varAhamihira was a medieval Hindu encyclopedist who lived in the 500s of the CE era. He may have descended from a family of shAkadvIpI brAhmaNas, as suggested by the mihira epithet in his name combined with varAha. This is also suggested by his tendencies for solar-system worship which appears to have been a trait of the shAkadvIpI brAhmaNas or Iranian Hindu brahmins. He covers an extraordinary range of topics in his encyclopedic works ranging from astronomy, mathematics, rituals, yavana jAtaka-s, sooth-saying of various kinds, and worship of Hindu gods through idols. In the same breadth he introduces some of the best know trigonometric formulae like sinx^2 + cosx^2 = 1; the double angle expansions like cos2*x=1- 2*sinx^2 as well as the basics of Hindu iconography. Thus, it is not suprising when we find trigonmetry mensuration and agamic issues pertain to idols being linked even the works of the later day nambutiri mathematician and tantric Chennas Narayanan Nambutiripad.
In his bR^ihat saMhitA he gives a succint section on construction of icons of gods, which gives a good picture of what was the iconographic situation around, 500-600 CE, the culmination of the gupta period. Many of these topics are dealt with in great detail in the purANas and Agamas of the various streams, but varAhamihira's account appears to give a summary of what was popular, such that it can be compared with surviving temples of the period, like the glorious Udayagiri complex.
The deities who were iconographically depicted in varAhamihira's times were: 1)rAma the son of dasharatha; 2) bali the son of virochana, the asura. 3) viShNu with 8 arms etc 4) balabhadra or the saMkarShaNa 5) sAmba 6) pradyumna 7) ekAnaMshA (3-7 appear to represent a vaiShNava set parallel to the set expounded in the iconographic chapters of the pA~ncharAtra tantras) 8)4-headed brahmA 9) kumAra or skanda 10) indra 11) rudra, holding uma by his side 12) the buddha 13) the naked jain ascetic 14) sUrya 16) li~Nga 17) revanta 18) yama 19) varuNa 20) kubera 21) vinAyaka 22) sapta- mAtR^ika
Appended below are the relevant verses along with some notes and my translation (the text follows the one provided freely by Indologist Michio Yano and one published by obscure press in the drAviDa country of which the title pages are worn off):
57.30 dasharatha-tanayo rAmo balish cha vairochaniH shataM viMsham 57.30 dvAdasha-hAnyA sheShAH pravara-sama-nyUna-parimANAH rAma, son of dasharatha, and bali, son of virochana, should be made 120 [digits tall]. The heights of other images, i.e. large, medium and small, are less by 12 digits in succession (108, 96 and 84).
57.31 kAryo aShTabhujo bhagavAMsh chatur-bhujo dvibhuja eva vA viShNuH 57.31 shrIvatsa-a~Nkita-vakShAH kaustubha-maNi-bhUShita- uraskaH The idols of viShNu must be made with eight, four or two arms. His chest is marked with the shrIvatsa and is adorned with the Kaustubha gem.
57.32 atasI-kusuma-shyAmaH pIta-ambara-nivasanaH prasanna-mukhaH 57.32 kuNDala-kirITa-dhArI pIna-gala-uraHsthala-aMsa-bhujaH He colored like a deep colored flax flower (deep blue), with yellow robes, having a calm and happy face. He wears ear-rings, a crown and has a muscular neck, chest, shoulders and arms.
57.33 khaDga-gadA-shara-pANir dakShiNataH shAntidash chaturtha-karaH 57.33 vAma-kareShu cha kArmuka-kheTaka-chakrANi sha~Nkhash cha [In the eight handed form] the four on the right side must have the sword, mace, arrow and the peace-giving mudra. The four left hands have a bow, shield, discus and conch.
57.34 atha cha chaturbhujam ichChati shAntida eko gadA-dharash cha- anyaH 57.34 dakShiNa-pArshve hy evaM vAme sha~Nkhash cha chakraM cha In case a four armed idol is desired, the two hands on the right side will bear the peace mudra (=abhaya) and a mace. On the left he bears a conch and discus.
57.35 dvibhujasya tu shAnti-karo dakShiNa-hasto aparash cha sha~Nkha- dharaH 57.35 evaM viShNoH pratimA kartavyA bhUtim ichChadbhiH If a two armed idol is made then the right hand has the shanti-mudra and the left holds a conch. Thus, the image of the viShNu is to be made when wealth is desired
57.36 baladevo hala-pANir mada-vibhrama-lochanash cha kartavyaH 57.36 bibhrat kuNDalam ekaM sha~Nkha-indu-mR^iNAla-gaura-tanuH baladeva should be with a hala in his hand, with his eyes intoxicated with beer. He should be shown wearing a single ear-ring, his body being as white as conch, the moon and lotus.
57.37 ekAnaMshA kAryA devI baladeva-kR^iShNayor madhye 57.37 kaTi-saMsthita-vAma-karA sarojam itareNa cha-udvahatI The goddess ekAnamshA should be placed between baladeva and kR^iShNa. Her left hand is placed on the hip and the other hand holds a lotus.
57.38 kAryA chaturbhujA yA vAma-karAbhyAM sa-pustakaM kamalam 57.38 dvAbhyAM dakShiNa-pArshve varam arthiShv akSha-sUtraM cha If she is made with four arms, then her left hands hold a book and a lotus. Her two right hands show the boon-giving mudra to the votaries and a rosary.
57.39 vAmo atha vA-aShTa-bhujAyAH kamaNDalush chApam ambujaM shAstram 57.39 vara-shara-darpaNa-yuktAH savya-bhujAH sa-akSha- sUtrAsh cha [If in the] eight armed form, in the left hands she has a kamaNDalu, a bow, a lotus, and a book. In the right ones, boon- giving mudra, an arrow, a mirror and a rosary.
57.40 shAmbash cha gadA-hastaH pradyumnash chApa-bhR^it surUpash cha 57.40 anayoH striyau cha kArye kheTaka-nistriMsha-dhAriNyau shAmba should be made with a mace in his hand; pradyumna, is shown in a handsome form, with a bow in his hand. Their wives are also made with sword and shields in their hands.
57.41 brahmA kamaNDalu-karash chatur-mukhaH paNkaja-Asana-sthash cha 57.41 skandaH kumAra-rUpaH shakti-dharo barhiketush cha brahmA is made with four faces, a kamaNDalu in his hand and seated on a lotus. skanda is made as a youth, holding a spear in his hand and with peacock feathers.
57.42 shukla-chatur-viShANo dvipo mahendrasya vajra-pANitvam 57.42 tiryag lalATa-saMsthaM tR^itIyam api lochanaM chihnam The great indra is [made] with a white, four tusked elephant, and a thunderbolt in his hand. He should also be show with the mark of a third eye placed horizontally on the forehead.
57.43 shambhoH shirasi-indukalA vR^iSha-dhvajo akShi cha tR^itIyam api cha-Urdhvam 57.43 shUlaM dhanuH pinAkaM vAma-ardhe vA girisutA- ardham shiva [is made] with the cresent moon on the head, and a bull- banner, as also the third eye, placed vertically on the forehead. He has a trident in one ha