Sita, the monkey hosts and the Rakshasa chiefs headed by
Vibhlshana. Rama with Slta on his side is generally contem- plated upon as seated in the aerial car Pushpaka in thevirdsana posture within a golden pavilion and underneath the celestial tree (kalpa-vriksha). In his front stands Hanuman reading, while Rama is explaining the mystery of philosophy to the crowds of sages who gather round him along with his royal brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna. 1
VII
Krishna is the next avatar of Vishnu 3 which is highly vener- KRISHNA ated by the Hindus. The Bhagavata-Pwrawrt which describes i ? carna in detail the early life of Krishna in Brindavana (Brindaban) has provided more material for iconology than his subsequent career as the moving spirit of the Ma/tabharata-war, the author of the " Divine Song " Bhagavad-Gita or the benevolent chief of Dvaraka (Dwarka, 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 Yasoda. This form of Krishna receives the name Santana-Gopala. SANTANA- Also as a baby divine, identified with Supreme Vishnu, GOPALA. he is sometimes pictured as lying on a banyan-leaf (Vatapa- VATAPAIRA- trasayin) sucking the toe of his leg held by the hand. These SAYIN - 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 Brinda- vana. It is said that on one occasion Yasoda 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 !
1 This conception of Rama is perhaps to be traced to the fact that in the work called Vasishtharamayafia, Rama is stated to have given lessons in philosophy to his family priest Vasishtha. The story of the Ramayana as described by the poet Valniiki, is said to be referred to in the Mantra of the Rig- Veda, beginning with the words bhadro bhadraya, etc. The explanatory comment (nirukta) is, however, not included in Yaska's Nirukta. The historical develop- ment of Rama and Krishna cults have been fully dealt with by Dr. R. G. Bhandar- kar in his Vaishnavism, Saivism, etc.
2 The verse which is usually quoted in connexion with the ten avatars of Vishnu, mentions Balarama or Haladhara " the bearer of the plough," as the incarna- tion which came next after the epic hero Rama. Krishna, the younger brother of Balarama, being, however, considered to be Vishnu himself, receives divine honours in preference to Balarama. The famous temple at Puri-Jagannath contains figures of Balarama and Krishna with their sister Subhadra standing between them.