Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/57

Rh Sītā, the monkey hosts and the Rākshasa chiefs headed by Vibhīshana. Rāma with Sītā on his side is generally contemplated upon as seated in the aerial car Pushpaka in the vīrāsana posture within a golden pavilion and underneath the celestial tree (kalpa-vriksha). In his front stands Hanumān reading, while Rāma is explaining the mystery of philosophy to the crowds of sages who gather round him along with his royal brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna.

Krishna is the next avatār of Vishnu which is highly venerated by the Hindus. The Bhāgavata-Purāna which describes i ? carna in detail the early life of Krishna in Brindāvana (Brindāban) has provided more material for iconology than his subsequent career as the moving spirit of the Mahābhārata-war, the author of the " Divine Song " Bhagavad-Gitā or the benevolent chief of Dvārakā (Dwārka, Baroda).

Three stages in the life of Krishna have been marked out to be the most prominent. As a baby, not yet weaned from his mother's breast, he is represented in the arms of Yasōda. This form of Krishna receives the name Santāna-Gōpāla.Also as a baby divine, identified with Supreme Vishnu,he is sometimes pictured as lying on a banyan-leaf (Vatapa-trasāyin) sucking the toe of his leg held by the hand. These pictures of the baby-god are commonly seen in paintings.

Krishna is also represented as a winsome boy, full of fun and frolic and fond of thieving milk and butter from the neighbouring cottages of cowherds living at Brindāvana. It is said that on one occasion Yasōdā punished him by tying him up to a mortar. The child then ran along, dragging the mortar behind him ; but in trying to pass between two tall and stout trees standing close together, the heavy mortar was caught between and felled them down ; when lo !