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Agni, the Brahmanical god of fire is known to the Chinese 麓as Hou-tien or Agni-deva. In one of the representations the deity is seated in a ardhaparyanka attitude on a lotus pedestal. He is bearded and he has four hands. He holds a pasa, trident, a damaru-like object and in the fourth hand he holds a container which has an arch-shaped cover. He is clad in heavenly ornaments. His top hair knot looks like that of an ascetic's tuft of hairs. It appears that he is in a thinking mood. Sometimes he is also depicted as sitting in the dhyanasana attitude. In Indian representations he is generally depicted as bearded and four-armed. In Indian images a vessel is held in the deity's hand. Thus there are similarities in some aspects in the representations of Agni deva of China and Indian Agni (Pl.XVI,Fig.1. ). Brahma, the important deity of the Hindu Triad is also 1. TLP, Vol. II, No. 87.

- 71 . known to China as Fan-Wang Tien. In China there are some sculptural representations of the deity. The deity, as Clark describes, is depicted as either two-handed or four-handed. In his four-handed form he holds four different attributes which are Khetaka, Pagoda-like object, and aksasutra and a flower. Sometimes he holds a fruit in his first left hand and exhibits Jnana mudra in his first right hand. He sits upon a lotus. But the postures differ in different representations. he rides on a swan. Sometimes Thus appears that a common feature is the association of lotus flower and swan with the deities in China and India. Ganapati of India is known as Chu-Chu-Tien in China. In China, he is represented as four-handed and elephant-headed. The presence of bear as his vehicle is quite unfamiliar in India. The deity in China holds a bell with a stick, in upper right hand, while a bunch of leaves is held in the upper left hand. One of the left hands is portrayed in a manner as if he shows a gesture of holding something. A pot is placed in his other hand. He is fierce-looking but he wears many ornaments. The above mentioned attributes and the vehicle of the deity is unknown in India. In India the deity generally sits on a throne having a mouse as his vahana. He holds a pot of sweetmeat as one of his main attributes. He also holds a bell and a broken piece of his own tooth in his hands.

路 72. Once the cult of Ganesa was highly popular in China, but his cult was suppressed as early as the 10th century since there could develop human sacrifice as it was prescribed that all kinds of meats could be offered to this deity. It is also recorded that the texts (sutra) in four volumes on this deity were prohibited from being included in the Chinese Tripitaka. Indra, the god of thunder and the king of the gods is known as Ti-Shih-Tien in China. He is also represented either in two-handed or four-handed form. In four-handed form he holds a citron, a bell and a Khetaka and also a bow-like object. He wears the dress of a hermit. He is also decorated with many jewelled ornaments". In India, Indra is generally represented as riding on an these identification elephant and holding a Vaira as his attribute. But both/symbols of Indian Indra are absent in Chinese Ti-Shih-Tien. Kubera-Vai sravana is also regarded as one of the important deity of the Chinese Buddhist pantheon. He is known as Pu-lu-Chin-Kang. But sometimes Vaisravana is called Pi-Sha-men when represented as one of the four guardian deities. Dhrtarastra and Virudhaka are also mentioned as the important guardian deities in China. They are known as Ti-lo-lo-to and Pi-leu-lecha respectively.³ 1. HDIJBP, p. 99 and 8- also. 2. ILP, Vol. II, pp. 89, 178. 3. Chinese Buddhiam, 2nd ed., p. 239.

- 73藲The figure of Vaisravana Kubera (P 1XXII,Fig. 1.) was made during the T'ang period (618-907 A.D.). Here the image is clad in cloak-like armour. He stands on the hands of earth goddess (prthivi), who is accompanied by two goblins. 鈥� The figure of Vaisravana or Pu-lu-chin-kang is fiercelooking. His right hand is in the posture of holding a stick or spear and the left hand holds a miniature 'pagoda', which is the identification symbol of Vaisravana-Kubera. The long shaped four-sided crown, is but a helmet bears the effigy of a bird (PL. XXII, Fig. 2) (perhaps a Garuda). The ormenations and decoration of his dresses are very beautiful. This lacquered image is made of wood and decorated with 'cut-gold' leaf. Karttikeya, the Brahmanical god of war is known as Chi-lieh-ti-ka-tien-. The deity rides on a peacock. He holds two different attributes in his two hands. is as Kuan-ti also regarded as the god of war. Another god known In Chinese mythology he is a well-known god. There are different legends in China 1 regarding the works and activities of Kuan-ti " 2 Saravasti is known as the goddess of learning in the Brahmanical religion. In Buddhism also she is known as Sarasvati. But in Buddhism she has several manifestations known as Maha. sarasvati, Vajravinasarasvati, Vajrasarada, Aryasarada etc. The concept of Mahasarasvati is quite familiar in China. In Chinese concept she is known as Miao-yin-tien-mu. She is depicted as a 1. TLP, Vol. I, No. 167. 2. Chinese Mythology, p. 106.. :

74 benign goddess. She has two arms. She holds in her hands an instrument which looks like a Vina. Different jewels decorated her body. Her hair dresses are also very beautiful. Surya is also known in China as is evident from the Mandala paintings that were brought to Japan from China. As is known, a host of Brahmanical deities are incorporated in the Buddhist mandalo. as having strong resemblance with the Brahmanical Surya. A number of representations of Surya are given in the Chinese Buddhist Buddhist deity Marici, may, however, be regarded Tripitaka. } * Associated Another important deity Yama is known as Yen-lo in China. He is popularly known as Jam-ma-la-ja in ancient times. with Yen-lo there are nine kings. They preside over the realm of the dead. This image is placed along with the other eight kings in the temples. He is also classed among the sons of devas and is attended by many thousand kings of demons. The sculptural representation of the deity is not very frequent. The above mentioned Brahmanical gods are now almost forgotten by the Chinese people. Ganesa, Sarasvati and other Buddhist gods are popular in Japan even now. Strangely enough, Japan received the idea of these deities from China.