colour and hold a skull and a lotus. Some authorities like the

Silpasangraha state that as representing the active energy of Brahma, Mahesvara, Kumara, Vishnu, etc., they have the same vehicles as their lords and hold the same weapons. Brahml (also called Brahmanl) consequently has four faces, six arms ] and the swan vehicle, and she is of yellow hue. Mahesvarl (Bhairavl) rides on a bull, has five faces, three eyes and ten arms, and is decorated with the crescent. KaumarT has six faces and twelve arms and rides on a peacock. VaishnavT is of blue colour and rides on Garuda, has six arms and the garland of flowers called vanamald (peculiar to Vishnu). Varahl has the face of a sow, 2 is black in colour, has a big protruding belly and rides on a buffalo. 3 Mahendrl (Indranl) has a thousand eyes, like her consort Indra, is of pleasing appearance and of golden hue, and rides on an elephant. She has apparently also six arms and displays the symbols varada, noose and thunderbolt in her right arms and the abhaya, vessel and lotus in her left. Chamunda 4 is black and fearful with protruding teeth, long tongue, erect hair, emaciated body, sunken red eyes and a withered belly. It is stated that she can change her appearance at will. She rides on a corpse, wears a garland of skulls and has jewels of serpents. In her ten arms she holds the shield, noose, bow, staff and spear on the left side, and the pestle, disc, fly-whisk, goad and sword on the right. The Mayamata adds that she wears a tiger's skin, has red hair glowing like fire, and the banner of a kite. She may have four, eight or ten hands. According to the same authority these Seven Mothers are to be flanked by Vlrabhadra and Vinayaka on either side (fig. 122). In front of the Saptamatrikas the god Siva may be seated on a lotus flower under the banyan tree Some of these goddesses are

1 The illustration in the Ehira Cave Temples shows only four hands.

2 In the panel of Saptamatrikas (ibid, Plate XXXIV, No. l) Varahl is repre- sented with a fine human face and the usual ornaments but has the sow-vehicle. In No. 3 on the same plate, however, the goddess has the face of a sow.

3 The Silpasangraha says that Varahi was born of Vama, the God of Death. According to Heruadri the goddess Yamya, evidently identical with Varahi, rides on the buffalo, holds a staff and drinks blood from a skull. Three other goddesses with sow-face are mentioned in the Lalitopakhyana and the Varahikalpa. Dandanatha-Varahi is one, seated on the golden lotus. She has eight arms and a staff by her side. Svapna-Varahi has the gleaming tusks of a sow and four arms. She rides on a horse. Suddha- Varahi has also tusks and four arms. It may be noted that Bartall (Battall) is a Buddhist goddess of similar description, some- times also referred to in the Hindu Tantras (Mayitrabhatija, Introduction, p. xcv).

4 This image has perhaps to be distinguished from Mahishasuramardini- Chamunda described below.