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Elements of Hindu Iconography v2.c16.s9: Kankalamurti and Bhikshatanamurti

Elements of Hindu Iconography v2.c16.s9

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English

Contents

Kankalamurti and Bhikshatanamurti

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SHATANAMURTI.

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THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

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KAṄKĀḶAMŪRTI.

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Once upon a time the great *rishis*, desirous of learning as to who was the real author of this Universe went to the top of the mountain Mēru and put Brahmā, who was seated thereon, the question which was engaging their thought. In his vanity, forgetting the real creator, he boasted that he himself was the great Architect of the Universe. Meanwhile, Śiva appeared on the scene and justly claimed the place for himself. Though his own position was reasonably defended by Śiva, Brahmā would not yield; the Vēdas and the Praṇava (the sacred syllable *Ōm*) also interceded on behalf of Śiva in vain. At last, through the will of Śiva, there appeared near by a huge pillar of illumination, which demonstrated the greatness of Śiva, but Brahmā remained still obstinate. Incensed with anger at the thoughtless conduct of Brahmā, Śiva ordered Bhairava to cut off that one out of the five heads of Brahmā, which reviled him. Brahmā suffered temporary death, but, soon revived by the power of his austerities, accepted the superiority of Śiva. However, the sin of having killed Brahmā (the major sin called *brahmahatyā*) possessed Bhairava (a form of Śiva). Bhairava requested Brahmā to suggest to him some penance to get rid of this sin; Brahmā advised him to beg food in the skull of the head cut by him till he met Viṣṇu who would devise means for wiping off the sin. Till then, said Brahmā, the sin would assume the form of a woman and be ever pursuing him. Bhairava surrounded by a host of *bhūtas* (goblins) went from place to place begging for food. All the women of the houses he visited fell in love with him and set out, singing and dancing, to accompany him. Last of all he reached the abode of Viṣṇu and attempted to enter it, but Viṣvaksēna, the gate-keeper, would not allow him to enter. A fight ensued in which Viṣvaksēna was killed and added one more sin of *brahmahatyā*. Bhairava, fixing the body of the gate-keeper of Viṣṇu on his trident, got into the interior of Viṣṇu’s mansion and begged for food. Viṣṇu cut open an artery on the forehead of Bhairava and told him that the blood that flowed from it was the fittest food for him. Bhairava next requested Viṣṇu to assist him in washing off his sin. Viṣṇu pleaded on behalf of Bhairava to the personified female form of *Brahmahatyā* to quit him but she

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would not leave him. However, the thought occurred to Viṣṇu that if Bhairava went to Vārāṇasi the sin would leave him off and he advised him to go to this sacred place for being freed from his sins. Dancing with joy Bhairava wended his way to Vārāṇasi (or Kāśi) with the body of Viṣvaksēna and as soon as he reached that place, the sin left him and plunged into the nether world. The skull of Brahmā and the dead body of Viṣvaksēna also left him and he once again became Mahēśvara and returned to Kailāsa. Viṣvaksēna was restored to life and he joined Viṣṇu's service as usual. Such, in short, is the account we meet with in the Kūrma-purāṇa regarding the bearing of the skull and the dry bones (kaṅkaḷa) of Viṣvaksēna by Śiva and also regarding his begging expedition. There is a confusion here about Śiva and a particular aspect of his, Bhairava; also the sin of the slaughter of Viṣvaksēna is imposed upon the shoulders of Śiva which were already groaning under that of the cutting off of the head of Brahmā.

