The Rgvedic Deities and Their Iconic Forms

About the Book:

India's cultural traditions have their origin in diverse sources embedded in the life style of various pre-and Proto-historic communities occupying different parts of the sub-continent in the various periods of their existence. Despite high antiquity of several archaeological finds, one has to admit that ht earliest recorded references of India's cultural philosophy and ideological concepts are found only in the textual data of Rgveda, which show an already developed stage of thought. The importance of Vedic philosophy and religious concepts especially those defining the form of divinities lies in the fact that they preserve in them the seeds of later Hinduism to a considerable extent.

The Rgveda contains references to various types of divinities which have been classified into three broad groups viz., (i) Terrestrial deities like Prthivi, Soma, Agni, (ii) Atmospheric gods like Indra, Vayu, Maruts, Parjanya, and (iii) Heavenly divinities like Varuna, Dyaus, Asvins, Surya, Savitr, Mitra, Pusana and Visnu. Of these the last five were regarded as different phases of sun's movements. Varuna, who has been extolled in many hymns, is also associated with the concept of Rta, i.e. the cosmic and moral order.

The Rgveda mentions some goddess too like Prthivi, Usas or the dawn, Ratri, Ila Bharati or Sarasvati. A few gods like Dyava-Prthivi (i.e. the sky and the earth) are vitally significant for later iconographic developments. To propitiate these gods the Rgvedic people made offerings of milk, ghee grains, etc. through sacrificial oblations and chanted hymns in their praise which, undoubtedly, suggest presence of the elements of Bhakti (deep devotional urge) in the Vedic religion.

The present work is conditioned by a kind of unconventional approach to the study of Vedic elements of iconic forms and concepts especially those mentioned in Rgveda. She feels that all gods of Hinduism are basically the gods of the Rgveda which changed their forms from time to time to meet the demand of the people. In her view these developments are well attested to by the literature of historical times, e.g. the Smrtis and Puranas.

About the Author:

According to Chawla the early idea of image-making can be traced back in the hymns of the Rgveda particularly in the poetic imagery of early Vedic seers. She agrees that most of the Vedic deities, no doubt, originally represented the forces of nature but in the course of time, during the Rgvedic age itself, she feels that iconic concepts in regard to at least some divinities had already come into vogue.

The author has also located and analysed certain Vedic terms preserving in them clues pertaining to bodily features of some deities. The representation of form as reflected in the expressions like rupani pimsatu and rupam sukrtam, is an indication of some kind of artistic activity in Rgvedic times. Perhaps emergence of the concept of Tvastr, the divine craftsman / artist, was a result of constantly growing creative urge of Rgvedic societies.

Dr. Chawla views the whole growth of Hindu iconography as a continuous process of development from the period of the Rgveda onwards under the cover of religious philosophies. Yet, she does not deny the role of Indus civilization and eternal mythological import.

Jyotsna Chawla further invites our attention to the iconographic parallelism between the concept of Dyava-Prthivi, the eternal parents, and the one reflected in the unified form available in the Puranic iconography of Ardhanarisvara. She traces the growth of the iconic forms of Rgvedic deities like Siva, Surya, Soma, Yama, Asvins, etc. in the later periods when the Puranas were compiled. She has beautiful analysed the Vedic symbolism and the attributes held by various gods in the form of vajra, pasa, danda, sruk and sruva in an logical manner.

Dr. Mrs. Jyotsna Chawla had a brilliant academic career. She has contributed several articles on Indian History and Culture which are published in leading journals.

Contents

Foreword
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
CHAPTER I
THE DEVELOPMENT OF HINDU ICONOGRAPHY Main Features of Indian Iconography
Iconology and Iconography
The Base of Indian Iconography
Icons Found in Temples
The Circumstances in which the Indian Iconography Developed
Propagation of Cults, Religion

CHAPTER II
VEDIC RELIGION AND DEITIES The Rgveda: The Main Source of Later Deities
Main Rgvedic Deities, Their Description and Chief Characteristics
Spiritual and Philosophical Aspects of Rgvedic Deities as Visualized in Vedic Hymns
Idols and Icon in Rgvedic Period. Whether Idol Worship Existed or not? Theory of Supernatural Phenomenon as Propounded by Western Scholars and Conception of the Rgvedic Deities

CHAPTER III
THE RGVEDIC DEITIES AS TREATED BY THE LATER COMMENTATORS Aitareyabrahmana
The Rgvedic Deities as Treated in the Brhaddevata of Saunaka
Rgvedic Deities as Treated by Nirukta of Yaska

CHAPTER IV
RGVEDIC DEITIES DESCRIBED IN MAHAPURANAS Puranas in General
Rudra in the Puranas

CHAPTER V
RGVEDIC DEITIES ICONOGRAPHICALLY
REPRESENTED IN MAHAPURANAS Pratima Laksanas of the Rgvedic Deities in Mahapuranas

CHAPTER VI
THE INFLUENCE OF THE RGVEDIC DEITIES ON INDIAN
ICONOGRAPHY, SYMBOLS WHICH REPRESENT VEDIC
AND NON-VEDIC FEATURES

APPENDIX I Rgvedic Deities which Survived in Later Literature and Art

APPENDIX II Vedic and Non-Vedic Idols and Symbols

Bibliography

Index