[INDOLOGY] Pre-print Images of Vyāsa

[Jonathan Peterson]

Hi list members,

The sixteenth-century intellectual and poet Vādirāja has a number of Vyāsastotras attributed to him. Most of them celebrate Vyāsa in language and with themes well-worn among Vaiṣṇava poets both in and outside the Mādhva tradition. But his Pāṣaṇḍakhaṇḍanastotra, which is directed against Vīraśaivas, invokes the painted image of Vyāsa as visual proof against the cutting of Vyāsa’s arm and its procession (the practice of “Vyāsantoḷ" in Kannada)––“adyāpi pūjyate vyāsapratimā jñānadāyinī | citrakair likhyate bhittau mantraśāstreṣu varṇyate”. I’m familiar with popular miniatures of Vyāsa in Mahābhārata / Razmnama manuscripts, but I’m curious about early-modern wall paintings/frescos of Vyāsa in western Karnataka or the Deccan (or south India more broadly). He’s clear in saying that the image of Vyāsa is worshipped, but I’m not aware of any paintings of Vyāsa in Mādhva temples. I believe that the Uttaradi Mutt in Bangalore has an image of Vyāsa painted on their wall, but it’s quite modern. I’ve had a look through various collections of painted frescos at Vijayanagara, but I can’t readily discern the figure of Vyāsa in them (granted my eye is not well-trained for this kind of work). I’d be curious to know more if anyone has information/thoughts.

With thanks in advance,

Jonathan Peterson
Department of Religious Studies
Stanford University


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