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The reason for Śiva having begged so is revealed by a study of the Dharma-Śāstras. It is therein laid down that if a Brāhmaṇa happens to kill another of great learning and good conduct (such a learned person is called a bhrūṇa), the sin could be expiated by following the course of conduct prescribed thus: the sinner should, with his own hands, erect for himself a hut in the forest, hoist on it as a flag the head of the man he killed and live therein, having for his upper garment the skin of a horse or an ass, which he should wear with the hairy side appearing outside. His underwear should be made of threads of the hemp and when worn it should not descend below the knee. Carrying a skull in one hand, as his begging bowl and one of the long bones of the arm (*khaṭvāṅga*) of the deceased as a stick he should start out begging for his food saying “who is there who would feed the murderer of a *bhrūṇa*.” He should not visit more than seven houses for making his living and if any day he does not succeed in getting food from them, he should go without it that day. He should take his food and drink from this skull. At home in his hut, he should observe the vow of silence and be contemplating upon the sin committed. He may undertake to tend the cows belonging to a Brāhmaṇa village and on that account and on account of receiving food alone he can enter the village. At other times he should conduct himself like one belonging to one of the classes considered to be untouchable. While walking on a public way if he meets an Ārya on the road he should, like a pig, move away to the very edge of the road, leaving

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it clear for the Ārya to go by. Thus should he spend twelve years only to absolve himself from the sin and no more; from the day he committed the murder he ceases to be fit for the society of the Āryas; by this course of conduct alone, he wipes off the sin and prepares himself for a better birth in the future. If, however, the life prescribed above in the Dharmaśāstra is unendurable, he may end it in one or other of the following ways. In those days, there were cattle-raids committed often for political reasons.[*] He may fight against the raiders and suffer death in their hands; or, if he is unfortunately successful in his attempt at driving away the raiders, he may still attempt on future occasions with a view to die in the same cause. If thrice he comes out successful in repelling the cattle-raiders, he is absolved from the sin. Or, he might get into the thick of a battle seeking to be shot dead; it then becomes, the Dharma-śāstra says, incumbent on the soldiers to kill this murderer of a bhrūṇa. Such, in short, is the punishment meted out to the brāhmaṇa murderer of a learned brāhmaṇa.*

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∗ War is divided into two classes in Tamil literature, namely, *aṟa-ppōr* and *maṟa-ppōr*, that is, righteous or *dharma-yuddha* and unrighteous or *adharma-yuddha*. In declaring a righteous war against an enemy king, notice is given to good men and women, children, mendicants and ascetics, and cows to quit the place which is to be attacked. Since cows cannot be intimated the intentions of the invading king, they are carried away by the army of the invader preparatory to war and this act is considered sufficient notice to all the others to leave the place as early as practicable. In the *maṟa-ppōr* no such notice is given.

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* सू०—अथ भ्रूणहाश्वाजिनं खराजिनं वा बहिलोंम परिधाय पुरुषशिरः-प्रतीपानार्थमादाय ॥ हरदत्तव्याख्या—षडङ्गस्य वेदस्याध्येता तदर्थवित् प्रयोगशास्त्रस्य च सव्याख्यानस्य चार्थवित् कर्मणोऽनुष्ठाता अनुष्ठापयिता च ब्राह्मणो भ्रूणः . . . . . पुरुषस्य शिरः यस्य कस्यचिन्मृतस्य शिरः प्रतीपानार्थं छान्दसं दैर्ध्य पानमेव प्रतीपानं पानग्रहणमुपलक्षणं भोजनमपि तत्रैव . . . . . Āpast. Dharma-sūtra, Haradatta’s Comm. 1st Praśna, 10th Paṭala, 29th. Khaṇḍikā.

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सू०—खट्वाङ्गं दण्डार्थं कर्मनामधेयं प्रब्रुवाणश्चंक्रम्येत को भ्रूणघ्ने भिक्षा-मिति ॥ Ap. Dh. Sū., Har. Com. I, 10, 29.

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सू०—अरण्ये कुटिं कृत्वा वाग्यतः शवशिरध्वजोऽधशाणीपक्षमधोनाभ्यु-परिजान्वाऽऽच्छाय ॥ हरदत्तव्याख्या—कृतेति वचनान्न प्रकृता कुटी ग्राह्या . . . . . शवशिरो ध्वजो यस्य स शवशिरध्वजः सलोपश्छान्दसः स्वव्यापादितस्य ब्राह्मणस्य शिरोध्वजदण्डस्याग्रे प्रोतं कृत्वेत्यर्थः । यस्य कस्यचिच्छवस्येत्यन्ये । आयामविस्तारयोर्भयोर्प्यर्थम् । अधोनाभ्युपरिजानु च यथा भवति तथाऽऽच्छाय तावन्तं प्रदेशमाच्छाद्य सापेक्षत्वाद् ग्रामे प्रातिष्ठेतेति वक्ष्यमाणेन संबन्धः । मध्ये क्रियान्तरविधिः । Āpastambha-Dharma-sūtra, with Haradattāchārya’s

