South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s14.6

c9.s14.6

Two other terrible forms of Siva are Aghōramūrti and Rakshōghnamūrti. The latter has braided hair and a body besmeared with ashes. In one hand he holds a trident with which he is piercing the god Yama, who calls away unto him the victims of all cruel diseases. In another hand is a skull from which issues a blazing fire. The axe and the kettle-drum are other weapons held by him. With his formidable projecting teeth, knitted eyebrows and frowning face he is represented as feasting on corpses in the company of *bhūtas*, *prētas* and *pisāchas* in the burning ground, which is his usual dwelling place. I have not, however, seen any actual representation of this image in South-Indian temples. Aghōramūrti has four faces and eight hands. In these he holds the *kuthāra* (axe), Vēdas, noose, goad, kettle-drum, rosary, trident and the skull. He has terrible protruding teeth and a dark shining body (fig. 96). The *Sivatattvaratnākara* mentions a form of Aghōramūrti with thirty-two arms and the *Pāncharātrāgama*, another with twelve arms. The image wears a garland of skulls and treads on the head of Kālamunda, the vile god of Death.