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The image of Nrisimha is described in brief in the Harivamsa. It only states that Nrisimha tears open the demon with his nails, and holds in his hands the thunderbolt, the lance and the sword. The Visnudharmottara gives us a detailed description of the images of Nrisimha. It says: "The Nrisimha image has strong soulders, waist and neck. The middle part of his body and belly are lean. He has the face of a lion and the body of a man and his face is haloed. His ornamented image in alidha pose wears a blue garment. His face and mane are flamboyant. He is to be represented as tearing the bosom of Hiranyakasipu with his sharp claws." text. Another variety of Nrisimha image is also described by the same

393 "He should be represented as seated on a simhasana with his feet resting on the hands of Prithvi. Two of his hands should be placed on the mace head. His body should be surrounded by flames and he should hold in his hands the conch, the disc, the mace and the lotus. His hair is flamboyant." It seems, however, that the sculptors of the Gupta period hardly took into consideration the injuction given by the Visnudharmottaram, because from a number of Nrisimha images available from the Gupta period, there is none that tallies exactly with the description given above. One of the most interesting early representations of the Nrsimha incarnation is executed on a seal found at Basarh, 2 datable to the early Gupta period. Nrisimha with a lion's face and a human body, is seated on a high pedestal in the lalitasana pose, with the left leg folded and the right hanging down. His right hand is raised up in the abhaya-mudra and his left hand is supported on his knee. The small inscription below on the pedestal is not decipherable. The demon Hiranyakasipu is conspicious by his absence, and so also are the typical emblems of Visnu. The vanamala hanging up to his knees, however, indicates him to be a Vaisnava deity. Another remarkable feature is that he is only twohanded unlike the other image. The Gwalior Mesuem has a similar Nrisimha image found at Besnagar, belonging to the Gupta period. It is also a two-handed image supporting a thickly maned lion head

394 on a standing human body. Both of the hands being broken, nothing can be said about the emblems held by them, if any. The vanamala is seen hanging down upto the knees. Behind his leg is probably a small pillar indicating his emergence from it. A peculiar image of Nrisimha is represented in the Chaitya window of the famous Dasavatara temple at Deogarh. The god is seated on a full.blown lotus in ardhaparyankasana. His upper right hand holds the mace, and the lower right, supported by his folded right knee, holds the disc. The upper left hand holds the conch and the lower left is placed on the thigh. The fierce lion-face is surrounded by the thick locks of the mane spreading on the shoulders. The ornamental mukuta is an uncommon feature for the Nrisimha images of the Gupta period. The sculptor has tried to create an impression of flames around his head in the form of a halo. To the left of the deity is a devotee in the anjali-mudra. Before we proceed further with our inquiry about the icnography of Nrisimha, it is necessary to refer to a unique representation of the same found in a hillock near Kondamotu, 40 miles away from Guntur in a brick shrine, related stylistically to the Nagarjunakonda sculptures. The main figure of Nrsimha is flanked on the right side by two and on the left side by three figures. Nrisimha is represented as a couchant lion with stout legs. The srivatsa appears prominently in the centre of his chest. At the level of the neck, this lion, has two human hands holding the mace and

395 the disc. To his right, the figure in abhaya-mudra and the conch in his hand, may be identified with Visnu. A figure holding the sugarcane bow in his right hand and a makara standard in his left hand stands to the right of Visnu; he is probably Kama. To the left of Nrisimha figure in tribhanga pose holding a flute and the bow, may be that of Krsna. Next to him may be Balarama holding a wine goblet in his right hand the left arm is akimbo. The last figure carrying the sword and the shield in his hands may be that of Aniruddha. This panel perhaps represents the Nrsihma and the Pancavira worship, and if the interpretation is correct, it is a very strong evidence supporting the prevalence of the Pancavira worship in the early Bhagavata religion. One remarkable feature of the most of the Nrisimha images of the Gupta period is the absence of the demon Hiranyakasipu with whom he is so closely associated. The Vaikhanasagama describes the single images of Nrisimha as the Kevala Nrisimha, but the images referred to above do not tally with that description. Kevala Nrisimha has either two or four arms. If he is four-handed, the upper right hand should hold the disc and the upper left hand should hold the conch. The front two hands should be resting on the knees. Girija-Nrsimha, another variety of the single Nrisimha, should be shown seated on a padmasana in the utkutika posture, the forelegs being supported in this position by the Yogapatta. Nrisimha seated with the Yogapatta round his legs is commonly found in the south rather than in the north.

