National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Mahākāla, the next divinity, is seated on his yak-like bull, Nandi, in a pose similar to that of Kārttikeya. He presents an especially fierce and gruesome appearance, with bestial, demoniac face, upward-streaming hair, and cadaverous limbs. His brow is knotted into heavy, frowning folds over wide-open, glaring eyes and hog-like snout. His open mouth displays the viciously curled, projecting tongue. Above the forehead he wears a chaplet of human skulls; and behind his head is an elephant's skin upheld by the two upper arms. The tip of the elephant's trunk appears just by the god's bony elbow. In the right middle hand a flaming sword is held, upright. The other hands and symbols are missing, but a trident visible just above the right knee may be the end of a vajra held in the lower right hand. The skeletal structure of the limbs is portrayed, with more force than accuracy, by heavy modelling, and an expression of the ferocious energy animating the god is exhibited in the tense action of the exaggerated muscles of the left foot.
Farther to the right, little remains of the third deity, but the right shoulder, over which fall long black locks of hair, part of the nude trunk, and legs and one foot can be made out. Also the upper right hand holding the red disk of the sun and the middle right hand supporting a seated figure of the Buddha, yellow, with red nimbus. The lower right forearm crosses in front of the breast and one of the fingers of the hand seems to be just in front of the neck. A white girdle encircles the waist.
In the lower half of the picture are four large, standing warriors, probably Loka-pālas, several other gods, a few human beings, and a number of little mischievous imps. The large, standing figure, below Kārttikeya, is probably Virūḍhaka. His elephant-head epaulettes, of which that on the left shoulder is clearly visible, would be appropriate to this identification. Looking towards the right with wide-open staring eyes, his rather cruel lips, slightly parted, express satisfaction. His crossed hands rest on the pommel of a mace or sword, just below the lion mask of his girdle. Accompanying him is a charming little 'earth goddess', standing on his left, carrying a dish of fruit. She wears long, flowing garments and an elaborate floral coiffure. Her smooth face, with half-closed eyes and small tight mouth, expresses conscious superiority as she turns towards the warrior. Immediately below is an upturned face with worried, apprehensive look, and before it is a hand raised in supplication or defence. Above the goddess stands an Indian sādhū, facing to the right; with pale face, hooked nose, green eyes which glare fiercely, grey beard and grey hair tied in the customary top-knot. Over his left shoulder and

84