Agni Purana

नरसिंहो विवृत्तास्यो वामोरुक्षतदानवः । तद्वक्षो दारयन्माली स्फुरच्चक्रगदाधरः

Narasimha, with mouth wide open, tears the demon with his left thigh; adorned with a garland, bearing the shining discus and mace.

छत्री दण्डी वामनः स्यादथवा स्याच्चतुर्भुजः। रामश्चापेषुहस्तः स्यात् खड्गी परसुनान्वितः

Vamana is depicted with umbrella and staff, or may be four-armed; Rama holds a bow, sword, and axe.

रामश्चापी शरी खड्गी शङ्खी वा द्विभूजः स्मृतः। गदालाङ्गलधारी च रामो वाथ चतुर्भुजः

Rama is remembered as holding bow and arrows, sword, conch, or as two-armed; bearing mace and plough, or as four-armed.

वामोर्ध्वे लाङ्गलं दद्यादधः शङ्खं सुशोभनम्। मुषलं दक्षिणोर्ध्वे तु चक्रञ्चाधः सुशोभनम्

On the upper left, place the plough; below, the beautiful conch; on the upper right, the mace; below, the beautiful discus.

धनुस्तृणान्वितः कल्की म्लेच्छोत्सादकरोद्विजः। अथवाश्वस्थितः खङ्गी शङ्खचक्रशरान्वितः

Kalki, accompanied by grass and bow, is the twice-born destroyer of mlecchas; or, mounted on a horse, holding sword, conch, discus, and arrows.

लक्षणं वासुदेवादिनवकस्य वदामि ते। दक्षिणोर्ध्वे गदा वामे वामोर्ध्वे चक्रमुत्तमम्

I will tell you the characteristics of the nine forms beginning with Vāsudeva: on the upper right, the mace; on the upper left, the supreme discus.

ब्रह्मेशौ पार्श्वगौ नित्यं वासुदेवोस्ति पूर्ववत्। शङ्खी स वरदो वाथ द्विभुजो वा चतुर्भुजः

Brahmā and Īśa are always at the sides, and Vāsudeva is as before; he holds a conch and the boon-giving gesture, and may be two-armed or four-armed.

लाङ्गली मुषली रामो गदापद्मधरः स्मृतः। प्रद्युम्नो दक्षिणे वज्रं शङ्खं वामे धनुः करे

Rāma is remembered as holding a plough and a pestle; Pradyumna holds a thunderbolt in the right hand, a conch in the left, and a bow.

गदानाभ्यावृतः ग्रीत्या प्रद्युम्नो वा धनुः शरी। चतुर्भुजोनिरुद्धः स्यात्तथा नारायणो विभुः

Pradyumna is surrounded by maces at the neck, or else he holds a bow and arrow; Aniruddha is four-armed, and so is the glorious Nārāyaṇa.

चतुर्मुखश्चतुर्व्वाहुर्ब्बृहज्जठरमण्डलः। लम्बकूर्च्चे जटायुक्तो ब्रह्मा हंसाग्रवाहनः

Brahmā is four-faced and four-armed, with a broad belly; his hair is tied in a hanging tuft, and he rides on a swan.

दक्षिणे चाक्षसूत्रञ्च स्रुवो वामे तु कुण्डिका। आज्यस्थाली सरस्वती सावित्री वामदक्षिणे

In the right hand, he holds a rosary or a ladle; in the left, a water-pot; Sarasvatī and Sāvitrī are at his left and right.

विष्णुरष्टभुजस्तार्क्षे करे खड्गस्तु दक्षिणे। गदा शरश्च वरदो वामे कार्मुकखेटके

Viṣṇu, eight-armed, rides Garuḍa; in the right hand, a sword; in the left, a mace, arrow, boon-giving gesture, bow, and shield.

चक्रशङ्खौ चतुर्बाहुर्न्नरसिंहश्चतुर्भुजः। शङ्खचक्रधरो वापि विदारितमहासुरः

Narasimha is four-armed, holding discus and conch; or he may hold conch and discus, having torn apart the great demon.

चतुर्बाहुर्वराहस्तु शेषुः पाणितले धृतः। धारयन् बाहुना पृथ्वीं वामेन कमलाधरः

Varāha is four-armed, holding Śeṣa in the palm; with one arm he supports the earth, and in the left hand he holds a lotus.

पादलग्ना धरा कार्य्या पदा लक्ष्मीर्व्यवस्थिता। त्रैलोक्यमोहनस्तार्क्ष्ये अष्टवाहुस्तु दक्षिणे

The earth should be placed at his foot, and Lakṣmī is established at his feet; the eight-armed form riding Garuḍa is on the right.