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Now, the Purāṇas and other authorities are one in asserting that Śiva cut off the head of Brahmā, the most learned of all beings in the Vēdas and Śāstras and hence a veritable bhrūṇa of bhrūṇas. The sin of brahmahatyā stuck, at it ought, to him and he underwent the course of conduct prescribed for a bhrūṇaghna (murderer of bhrūṇa). With the skull for his drinking and eating vessel, with bones for his staves, he went about begging for food and, be it noted, he went to the seven houses of the seven great ṛishis and also he never lived in any town or village, but made the burning ground outside the village his abode. From all accounts about Śiva found recorded in the ancient literature we see that the course of conduct followed by Śiva was exactly that prescribed, in the early Dharma-śāstras, to a bhrūṇaghna. Having committed the murder of Brahmā, the best of brāhmaṇas, it is to be conjectured that Śiva should have become unfit for the society of the Āryas; if so, the question arises whether it was this disqualification on the part of Śiva that made him hateable to the

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commentary on it named Ujjvala, 1st Praśna, 9th Paṭala, 24th Khaṇḍikā. Cf. Manu Smṛiti, XI, 72—86, Gautama, XXII, 2—10, Kūrma-Purāṇa, XXXth chapter end.

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Āryas, as he is said to have been in the earlier literature (See the Introductory chapter).

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There is another slightly different account concerning the act of begging for food associated with Śiva and this account serves only the purpose of explaining why, in his aspect known as the Bhikshāṭanamūrti, he is seen stark naked when going out abegging. The *Liṅgapurāṇa* states that in the forest of Dāruvana even women and children took to the performance of austerities and forgot the worldly ways of living (*pravṛtti-mārga*). To make them feel the need also of the worldly ways, Śiva started out to beg in their quarters; for this purpose, he became a black, ugly looking being and naked he went into their midst. The appearance of this notable figure drew the attention of all the inhabitants of the Dāruvana and through his *māyā* the residents of this forest took to all sorts of bad ways of this world. Angered by the bad example set up by the new comer, the *rishis* cursed him, but, instead of being affected by it, he disappeared. The *rishis* became aware that the intruder was no other than Śiva and repented their inability to have offered him worship when they had the good fortune to have in their midst his human embodiment. Brahmā advised them to worship his *liṅga* studiously if they desired to see him in person once again. They followed his advice and were rewarded for their devotion by Śiva appearing before them once again and blessing them.

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The images of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti and the Bhikshāṭanamūrti are generally found in almost all Śiva temples of importance throughout Southern India and all the Śaivāgamas contain more or less detailed descriptions of these images. The Aṃśumadbhēda, the Kāmika and the Kāraṇa āgamas, as also the Śilparatna describe them as follows:—

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The figure of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti should be a standing one, with the left leg planted firmly on the ground and the right slightly bent and kept a bit forward suggesting that the figure is in the act of moving. The colour of the body of Śiva in this aspect is pure white. He should be wearing red-coloured upper garments while his under-wear should be composed of silk and tiger's skin. The head should be ornamented with the jaṭāmakuṭa; on the left side, it should be adorned with a few durdhura (dhatura) flowers and a snake and on the right with the crescent moon. His face should be beautiful and beaming with the feeling of happiness, smiling and singing sweet songs. The pearly teeth of Śiva should be half visible and the ears adorned both with ordinary kuṇḍalas or with a makara-kuṇḍala in the right

