Sculpted Spouts of Nepalese Fountains and Vedic Evidence Dolphin Deified – A Review Article

Abstract

In a recent issue of the Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (Volume 25, Issue 1, pp. 1-30), Diwakar Acharya published an article titled “Dolphin Deified: The Celestial Dolphin, an Upaniṣadic Puzzle and Viṣṇu’s Incarnation.” This work is a further development of earlier multidisciplinary studies on similar subjects primarily by Coomaraswamy, Lüders, and Parpola. The association of these studies with zoological and astrological observation is beyond the scope of my investigation. Nonetheless, for many years, I have carefully studied both the representations of mythical creatures in South Asian art and Vedic references to the creatures. Thus, I am offering the following novel insights into the subject.