Early Vaiṣṇava Imagery: Caturvyūha and Variant Forms Author(s): Doris Srinivasan Source: Archives of Asian Art, Vol. 32 (1979), pp. 39-54 Published by: University of Hawai'i Press for the Asia Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20111096 . Accessed: 31/05/2013 04:45 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. University of Hawai'i Press and Asia Society are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archives of Asian Art. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 146.95.253.17 on Fri, 31 May 2013 04:45:05 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Early Vaisnava Imagery: Caturvyuha and Variant Forms Doris Srinivasan George Mason University arts are Otudents of the of Hindu India closely fa which may be represented either anthropomorphi or in art. miliar with evolving traditions of Vaisnava imagery cally theriomorphically Hindu at catur from the Gupta period onward such prominent It has recently been recognized that the as near was in Ma sites Udayagiri Besnagar, Deogarh, Badami, vyuha concept plastically portrayed the art in icon Aihole, and Mamallapuram. The origins of these thura school of the Kushan period.2 The artistic traditions are less well known, however, and comes from the Satsamudri Well situated on the to exam is now it is the purpose of this paper suggest that compound of the Mathura Museum, and in ples of Vaishnava figurai sculpture and cult imagery housed theMuseum. Though fragmentary, enough as as statue to cen may be dated early the second century before remains of this important identify the is a as wears Christ. Also presented here description of the tral crowned image Vasudeva (Fig. 1). He to a a theological principles that gave rise the early necklace, garland of flowers, armlets, and brace an Vaishnava images, and attempt is made to dis lets.His high mukuta is decorated with overlapping as avatar tinguish between such concepts vy?ha and circles. Vasudeva is four-armed. The natural right rests by which Vaishnava theologians designated different hand is in abhaya mudr?; the raised right hand nuances on a mace. of the process of divine manifestation. This highly ornamented (The sculpture frag a in ment same study thus touches upon major theme the history of the mace, although of the buff sand out stone as of Hinduism, the formation of the cult of Visnu the other three fragments comprising this distinct is not of three schools of religious thinking. sculpture, joined correctly with the other its own is Vaishnavism developed theological doc parts.) Vasudeva's raised left hand broken; the trine to nature con an as a explain the of the Supreme. The natural left hand holds object identified conch ar note cept of vyuha (literally, "placing apart; orderly by R. C. Agrawala (see 2). One emanating to seen rangement") attempts outline the fundamental form is projecting from Vasudeva's right shoul nature as as a of the supreme God well the relation der (Fig. 2). This manifestation, wearing single a ship between God and his personal manifestations. earring, is shown holding wine cup in his left As numinous is arm Power, God identified with the all hand; his right should have been raised in front pervading Brahman. However, this Power makes of the existing serpent-hood canopy. Two other in a emana em itself manifest series of four successive forms originally projected from Vasudeva. One are to arm tions (caturvy?ha1) that both identical the anated from his crown; the head and right of numen at same are cause are now a and, the time, the for the the form broken. The fragment of shawl creation In over A of the phenomenal world. this way, the remains draped the left shoulder. fourth fig a vyuha doctrine affirms causal relation between the ure, completely lost, should have emanated from numinous and the phenomenal, without assigning Vasudeva's left side; this may be inferred from the limitations or A conditioned by time, change, form, break above the god's left shoulder.3 Gupta-period is creator to sort will upon the Supreme who the of all textual reference this of emanating type, in these delimitations. In this or system, V?sudeva, liter the Visnudharmottara-Pur?na, assigns the right ally, "the indwelling deity," is the first emanation southern side to the emanation known as Samkar and the fountainhead of the successive sana called or emanations, (also Baladeva Balar?ma4), represented 39 This content downloaded from 146.95.253.17 on Fri, 31 May 2013 04:45:05 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions in It a cm the Museum 1956. is colossal (167 high and cm 58 wide) buff-colored sandstone image sculpted on an four sides. Each sculpture appears above un decorated plinth approximately 46 cm in height. Perhaps the plinth of this upright was placed into the ground, leaving the carved sides exposed for the purpose of circumambulation and adoration.7 On one a seems side stands corpulent figure who to more be important than the others because he wears a crown and heavy earrings (Fig. 4). The fig ure raises the right arm, adorned with several brace lets; the hand is in abhaya mudra, emblematic of divinity. The left arm, also decked with bracelets, a a is posed in somewhat relaxed manner; decorated jar is held in that hand. The deity wears additional ornamentation in the form of a broad, flat necklace with a central An large amulet. upper garment (ut tariya) is draped over the shoulders. The drapery folds of the dhoti fall in the center and indications of the cloth are still visible on the thighs. The dhoti is held by a girdle fitting tightly around the loins and accentuating thus the lower portion of the abdomen. On the reverse side appears another full standing figure which may be sharply distinguished from the one on the obverse (Fig. 5). The personage wears crown no and, except for a bracelet on his left wrist, the body is starkly devoid of ornamentation. Nev ertheless, there are some features. The i. Vishnu Museum no. noteworthy Fig. Caturvyuha (Mathura 392-395). Government hair is in the middle and falls in Photograph, Museum, Mathura. figure's parted strands onto either side of the shoulders. Both hands as a are broken was in his theriomorphic form lion.5 In the Kushan but probably the right raised in is a sculpture Samkarshana represented anthropomor abhayamudra while the leftmay have held flask not a is too to phically. The identification is problematic; (the object effaced be properly identified). are snake canopy, wine cup, and single earring char acteristics regularly associated with Kushan-period icons of this god.6 Rather puzzling, however, is the a clear and direct visual expression of complex theo a logical notion; this clarity of expression implies prior phase of artistic experimentation and concep a tual familiarity wherefrom meaningful synthesis of religious, iconographie, and stylistic idioms could result. It is therefore of considerable interest that a - fourfold image in the State Museum, Lucknow, rep resents a formative, pre-Kushan portrayal of the caturvyuha concept (see Figs. 3-7). The piece in question comes from Bh?t? (District Allahabad inUttar and was 2. Vishnu Doris Srinivasan. Pradesh), acquired by Fig. Caturvyuha. Photograph, 40 This content downloaded from 146.95.253.17 on Fri, 31 May 2013 04:45:05 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions a The figure is bulkier than the crowned one, and the ure, is allotted to the frontal image of seated lion. even more over the to the left side of the crowned a belly protrudes constricting Adjacent figure, oc waistband. similar alignment exists. Another damaged face curs traces Adjacent to the right side of the crowned figure in the upper portion; only of the ears, a occurs, at the level of the crowned face, another earrings, and heavy V-shaped necklace remain9 are an face; it is completely damaged8 (Fig. 6). There (Fig. 7). The lower portion also contains animal. no the entire lower is a other corporeal details. However, The profile view that of boar standingwith hind to on a portion of this side, corresponding roughly the legs high pedestal. The animal raiseshis head in region between the hips and feet of the crowned fig the direction of the crowned figure and his paws come in a namas together gesture approximating Pradyumna k?ra. as K?pila/Raudra The second-century-B.c. date that N. P. Joshi WEST to seems to most signs this piece be the reasonable.10 The well with other colossal image compares Sunga Samkarsana Aniruddha from north central India. Indeed, when Var?ha period figures Simha/N?rasimha to a compared series of colossal yaksas, the dating of EAST the piece may be further refined. For example, the two of the Bhita icon in the Vasudeva standing figures show, of masses, a advancement over the Saumya modeling slight static, bilateral Sunga Yaksha from Pratapgarh (Dis trict Uttar The stiff Fig. 3. Vaishnava Caturvyuha, from Bhita, disposition of Pratapgarh, Pradesh). posture no. Yaksha its blockish con vyuhas (State Museum, Lucknow, 56.394).