South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s8: XI

South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s8

Language: English

XI

Sōmāskanda is the most common of all the sportive forms of Siva. Its design is as old as the Pallava period and it may be found on the back wall of the sanctum immediately behind the linga in almost every temple which pretends to belong to that age. The group, e.g., is found engraved on the back wall of a niche in the second storey of the Dharmarāja-ratha at Mahābalipuram which, according to an inscription cut on the lintel, was apparently intended to be a shrine for the Siva-linga called Atyantakāma-Pallavēśvara. It is also seen on the back wall of the Siva shrine facing the sea, in the “Shore Temple.” The Sāluvankuppam cave, called Atirana-chanda-Pallavēśvara, also has the same image. A similar panel is also found in the Kailāsanātha temple at Kānchī. Later Chōla temples, however, do not show any such panel on the wall behind the linga. On one and the same pedestal are seen Siva and Umā with the child Skanda standing (or seated) between them. Both the god and the goddess are seated comfortably (*sukhāsana*), with one leg (right in the case of Siva and left in the case of Pārvatī) hanging down and the other bent crosswise so as to lie flat on the pedestal. The god holds in his upper hands the *tanka* (or, the axe) and the deer and in the lower exhibits the *varada* and the *abhaya* postures. The goddess holds a lily in her right hand and shows the *varada* or the *kataka* pose¹ in her left (fig. 67). She may sometimes also be represented as resting the palm of her left hand on the pedestal by the side of her left thigh while the right hand, as before, holds the lily. Skanda has the crown *karandamakuta* and holds in one of his hands a flower, a wood-apple or a mango. According to the *Karanagama* the group must be flanked by two standing or seated figures called Bhoga-Sakti and Vira-Sakti on the left and right sides respectively.² It is also stated that the right side of the pedestal on which the god sits is to be slightly higher than the left.

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¹ The actual position of the hand as described in the *Agamas*, however, is *simha-karna* or "lion's ear" with the fingers slightly closing on the palmside.

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² Siva is supposed to have three *Saktis* attached to him, viz., Yoga-Sakti, Bhoga-Sakti and Vira-Sakti; see below, p. 185, footnote 1.

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FIG. 66.—Kalyāṇasundara and Svayamvarā; Chidambaram.

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FIG. 67.—Sōmāskanda (metal); Sivankūdal.

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A photograph from Mahabalipuram (fig. 68) is worth noting in this connexion. It shows Siva in the comfortably seated posture. In his upper hands, however, the symbols, evidently of *tanka* and the deer, are missing. The right lower is in the posture of *abhaya* and the left lower in that of *kataka*. It is also possible that the latter is resting freely on the thigh. Parvati is seated on Siva's left side, turning her face towards him and holding the child Skanda on her knee. In the upper corners are seen flying dwarfs, apparently holding flywhisks in their hands. The whole group is flanked by two four-armed gods raising respectively the upper left and right arms and pointing them towards Siva.

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Among the Mahabalipuram sculptures we find still another scene of Saiva pictures apparently allied to Somaskanda just described, viz., Sukhasana or Umasahita mentioned in footnote 1 on p. 76. Here, on a pedestal supported by two lion-pillars and the recumbent bull between them, is a seated figure of Siva with a robe of ornamental fringes, hanging loosely from above his right shoulder. In his right upper hand he holds a furious serpent. What the position of his left upper hand indicates, is not clear. Of the two other hands, the left lower rests freely on his right leg and the left thigh, while the right lower exhibits a position of the fingers which suggests that the god must have held some weapon. The high *jatamakuta*, the divine halo (circle of light) round the face, the necklaces, pendants, ear-rings, waist-band, rings on hands and a thick chord across the breast representing the Brahmanical thread yajñopavita, are the other jewels seen on the figure of Siva. To the right of Siva's shoulder is Brahmā with the water-pot in one hand and the erect rosary in the other. The sacred thread of Brahmā has four strings. Between the heads of Brahmā and Siva is a circular disc which perhaps represents the Sun. Near the left shoulder of Siva is Vishnu holding the discus and the conch in his two upper hands. Here again, the position of the two lower hands is not clear. The sacred thread of Vishnu has three strings. His crown though high like that of the two other gods is shaped somewhat differently. Pārvatī (Siva's consort) with the child Skanda on her right lap is seated on the left side of Siva. Her left foot is placed on the back of the couchant bull. She as well as her child have only two arms each. Close to her left foot, behind the bull, is a female attendant of Pārvatī, who raises her right hand resting it on the back of the bull. Between the head of the goddess and that of Vishnu is seen what is perhaps to be interpreted as the crescent of the Moon, corresponding to the Sun on the other side. But the short handle attached to it at the bottom seems to show that it may be an umbrella of honour held over the head of the goddess (fig. 69). A similar group, called Umā-Mahēsvara according to Hēmādri, consists of Siva and Pārvatī, the former having eight faces and two hands. The left hand of the god is stretched over the shoulder of the goddess and the right hand of the goddess over that of the god. The Kāranāgama describing this group states that the goddess Pārvatī should be seated on the left side of Siva with the bull in front of them, Indra and other gods behind, Vishnu and Brahmā on the sides and the devotees Bhringi, Nārada, Bāna, Bhairava, Ganapati, Skanda and Vīrēsvara in the eight cardinal points. Rai Bahadur Venkayya considered this description to be that of Rishabhavāhana (Vrishavāhana)¹ mentioned in the next paragraph.

