Peerless Manifestations of Devī

Abstract

Peerless Manifestations of Devī In Hinduism, the śāstras list many iconographical forms of Devī. Nevertheless, for a number of them, there is no existing material rendition. The present article examines the cases of a few such iconographical forms, those of Ṣaḍaṅgadevī, Catuṣṣaṣṭikalādevī, Śītalādevī, Daśamudrā and Trikaṇṭhakīdevī. Śilpaśāstras enumerate the pratimālakṣaṇas of these goddesses elaborately. It is an enigma why material evidence that is expected to portray the canonized form is missing. However, recently a few models have become available that get closer to the Śāstraic notions. These redesigned entries add a new dimension to the iconography of the goddess. The present article deals with some rarities in the realm of Śakti iconography based on the Śrītattvanidhi in its Tañcāvūr Sarasvatī Mahal Library edition.

Keywords

• Devī
• śāstra
• Ṣaḍaṅgadevī
• Catuṣṣaṣṭikalādevī
• Śītalādevī
• Daśamudrā