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South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c11.s3: III

South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c11.s3

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III

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The village gods are not so many in number as the goddesses. Aiyanār, Hariharaputra or Mahā-Sāstā is supposed to be, as his name implies, a son of Siva and Vishnu.¹ When the celestial nectar was obtained by the *dēvas* and *asuras* after churning the ocean (see p. 139f, above) they quarrelled about the distribution of it. Vishnu assumed the form of a beautiful young woman, called Mōhinī, and by her attractions enticed the asuras and made them agree to depute her to distribute the precious liquid equally to all. She of course deceived them and gave the nectar to the gods alone. Siva saw Mōhinī at the time and was enamoured of her. He wedded her, and the result of their union was Hariharaputra. This deity is largely worshipped in Malabar and parts of Tinnevelly and Tanjore. In these districts he is not assigned the subordinate position of a village deity as in others. In the latter, however, he is one of the guardian deities of the village and, as such, is attended by bhūtas and pisāchas. He has long curly hair, a crown and ear-rings of gold-leaves. In his two arms he holds the bow and the arrow. He is dark of colour and is seated on a throne below a banyan tree. In the illustration given (fig. 140) the position of the hands of what is believed to be a figure of Aiyanār does not appear to suit the weapons, bow and arrow, which he is stated to hold.¹ In the figure from Valuvūr he is seen riding on an elephant in the very same posture, holding in his right hand what looks like a whip or an elephant goad (fig. 141). In front of his temple are placed figures of horses, elephants and other animals, made of wood or of painted brick and chunam, which are supposed to serve him as vehicles in his nightly perambulations. A third figure from Rāmēsvaram (fig. 142) represents him as riding on a horse. Pūranai and Pudgalai are stated to be his two wives, and Madurai-Vīran and Pāvadairāyan, his generals. Madurai-Vīran is a historical person whose adventures are noticed in the South Arcot District Gazetteer.² Kuttisāttan, Sāttan, Karuppan, Mundan and Gulikan are the names of some of the malignant demons that attend upon Aiyanār.

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¹ For a fuller description of Aiyanār and his position among village deities, see S.I.I., Vol. II, Introduction, p. 40, note.

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¹ We have a similar figure of stone within the Natarāja temple at Chidambaram, which people call Ardhajāma-Alagar.

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² Vol. I, p. 101.

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KARUPPAN- NASĀMI. Karuppannasāmi is a similar god worshipped by the Kallars of Madura. Chains, clubs, spears and bill-hooks are his symbols; and these are presented by devotees at his shrines as votive offerings. They are generally found either hung on the trees or stuck into the ground. A similar god much dreaded by the people is Munīsvara whose name is quite popular. He is represented by a block of stone, a bush or sometimes a tree. Men and women called Muniyappa, Munisami, Muniyamma, etc., are so named because they were evidently born as the result of propitiating Munīsvara. It D.319

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FIG. 140.—Aiyanār (metal) ; Tiruppalātturai.

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FIG. 141.—Aiyanār (metal) ; Valuvūr.

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FIG. 142.--Aiyanār (metal); Rāmēsvaram.

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might be noted that Buddha is called Muni in the lexicon *Amarakośa* and that the forms of Siva known as Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Bhikṣātana, Vīrabhadra, etc., are often those of wandering mendicants.

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Heroes (*virulu*) who have given up their lives under romantic circumstances, in the cause of their native village or province, are also honoured as village deities and festivals are celebrated to propitiate them. Madurai-Vīran mentioned above was one of this kind. In the Palnād taluk of the Guntūr district, temples for heroes are quite a common feature.

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Devil-dances in connexion with the annual festivals of village deities are common in Malabar and South Canara. The figures of the devils as represented by the Tuluva devil-dancers are described in detail with illustrative plates by Dr. Burnell in his article entitled "Devil Worship of the Tuluvas," in *Indian Antiquary*, Volumes XXIII and XXIV.

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