Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c11.19

c11.19

‘SERAPENDIYA.’ This beast, also called guruḷu-pakshaya, has a head rather like that of a lion, joined to the body of a bird like the hamsa. The whole animal appears in Fig. 12, and in Pls. XI., 3; XIII., 9 and XLI. (chank); but the head alone, or the head and wings only, are oftener seen (Pls. XI., 1; XLIII., 3; XLV., 10; XLVI., 2, 3, 9; LII., 2, etc.). Thus used it is very characteristic of metal-work, particularly palanquin fittings, areca nut slicers, door handles; and ivory work, especially ear-picks; but I do not remember to have seen a painted example. The main point of difference from the lion’s head is seen at the point of the snout, which in the serapendiya curls inwards, but in the lion ends in a small s-shaped scroll, well seen in Pl. XXXVIII., 5, where the animals are side by side. The head of the makara is readily distinguished by its trunk. The word ‘serapendiya,’ which I have also seen spelt sarapenda, is probably derived from a corruption of sarpa+indriya, ‘ruler of serpents,’ possibly of śarabha+indriya. A verse in the Rūpāvaliya bears this title of Śarabha dhyanam, and describes an animal, half beast, half bird: “Half of the body is like that of a bird, a face and four hands above, a face and four hands below; like a conflagration at the end of the world, uttering the sound of a storm in the blue firmament, destroyed the might and the glory of the ten serpent kings. Adore the Incarnation of Śarabhā, . . . having eight feet.” The Tamil equivalent of the serapendiya is the sarja anna paḍçi (Fig. 13); the Siamese, ‘indriya’ (?), Fig. 14. But the Tamil yali (Fig. 15) is a combination of lion’s body and ‘sarja’ head. There is also a creature called sarapa mūrti which I have seen represented in an old Tamil drawing, with a lion’s face, human trunk, wings, 4 hands, lion’s body, 2 fore legs and 6 hind legs.