396 The number of Nrisimha images found from the Gupta period is itself a testimony to the prevalence of the Nrisimha cult in that period. The Gupta images of Nrsimha are not only numerous but are equally varied from the iconographical point of view. These iconographical forms could not have been evolved without the strong patronage and support to the cult by the people. It is likely that the Gupta kings patronized Nrisimha worship, since the last of the Gupta kings is named after the deity. In the post-Gupta period, Nrisimha is almost invariable represented as killing the demon Hiranyakasipu. This emphasis on the destruction of the demon is reflected in the dhyanas given in the post-Guptas texts. For instance, the Matsya Purana describes vividly the fight between the demon and the god. According to it, the image of Nrisimha is to be made eight-handed, fierce and having the face of a lion with thick mane. He should be shown to be tearing out the entrails of the demon. Their legs should be interlocked and the demon with a sword and shield should be shown attacking the god. The Agni Purana describes the four-handed image of Nrisimha. Two of his hands should hold the disc and the mace, and he should be striking the bosom of the demon with the other two. The demon should be lying on his left thigh. According to the other description given in the same Purana, he should hold the disc and the conch in his two hands and other two should be engaged in killing the demon.

397 There are large number of four-handed images of Nrsimha found in different parts of Northern India. As they are iconographically almost the same, it is not necessary to describe them here in detail. The Khajuraho Musuem has an image of fourhanded Nrsimha in its collection with two upper hands in the abhaya-mudra and the front two hands engaged in destroying the demon as usual. He does not hold any emblem in his hand. The six-handed variety of Nrisimha image has not been referred to by any text on iconography, so far as is known to us. The Rajivalocana temple at Rajim in Madhya Pradesh, contains a sixhanded image of Nrisimha, datable to the 7 th century. Here Nrisimha is standing on a demon lying prostrate holding a sword in his hand. The right leg of the god is placed on the hips and left leg is on the tilted head of the demon. He is strangling Hiranyakasipu who is resting on his folded leg. The two upper hands are completely mutilated. There is another such image of Nrisimha in the collection of the Decca Museum. The two natural hands are engaged in the tearing open the entrails of the demon, the lower two hands hold tightly the hair and the legs of demon and the upper two hands hold the attributes which are not clearly visible. The bent left leg of the god is crushing the chest of another recumbent demon. A remarkable feature of this image is that sculptor has tried to narrate the complete myth of Nrisimha in stone and so we find the

398 right of the main figure a small pillar surmounted by a lion head, symbolically representing the sudden appearnce of the god from the pillar. An image found at Vikrampur is another such representation of Nrisimha. He is standing on a recumbent demon on the lotus pedestal. He holds the demon Hiranyakasipu by his hair and the leg, the two front hands are occupied in tearing out the entrails of the demon. The upper right hand is probably in abhaya-mudra and the upper left one in the tarjani-mudra. Below the lotus seat is carved the figure of Hiranyakasipu kicking the pillar out of which emerges the small figure of Nrisimha. To right of the pillar stands Prahlada in worshipful attitude. At the end, on the right side of the pedestal, appears Garuda with folded hands. An interesting 9 th century image of Nrisimha from Chamba exibits two different unidentifiable mudras. The figure is seated on a simhasana with both of his legs hanging down. The god wears only is lion-cloth. His two natural hands support his chin and the other two hands are in tripataka-mudra, the significance of which is not yet known. A small piece of cloth tied to the figure just below the chest, may have some esoteric significance or may be a yagapatta. On the pedestal are carved two miniature figures of the Man-lion. It is very forceful representation of the Man-lion with rolling eyes, open mouth, and expanded nostrils. His thick mane is spread over his shoulders. It is remarkable that the god

