1920. ] Hindu Astronomical Deities. 67 
males.! To some extent the several deities are differentiated 
by (a) the symbols or weapons held in the hands, (b) the 
vahanas or ‘ vehicles,’ (c) colours, (2) aaeaerade) (e) special 
symbols, (f) position, (g) dress, pose, e 
In the earlier examples the vee are seldom, if ever, 
shown. Possibly the images were sometimes coloured, but 
P 
probably only employed in actual worship in a 
with the symbols which represented the planets. The arrange- 
ment of the planets in sculpture is generally the week- any order 
as shown in the tables below, with the sun on the left*; but 
in certain a ey (or their symbolic substitutes) are 
often arranged in such circular order as is indicated in 
column F of the Ha, ae: The early sculptural representa- 
tions therefore give us evidence only with reference to the 
weapons and symbols in the hands, pose, dress and order 
Modern representations, pictorial principally but occasionally 
in brass and stone, show also the different vahanas, etc. 
symbolism becomes more complicated with the advance of 
time, and except in the cases of the Sun, Rahu and Ketu is 
now much obscured—the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus 
and Saturn being in many representations almost characterless 
in their similarity. 
In the case of the Sun, besides abundant sculptural evi- 
He should hold a lotus in each hand, wear a diadem and a 
necklace ; he should be er eater be ear-rings, and a girdle 
(avyanga) should be about his w 
16. Certain details connected with the group of planets 
are now given in a summa 
The hands. The npitiola,. Siiatkooatl etc. placed in the 
ut see Br thajjataka ii, 6, where the Moon and Venus are, for astro- 
logical purposes, considered as female. In India, however, these, as 
deities, are always male ; although there are cases on recor where Euro- 
yeans have w pyre descr mee the Hindu Venus as female. Mr. A. Stir- 
, 293) re 
More recently, in Bengal Past and Present (vii, p. %8) isa drawing 
(not a photograph) of a navagraha ‘ab that appears to give Ven 
— form 
an op ae was, according to Albiriini, covered with 
2 The 
red lather. rere i, 116.) ; 
one case at least (Cal. Mus. no. 4182) they are in the inverse 0 
this one 
4 Brihat Sarahita lviii, 47. 
