Religion:Ashtabhuja
Ashtabhuja (Sanskrit: अष्टभुजा, romanized: Aṣṭabhujā, lit. 'eight-armed') is an iconographic form in Hinduism characterized by deities depicted with eight arms.[1] This multi-armed depiction is especially associated with certain manifestations of the Great Goddess such as Durga, as well as specific forms of male deities like Vishnu.[2][3]
Etymology and definition
The term ashtabhuja is derived from the Sanskrit components aṣṭa (eight) and bhujā (arm/armed).[1][4] In modern scholarship the word functions both as a descriptive art-historical label for eight-armed sculptures - for example, an “ashtabhuja” bronze mūrti – and as a specific technical name or epithet for deities in textual and ritual contexts.[1][3]
Iconography and symbolism
The eight arms of an ashtabhuja deity typically hold a variety of āyudhas (weapons) and emblems that signify divine power.[2] Prescriptive texts and iconographic studies describe eight-armed forms of Durga holding items such as a śaṅkha (conch), cakra (discus), dhanu (bow), bāṇa or śara (arrow), khaḍga (sword), khetaka (shield), śūla or triśūla (trident), and a pāśa (noose).[2] Certain forms may also display hand gestures such as the boon-granting varada mudrā or threatening tarjanī mudrā, alongside additional weapons like an aṅkuśa (elephant goad).[2]
Modern political and cultural analyses note that in some twentieth- and twenty-first-century contexts, the eight arms of a constructed goddess named Ashtabhuja are interpreted symbolically as coordinating multiple virtues and domains – for example, patience and aggression, intellect, science, and wealth.[1][4][5]
Deities
Durga and her manifestations
Scholars note that Durga is frequently depicted in an eight-armed form in textual prescriptions and sculptural programs.[2] Specific manifestations such as Vana-Durga and Agni-Durga are described in the literature as eight-armed goddesses, holding a standard set of weapons in each hand.[2] A notable Gupta-period bronze mūrti from Deulbari has been identified by scholars as an eight-armed goddess named Sarvvani, interpreted as a form of Parvati or Gauri.[1]
Vaishno Devi
Iconographic and textual studies of Vaishno Devi describe her as an ashtabhuja form of the Great Goddess, understood as an embodiment of the Tridevi.[6][7] In these depictions the goddess holds multiple weapons associated with both Vishnu and Shiva, underscoring her composite and pan-sectarian character.[6][7]
Vishnu
The Bhagavata Purana is cited in art-historical scholarship as mentioning an eight-armed form of Vishnu, invoked by Daksha as “Ashtabhuja-Nārāyaṇa”.[3] This reference is interpreted as evidence for the early development of Vaishnava mythology in which a multi-armed Nārāyaṇa embodies multiple powers simultaneously.[3]
Ashtabhuja as a modern goddess
Studies of Hindu nationalist women's organizations note that the Rashtra Sevika Samiti venerates a modern goddess explicitly named Ashtabhuja.[4][5] This goddess is depicted as a warrior figure with weapons in each of her eight hands and is presented as an integral combination of Mahakali, Mahasaraswati, and Mahalakshmi.[5]
Regional and temple traditions
Regional traditions preserve the importance of eight-armed forms in specific locales. In the Kanchi region, art-historical research suggests that the Pallava dynasty may have constructed a temple dedicated to an eight-armed Nārāyaṇa, referred to as “Attapuyakaram” (Ashtabhuja) by the early Āḻvār saint Pey.[3] The Gupta-period bronze image of the eight-armed goddess Sarvvani from Deulbari in present-day Bangladesh is another significant example discussed in the scholarship on early Hindu iconography.[1]
In texts and worship
The iconography of ashtabhuja forms is closely tied to Āgamic and Purāṇic prescriptions. The Suprabhedāgama is cited in secondary literature as detailing an eight-armed form of Durga, describing her carrying eight distinct weapons, standing on a lotus pedestal, and either standing upon the head of the buffalo demon Mahisha or riding a lion.[2] The Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa uses this eight-armed configuration as a foundational type, adding two hands to describe a ten-armed form in later passages.[2] The Bhāgavata Purāṇa reference to Ashtabhuja Nārāyaṇa provides theological grounding for eight-armed male deities within Vaishnava devotional and ritual contexts.[3]
Gallery
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Eight-armed form of Vaishno Devi at Vrindavan Vaishno Devi Dham. -
Eight-armed Vaishno Devi depicted on a commemorative coin. -
Eight-armed Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura (Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, c. 1700–1710).
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Indic Heritage and Culture, Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 ShodhShreejan: Journal of Creative Research Insights, 3 (1), January–June 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Journal of Indian History and Culture, Nineteenth Issue, September 2013, C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Institute of Indological Research, Chennai.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gendered Fractures in Hindu Nationalism (PDF).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Akanksha Mehta, “The Aesthetics of ‘Everyday’ Violence: Narratives of Violence and Hindu Right-Wing Women”, SOAS, University of London.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Georgana Foster and Robert Stoddard, “Vaishno Devi, the Most Famous Goddess Shrine in the Siwāliks”.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tracy Pintchman (2001), Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess, State University of New York Press.
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