399 does not hold any of the Vaisnava ayudhas. The six-handed variety of Nrisimha was evidently very popular in mediaeves Northern India. It does not differ very much from the four-handed variety because the purpose of the two additional hands is merely to hold the demon, who is lying on his lap, by his hair and leg. The eastern Indian variety has a peculiarity of its own. The eastern sculptors have a tendency to narrate the legend of Nrsimha in the same panel, and the method is to carve the important incidents of the myth by the side of the main figure or below on the pedestal, as in the Trivikrama images. The eight-handed variety of Nrisimha is described in some Sanskrit texts besides Matsya Purana and the Vaikhanasagama. The Silparatna gives a detailed description of the images of Nrsimha. According to it, the "image of Nrisimha must have a fierce lion-face and eight hands striking the demon with his finger nails lying on his lap holding sword and shield, pulling out the entrails of the demon with two hands. The remaining right hands should hold the disc and the lotus, and the left hands the mace and the conch. The Devatamurtiprakarana also gives a similar account of the Nrisimha image but instead of four ayudhas god is said to hold only two; the remaining hands are occupied in killing and striking the demon.

400 The Lucknow Museum has a beautiful image of the eighthanded Nrisimha which is interesting from the iconographical point of view. The execution of the elaborate iconographical details, and its superb artistic quality class it among two of the most interesting images of Nrisimha, datable to 9 th Cent. The upper hands hold the nagapasa. Together with the end of the nagapasa the upper left hands also hold a shield. The second pair of the hands holds mace and the disc; the third pair is broken and the fourth pair is engaged in tearing out the entrails of the demon lying on the folded right leg of the god. Below this is represented a defeated demon fallen on the ground. The goddess, with lotus in her right hand, to the right of the main figure, is probably Laksmi. A (attendant) figure to his left is holding a snake in his hand. Brahma and Siva are carved above on the panel. The presence of the nagapasa may point to Saivite ot Tantric influence on the Nrisimha cult. Nrisimha with the pasa in his hand is described by the later texts like the Parameswara Samhita. It prescribes the lotus, the goad, the pestle, the disc, the conch, the bow and the arrow, the noose and the mace in the hands of Nrsimha. Another image holding the pasa is in the collection of the Gwalior Museum. The four-handed god holds in his upper hands the pasa. The Nrisimha image is sometimes even endowed with multiple

401 hands. The ceiling of the Jain temple of Vimalavasah contains a twelve-handed Nrisimha with his legs intertwined tightly with the legs of the defeated Hiranyakasipu. The palm of the upper right hand of the god is stretched out near his forehead as if in the abhaya-mudra. The second right hand is also in the abhay-mudra. The third hand is in the act of tearing open the bosom of the demon, the fourth is holding a mace, the fifht is pericing the adomen of the demon and the sixth is holding his leg. On the left side, the first two of the hands broken, the third is proceeding to attack the demon, the fourth and fifth hold the disc and an indistinct object and the sixth is tearing open the entrails of the demon. The gods rolling eyes, and rolling tongue give him a fierce look. We may here refer to some of the dhyanas of Nrisimha with the multiple hands and emblems, though they are of a later date. In the Paramaeswara Samhita he is described as Sandarshana Nrsimha. "He has reddish tawny eyes and hair, red garments, fierce face and tusks, carved eyebrows and flamboyant forehead, and rolling eyes. He stands in pratyalidha posture. He holds in his sixteen hands, starting from the first right: javelin, sword, firebowl, goad, shaft, spear, battle-axe, disc, bow with arrow, noose, ploughshare, thunderbolt, mace, pestle and trident. He is endowed with thirty-two hands by the Naradiya Maha Purana. In the right hands there are discus, lotus, battle-axe, noose, ploughshare, pestle, goad, pattisa, (a weapon with three

402 points), bhindipala (short javelin), sword, club and tomara, and one is in the abhaya-mudra. In the left hands three are concg-shell, shield, noose, sula, fire-pot, spear, bundika, karmuka (a bowlshaped instrument), tarjani-mudra, mace, damaru and surpa (winnowing basket), and one is in the varada-mudra, He strikes the demon on his heads and wilt, the other two he holds up his entrails; another pair is engaged in tearing open his bosom.