Kankalamurti

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ear and a *śaṅkhapatra* in the left one. There should be the *yajñōpavīta* on his chest. Of the four hands, the front right one should keep the *bāṇa*—here the term *bāṇa* seems to mean a short resined stick used in exciting the membrane of a sort of drum,—while the front left one should keep a drum known by the name of *ḍhakka*. The back right arm should be stretched out and its hand held in the *kaṭaka* pose near the mouth of his pet animal, the deer; and in the back left hand should be the *kaṅkāla-daṇḍa* or the staff on which the bones of the arms and the legs of the murdered person are tied up together by a rope and ornamented with the feathers of the peacock and a banner. The bones should be dry and of blackish colour and be free of flesh; but there should be traces of blood on them and on the small jingling bells tied to the staff. This *kaṅkāladaṇḍa* should be placed horizontally on the left shoulder, one end being held, as already noticed, by the back left hand. In the girdle round the loins of Śiva there should be tucked up a dagger made of gold, with a silver handle; he should be wearing a pair of wooden sandals on his feet and the whole of this curious get-up should be finished with a number of snake ornaments distributed all over the body. The *Kaṅkālamūrti* should be surrounded by a number of women and the

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*bhūta-gaṇas* (goblins) represented variously as dancing, singing and in other attitudes; one of the *bhūtas* should carry on his head a large vessel for storing in the food received in alms and be situated on the left of Śiva. Of the women who surround Śiva some should appear to be completely possessed of irrepressible love for him, some eager to embrace him, some others blessing him, while still others serving in his vessel food ladled out from another with a spoon. Out of lust for Śiva the clothes of the women should appear slipping down their loins. There should also be hosts of *ṛishis*, *dēvas*, *gandharvas*, *siddhas* and *vidyādharas* everywhere around Śiva, with arms crossed on the chest in the *añjali* pose. The god Vāyu should sweep the streets before Śiva, Varuṇa should sprinkle them with water, the other *dēvas* should shower flowers on him, the *ṛishis* should praise him by repeating the *Vēdas*, Sūrya and Chandra should carry umbrellas over his head and the celestial musicians Nārada and Tumburu should sing songs to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The height of the women who are keeping company with Śiva may be that of the chin, chest or the navel of Śiva; the height of the *bhūtas* should be equal to three or three and a half times the length of the face of Śiva and they should be shaped according the *pañcha-tāla* measure.

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Bhikshatanamurti.

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In the case of the image of the Bhikshāṭana-mūrti, the general posture of Śiva is the same as in the Kaṅkāḷamūrti aspect; that is, the left leg standing firmly on the ground and the right slightly bent suggesting walking. The front right hand and the back left are held as in the case of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti, whereas the front left hand should carry a kapāla and the back right one a ḍamaru. The head may have the jaṭās dishevelled (jaṭābhāra) or arranged in the form of a circle (jaṭāmaṇḍala) with the crescent moon in it. The forehead should be adorned with a paṭṭa or ornamented band; there should also be the other ornaments all over the body. But there should be no kind of clothing on the person of Śiva, not even the waist zone. Instead of this latter there should be a snake tied round the waist; besides this, there should be other snake ornaments in appropriate places on the person of Śiva. On the chest is to be seen a white yajñōpāvīta. The neck of Śiva should be of blue colour and his forehead should be beautified with the tripuṇḍra mark. In this aspect he should not carry the kaṅkāḷa-daṇḍa, but in its place there should be the śūla decorated with a lot of peacock-feathers. There should be a pair of wooden sandals on his feet; sometimes it might be omitted

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also. The hand that bears the *kapāla* should be lifted as high as the navel, whereas the one that carries the *ḍamaru* should be raised as far as the ear and the distance between the wrist of this arm from the ear is to be sixteen *aṅgulas*. As usual, Śiva should possess in these two aspects three eyes. The rest of the description of the Bhikshāṭanamūrti is identical with that given already under the Kaṅkāḷamūrti.

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The *Suprabhēdāgama* adds that the *kapāla* held by Śiva is that of Brahmā and the *kaṅkāḷa* that of Viṣṇu; herein the Paurāṇic story of the murder by Śiva of both Brahmā and Viṣvaksēna, an aspect of Viṣṇu, is accepted and followed.

