A Surya Icon from a Dasavatara Temple, Pagan

Summary

This paper analyses an unusual Surya image discovered in the Nāṭ‑hlaung temple at Pagan (Bagan), Burma—the only surviving ancient Hindu temple in the region. The temple is square, raised on a plinth and surrounded by a corridor that once contained reliefs of Viṣṇu and his ten avatāras. On the east face, a deep niche houses the principal deity: Viṣṇu seated on Garuda. Sculptures on the outer walls depict the different avatāras of Viṣṇu, though several are damaged or missing. A surviving image, previously unidentified, is the focus of the study. Mon Duroiselle described it as standing on a lotus flower with arms bent at the elbows, each hand holding a lotus bud; the figure wears a crown, large earrings and jewellery; its lower garment reaches the knees. The author compares this image with Surya icons from South India and notes striking similarities: the two arms and lotus buds align with Surya iconography, and the high boots and horse‑drawn chariot usually found in Surya images are absent due to the damaged state of the sculpture. South Indian Surya images sometimes show the god flanked by the dawn goddesses Uṣā and Pratyuṣā, but their absence does not rule out a Surya identification. The article discusses the idea that in Vedic literature, Viṣṇu is not a supreme god but identified with the sun; he strides over the universe, and the Trivikrama myth relates to the sun’s path. The dhyāna-śloka of Surya describes him as seated in the solar orb. Thus Surya and Viṣṇu are intimately related. The author argues that the Pagan image is likely Surya disguised as a Viṣṇu avatāra, reflecting an interpretation in which Surya’s presence in a Daśāvatāra temple is acceptable. The figure illustrates a syncretic iconography where the solar aspect of Viṣṇu is emphasised. The article concludes that the Pagan sculpture contributes to our understanding of Hindu iconography outside India and shows how the boundaries between deities were fluid in the Vaishnava context.