Page:Durga Puja - With Notes and Illustrations.djvu/39

 of the lotus, holding the trident in one of her right arms, the sword and the discus in the lower ones, a sharp dart and a lance in the other two respectively; while in her left arms holding the shield, the bent bow, the noose, the goad and the bell or the axe. The buffalo is represented as a headless trunk, from which springs up a demon, with a shield and sword in hand, pierced in his breast by the lance of the goddess and besmeared with blood, gushing from his wounds. The goddess frowning with a terrifies [sic] contraction of her brows, holds in her left hand with the forelocks of the demon the serpent noose, which strangles the Asura in its dreadful coil, while the lion falls upon him, with teeth gorging blood. The right foot of the goddess rests lightly on the back of the lion, while she stands tip-toe, with her left foot on the demon's shoulder.

The figure to the right of the group of three(3), is that of Lakshmi. She is represented as standing on a full-blown white lotus, with her right foot slightly bent over the left, with the toe of the right a little turned out. The whole figure slightly leans towards the right and in her each hand, she holds a full-blown white lotus. In the Sastras, she is described as bright as gold, decorated with necklaces, yellowish gold and silvery white,