Distinction in Indian Iconography [Appendix A]

Avatāra ^[2]

Series of incarnations of Viṣṇu. The number of incarnations included in the series varies; most popular is the following set of ten: Matsya (fish), Kūrma (tortoise), Varāha (boar), Narasiṁha (man-lion), Trivikrama, Paraśurāma, Rāghavarāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, Kalkin (yet to come). Matsya, Kūrma, and Varāha can be represented in theriomorph or in hybrid form. The article mentions two avatāras which are not contained in this list: the Varadarājāvatāra (Viṣṇu comes as Varadarāja to the rescue of an elephant, and this act is called gajendramokṣā, "liberation of the elephant") and the avatāra as Nara and Nārāyaṇa.

Āyudhapuruṣa

Personification of Viṣṇu's weapon (or attribute in general). The āyudhapuruṣas appear singly, in pairs or grouped. They include Kaumodakī, Sudarśana (= Cakrapuruṣa), etc. See § 50c.

Cakravartin

Series of twelve mythical emperors, beginning with Bharata.

Demons

We have mentioned in the text Hiraṇyakaśipu (disembowelled by Narasiṁha), Anāhakāsura (slain by Śiva), Gajāsura (elephant; slain by Śiva), Mahiṣāsura (buffalo; slain by Durgā who is in this connection called Mahiṣāsuramardinī), Rāvaṇa (humiliated by Śiva), Kāliya (humiliated by Kṛṣṇa), Madhu (slain by Kṛṣṇa), Kaiṭabha (slain by Kṛṣṇa).

Dikpāla

Group of eight gods (Aṣṭadikpālas), guardians of the four chief and the four minor quarters: Indra (E), Agni (SE), Yama (S), Nirṛti (SW), Varuṇa (W), Vāyu (NW), Kubera (N), Īśāna (NW). The Jains added two more: Brahma (zenith) and Nāga (nadir). - The Kṣetrapāla is worshipped as guardian deity of the locality.

Graha

Group of eight (Aṣṭagrahas) or nine (Navagrahas) astral gods, viz. Sūrya (sun), Soma (moon), planets, Rāhu, Ketu. The last two are represented as bust and nāga respectively (fig. 51), the others as ordinary human figures.

Jina

Series of twenty-four Jain saviours (also called Tīrthaṁkaras); hence the word "Jainism". They appeared at great intervals to preach the Jain religion. The list includes Ṛṣabha (1), Ajita (2), Saṁbhava (3), Supārśvanātha (7), Śītala (10), Śāntinātha (16), Neminātha (22), Pārśvanātha (23), Mahāvīra (24); the last two are historical. Later speculation added to this series further series (of 24 each) which belong to different periods and different parts of the world.

Mānuṣibuddhas

Series of seven human Buddhas; the last Mānuṣibuddha is the historical Buddha Śākyamuni. They are distinguished in iconography by the different trees under which they attained enlightenment.

Mātṛkā

Group of seven (Saptamātṛkās) or eight (Aṣṭamātṛkās) Hindu goddesses, including Vaiṣṇavī.

Nāga

The nāgas are snake-demons, represented as snakes or as combinations (in the widest sense) of a snake and a human figure. The abode of the snakes is Pātāla, one of the seven regions under the earth. Well known is the nāga Ananta (or Śeṣa) who is represented in theriomorph form as the seat or couch of Viṣṇu (Viṣṇu Anantaśayana = Viṣṇu reclining on the coils of Ananta). Another famous nāga is Vāsuki who served as the rope in the churning of the ocean (Kūrmāvatāra).

River-goddess

Gaṅgā (standing on a makara) and Yamunā (standing on a tortoise). The two goddesses appear on the lower left and the lower right door-jamb of temples of the northern style. Under her name Jahnavī, Gaṅgā has also been included into the yoginī-group (§ 36).

Vāhana

Animal or any other object on which a deity is seated, riding or standing. Viṣṇu's vāhana is the bird Garuḍa, Śiva's vāhana is the bull Nandin, Durgā's (Ambikā's) vāhana is a lion, Skanda's vāhana is the peacock Paravāṇi.

Vidyādevī

Group of sixteen Jain goddesses, including Vajraśṛṅkhalā and Apraticakrā.

Yakṣa and yakṣī

Group of twenty-four gods and twenty-four goddesses in Jainism. Each Jina is attended upon by one yakṣa and one yakṣī (Ṛṣabha by Gomukha Yakṣa and Cakreśvarī Yakṣī; Brahma Yakṣa belongs to the 10th and Ambikā Yakṣī to the 22nd Jina).

Yoginī

Group of sixty-four Hindu goddesses.