Dear François,

This book should provide answers:

Srinivasan, D. M. Many Heads, Arms and Eyes. Leiden, Niederlande: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004644977

Best,
Dominik

__________________

Dr. Dominik A. Haas, BA MA
dominik@haas.asia | ORCID 0000-0002-8505-6112 | academia.edu DominikAHaas | hcommons DominikAHaas
ÖGRW | DMG | SDN | WPU
Gonda Fellow, International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden (2024)
Post-DocTrack Fellow, Austrian Academy of Sciences (2023)
Lecturer, University of Vienna (2023)
Doc Fellow, Austrian Academy of Sciences (2020–2022)

Books:
– Gāyatrī: Mantra and Mother of the Vedas, https://doi.org/10.1553/978OEAW93906 (Roland Atefie Prize 2023)
– Vom Feueraltar zum Yoga. Kommentierte Übersetzung und Kohärenzanalyse der Kaṭha-Upaniṣad, https://hasp.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/catalog/preview
– Puṣpikā 6. Proceedings of the 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (Vienna, 2021), https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1133

The Initiative for Fair Open Access Publishing in South Asian Studies
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Am 17.05.2024 um 13:20 schrieb François Voegeli via INDOLOGY:

Dear Members of the List,

A friend recently asked me a rather disconcerting question (for me at least): why do Indian gods have so many arms?

My understanding was that these arms bear attributes of the god (trident, discus, severed head, etc.) to remind the devout of some parts of the god's gest, but I have not seen such explanation in Indian litterature.
What is the Indian literature exactly saying about this quite remarkable feature and where (Purāṇas, Śilpaśāstras, or elsewhere)?

Your input will be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

François Voegeli
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