. It adds to wealth, crops, fame and the length of life, yet when devoid of (those) marks, it destroys wealth and crops, (oh) best of kings; the gods always should be made beautiful, having gaits (like one of the following) animals, (*viz.*,) the lion, the bull, the elephant and the swan. Blessed is a work of art (endowed) with all (the Sāstric) marks, (as it brings luck) to the country, to the king and the maker, (and is as the gods) long for it. An image, therefore, should be properly made by all men with great care, (endowed) with all (the Sāstric) marks"—pp. 40-42.