Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/231

Rh buffalo-demon (fig. 132). Dr. Vogel gives the following description of the relief: "The goddess astride on her vehicle, the lion, is eight-armed. With two hands she shoots arrows at the demon king. The emblems held in her remaining six arms are a disc (chakra), a bell (ghantā) and a sword (khadga) to the right and a conch (sankha), a noose (pāsa) and an indistinct object, to the left. A quiver is visible over her left shoulder.

"She is surrounded by a host of dwarfs, evidently the ganas of Siva, her spouse. One, behind her, holds a parasol over her head, another at her side waves a fly-whisk (chāmara). The remainder carry weapons, usually a round buckler and a curved sword, in shape like the kukri of the Gurkhas. One in the foreground is in the act of shooting an arrow from a bow.

"Distinct from these ganas is a female figure fallen on her knees in front of the lion and raising a sword with her right hand. Possibly this figure represents Kāli, an emanation of Durgā, though she does not present the terrific appearance peculiar to the black goddess.

"Right opposite Durgā stands the colossal figure of the buffalo-headed demon-king. His royal rank also is indicated by a parasol held over his head- He carries a heavy mace in his two hands and has, moreover, a sword fastened to his left hip. His attitude is that of yielding to the onslaught of the warlike goddess.

"His army is represented by seven demons. Two of these are prostrated in the foreground one slain and another wounded. The latter raises his right hand with two fingers raised. What is the meaning of this gesture ? Is it that of a vanquished warrior imploring his victorious enemy to spare his life ? Of the remaining asuras one is retreating, whereas the others seem to offer a feeble resistance. It is worthy of notice that with the exception of Mahishāsura himself, the demons are shown in a purely human shape."

Many other Saivite goddesses of fearful appearance, worshipped by people who wish to destroy their enemies or to receive some desired object-of life, are described in the Tantrik works. Some of these which are mentioned below may possibly be, as some suggest, the Aryanized forms of aboriginal deities still worshipped in the Pidāri temples of the South.

Kālarātrī already referred to as one of the nine Durgās, has a single braid of hair and japā-flowers for her ear-ornaments ; she is naked, rides on an ass, has hanging lips 14-A