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A number of photographs are reproduced in illustration of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti and the Bikshāṭanamūrti; unfortunately all of them belong to South India, a fact which seems to point out that these two aspects of Śiva were more favoured by the Southern people than the Northerners, who worshipped the equally naked Bhairava more freely instead. All the images of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti as also those of the Bhikshāṭanamūrti are practically similar to one another, and it will therefore be sufficient to give the description of any one of each aspect.

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On the whole eleven photographs are reproduced in illustration of the descriptions of the Bhikshāṭana and the Kaṅkāḷamūrtis (Pls. LXXXII—LXXXIX). Of these, five are of Bhikshāṭana and five of Kaṅkāḷamūrti; and the remaining one may be taken either as the one or the other, because it does not conform strictly to the description of either. It might be noticed that the left back hand of all the bronze images of the Bhikshāṭana and the Kaṅkāḷamūrtis are held in the kaṭaka pose; they are so held as to permit of being inserted in them a separately cast kaṅkāḷadaṇḍa or a śikhipiñchha, if necessary. The dead body of Vishvaksēna is clearly visible in the photographs of the Kaṅkāḷamūrti images in temples of Nagēśvarasvāmin, Tiruchheṅgāṭṭaṅguḍi and Suchīndram. The pet deer of Śiva is seen with all the stone representations of the Kaṅkāḷa and the Bhikshāṭanamūrtis given here, but have been left off while the photographs of some of the bronze figures were taken. The sculpture belonging to the Kailāsanāthasvāmin temple at Conjeevaram has only two arms, in one of which is a śikhipiñcha and the other keeps an akshamālā and is held in the chinmudrā pose; it is doubtful if it is wearing any clothes and it has no jaṭāmakuṭa on its head; and from the general appearance it is to be inferred to be a Bhikshāṭanamūrti rather

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Kaṅkāḷamūrti: Stone: Dārāsuram.

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Kaṅkāḷamūrti : Bronze : Teṅkāśi.

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PLATE XVII

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Kaṅkāḷamūrti : Stone : Suchīndram.

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Fig. 1. Kaṅkāḷamūrti : Stone : Kumbhakoṇam.

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Fig. 2. Kaṅkāḷamūrti : Stone : Tiruchchengāṭṭaṅguḍi.

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Fig. 1. Bhikshāṭanamūrti : Stone : Conjeevaram.

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Fig. 2. Bhikshāṭanamūrti : Stone : Tiruchchengāṭṭanguḍi.

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Fig. 2. Bhikṣhāṭanamūrti : Bronze : Tiruvenkāḍu.

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Fig. 1. Bhikṣhāṭanamūrti : Stone : Kumbhakōṇam.

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Bhikshāṭanamūrti : Bronze : Vaḷuvūr.

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Bhikshāṭanamūrti: Bronze: Paṇḍaṇanallūr.

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than the Kaṅkāḷamūrti. The cut of the face of the image of Bhikshāṭanamūrti of Vaḷuvūr is in striking similarity with that of the image of the Vrishavāhanamūrti of Vēdāraṇyam, which makes us believe that the artist (*sthapati*) who made these two images was perhaps one and the same person. All the images are made very well indeed, but we should separate from these the bronze statue of Bhikshāṭanamūrti of Tiruvenkāḍu and the stone figure of the same of the Nāgēśvarasvāmin temples for the special notice of the readers. Both of them are gems of art. The extremely easy and natural posture, the remarkably well-proportioned limbs, and the smile which the artist has eminently succeeded in depicting on the countenance of the bronze Bhikshāṭanamūrti are noteworthy. In the stone image the posture and the general effect are splendid. One other peculiarity which is not found in the āgamic descriptions but found in the sculpture is a tiny bell tied by a string just below the knee of the right leg; it is found in the majority of the instances reproduced in this chapter.

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OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SIVA :— Gangadharamurti, Ardhanarisvaramurti, Haryardhamurti, Kalyanasundaramurti, Vrishavahanamurti and Vishapaharana-

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