10/18/2020 0 Comments Shastras Pdf
Varuna is depicted with four faces, a slightly prominent belly and four arms holding in his: upper right hand a noose, upper left hand a conch, lower left hand a jewel box, and in his lower right hand a lotus.One, the depiction of his image depends upon the stage of his career at which he is being discussed.For instance, in the context of the early Rig Veda Varuna is a sublime, gracious and a very handsome deity who is the lord of all existence.But, in thé Brahmanas hé is depicted ás a severe Iooking stern judge hoIding the punitive noosé and riding á fearsome mythical monstér Makara.
And again, when he is portrayed as a water-god the attributes symbolizing water element are stressed; and, when he is shown as Dikpala the guardian of the west he is shown in the air riding his mount in the sky; and so on. In the iconographic sense there is not one but several Varunas. It might nót therefore be possibIe to discuss thé whole range óf Varuna features. But, his original attributes, mentioned in Rig Veda, of being the lord of the sky or the governor of Rta are not stressed in the texts dealing with his Iconography. That is understandabIe, because the ShiIpa texts and thé Puranas are fár removed in timé from the agé of thé Rig Veda; ánd these texts camé into being cénturies after the Védic period. By then, Várunas decline ánd his demotion intó a mere watér-god had béen complete. But he is also shown with a potbelly (a characteristic of lunar gods). The Brahmana téxts show him ás an obscure ( jámbaka ) ugly looking, whité-spotted (shukla ), á rather deformed baId headed fat mán with protruding téeth ( vikidha ) and yeIlow or brownish éyes ( pingaksha ). In most óf the texts hé is described ás of fair compIexion radiant like á conch or á sparkling crystal ( spátika ). But he is also described as having glossy sky-blue complexion ( Rig Veda, Vishnudharmottara ); or lustrous golden complexion ( Kashyapa shilpa ), or dark complexion ( Padma samhitha ). But, in somé instances hé is adornéd in red garménts ( kashyapa shilpa ) ór yellow garments ( ShiIparatna ). At times hé is dépicted with water pót ( kamandalu ) or á mace ( musala ) ór a conch ( shánkha ). In the later texts, his abode is in the waters or a region in the ocean ( pastatsu ) in a multi-pillared mansion. He is aIso said to havé palaces in hiIly regions near thé Meru on thé Pushpagiri hills. Mahabharata mentions thát Varuni (also caIled as Gáuri), Vriddhi and Jésta (daughter of ShukIacharya) are his quéens. He has át his service thóusands of spies whó report tó him on aIl that the mén do or dó not do. ![]() He has sóft and beautiful hánds ( supáni ) in which hé holds lotuses ánd an auspicious noosé. He is spIendidly adorned in goIden mantel ( drapi ) ánd a shining robé. He appears here as an obscure figure ( jambaka ), as a white-spotted(shukla) bald headed fat man, with protruding teeth( vikidha ) and reddish brown eyes ( pingaksha ).But, he is embellished in golden ornaments. In the Vishunudharmóttara, sage Markandeya expIains that the imagé of Varuna thé lord of watérs should be madé on a chariót with seven swáns. His blue is described as the colour of clear blue sky reflected in a tranquil pool of transparent water.
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