चक्रं खड्गं च मुषलं अङ्कुशं वामके करे। शङ्कशार्ङ्गगदापाशान् पद्मवीणासमन्विते

In the left hand, he holds discus, sword, pestle, and goad; conch, bow, mace, noose, lotus, and lute are also included.

लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती कार्य्ये विश्वरूपोऽथ दक्षिणे। मुद्गरं च तथा पाशं शक्तिशूलं शरं करे

Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī should be depicted; the universal form is on the right; in the hand, a mallet, noose, spear, trident, and arrow.

वामे शङ्खञ्च शार्ङ्गञ्च गदां पाशं च तोमरम्। लाङ्गलं परशुं दण्डं छुरिकां चर्म्मक्षेपणम्

In the left hand, conch, bow, mace, noose, and javelin; plough, axe, staff, knife, and shield for throwing.

विंशद्‌बाहुश्चतुर्व्वक्त्रो दक्षिणस्थोथ वामके। त्रिनेत्रो वामपार्श्वेन शयितो जलशाय्यपि

He is twenty-armed and four-faced, standing on the right and left; with three eyes at the left side, and also reclining on water.

श्रिया धृतैकचरणो विमलाद्याभिरीडितः। नाभिपद्मचतुर्वक्त्रो हरिशङ्करको हरिः

With one foot supported by Śrī, praised by Vimalā and others; Hari, with a lotus at the navel and four faces, is both Hari and Śaṅkara.

शूलर्ष्टिधारी दक्षे च गदाचक्रधरो पदे। रुद्रकेशवलक्ष्माङ्गो गौरीलक्ष्मीसमन्वितः

On the right, holding spear and lance, and in the foot, mace and discus; with Rudra's hair and Lakṣmī's marks, accompanied by Gaurī and Lakṣmī.

शङ्खचक्रगदावेदपाणिश्चाश्वशिरा हरिः। वामपादो धृतः शेषे दक्षिणः कूर्म्मपृष्ठगः

Hari holds conch, discus, mace, and Vedas in his hands, with a horse's head; his left foot is supported by Śeṣa, and the right by the back of a tortoise.

दत्तात्रेयो द्विबाहुः स्याद्वामोत्सङ्गे श्रिया सह। विष्वक्‌सेनश्चक्रगदी हली शङ्खी हरेर्गणः

Dattātreya is two-armed, with Śrī in his left lap; Viṣvaksena holds discus, mace, plough, and conch, as a member of Hari's retinue.

भगवानुवाच चण्डी विंशतिबाहुः स्याद्‌बिभ्रती दक्षिणैः करः। शूलासिशक्तिचक्राणि पाशं खेटायुधाभयम्

The Blessed Lord said: Caṇḍī shall be depicted with twenty arms, holding in her right hands a trident, sword, spear, discus, noose, shield, weapon, and the gesture of fearlessness.

डमरुं शक्तिकां वामैर्न्नागपाशञ्च खेटकम्। कुठाराङ्कुशचापांश्च घण्टाध्वजगदांस्तथा

In her left hands she holds a drum, a dart, a serpent-noose, a shield, an axe, a goad, a bow, a bell, a banner, and a mace.

आदर्शमुद्‌गरान् हस्तैश्चण्डी वा दशबाहुका। तदधो महिषश्छिन्नमूर्द्धा पातितमस्तकः

Caṇḍī, with ten arms, is also shown holding a mirror and a mallet; below her, the buffalo demon lies with his head severed, his head fallen.

शस्त्रोद्यतकरः क्रुद्धस्तद्‌ग्रीवासम्भवः पुमान्। शूलहस्तो वमद्रक्तो रक्तस्रङ्‌मूर्द्धजेक्षणः

A furious man, weapon raised, emerges from the demon's neck; he holds a trident, blood streaming, with blood-red garland, hair, and eyes.

सिहेनास्वाद्यमानस्तु पाशबद्धो गले भृशम्। याम्याङ्घ्न्याक्रान्तसिहा च सव्याङघ्निर्नीचगासुरे

The buffalo is being devoured by a lion, tightly bound at the neck by a noose; the lion is trampled by Yāmyā's left foot, and the demon lies low.

चण्डिकेयं त्रिनेत्रा च सशस्त्रा रिपुमर्द्दनी। नवपद्मात्मके स्थाने पूज्या दुर्गा स्वमूर्त्तितः

This Caṇḍikā, three-eyed and armed, destroyer of enemies, is to be worshipped in her own form at the place of the nine-petaled lotus, as Durgā.