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¹ S.I.I., Vol. II, Introduction, p. 33, footnote 1.

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FIG. 68.—Sōmāskanda; Seven Pagodas.

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FIG. 69.—Umāsahita; Seven Pagodas.

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UMĀ-MAHĒS-VARA.

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XII

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Vrishārūdha is a figure of Siva seated on the bull with the right leg hanging down and the left bent so as to rest on the bull. He has Ganapati on his right side and Gaurī on his left.² He holds in his two upper hands the tanka and the antelope. When, however, Siva is made to stand leaning

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² The Silparatna and the Kāsyapa-Silpa state that more often Gaurī is seen on the right side of the god.

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VRISHA-RŪDHA.

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against the bull and is not mounted on it, the *Kāśyapa-Silpa* calls him Vrishavāhana. In this case the elbow (*kūrpara*) of the right hand of Siva rests on the head of the bull as in the illustrations (figs. 70 and 71).¹ The *Mayamata* also gives the same description, but adds that the bull stands behind the seat on which the god and goddess sit. The right lower hand of Siva holds the trident while the two upper hands hold the axe and the deer.

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¹ The illustrations given show two and four hands respectively for Siva, who standing with his legs crossed and leaning against the back of the bull, has the *kūrpara* of his right hand placed on the head of the bull. A fine image from Ceylon figured as No. 29 in Part II of *Visvakarma* is evidently one of Vrishā-rūdha as described in the *Mayamata*. The trident in the right lower hand, the bull and the goddess are missing.

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Chandrasēkharamūrti² (the crescent-crested lord) may, according to the *Kāśyapa-Silpa* of the *Amsumat-Tantra*, be represented in two different forms, either alone or in company of the goddess Gaurī. When alone, he stands on the pedestal with level feet (*samapāda*), holding the antelope and the kettle-drum (or, axe) in his back arms and presenting the *abhaya* and the *varada* postures in the fore-arms. The crescent decorates the *jaṭāmakuta* of the god, either on its right side or on the left. In other respects the image is a pleasing representation (fig. 72) of the general form of Rudra described above. When accompanied by the goddess he may also be seated (fig. 73). The right lower hand shows the *abhaya* posture and the left lower passes round the back of the yielding goddess and touches her breasts. Some Agamas do not permit the hand to be stretched so far, but only up to the left arm of the goddess. The illustration from Bāgali (fig. 74) answers to this description but holds the trident and the kettle-drum in the upper hands instead of the axe and the deer. The goddess also with her right hand touches the right side of the waist-band of the god from the back and holds a flower in her left. She may also be seen passing her hand over his shoulder. Such figures of Chandrasēkhara are called Ālinganamūrti or the embracing form. They are also known as Pradōshamūrti, since in all well-maintained Siva temples, the image is carried about in procession in the evenings (pradōsha).

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² The great Chōla king Rājarāja I is represented in the Tanjore inscriptions to have been devoted particularly to this form of Siva. The figures of the king and of Chandrasēkhara receiving worship from him, were set up by the manager of the temple before the close of the 29th year of that king, i.e., before A.D. 1013-14.

Linked texts (9)

Kāśyapaśilpa — Sanskrit
Mayamata — Maya, Sanskrit
Kāraṇāgama — Sanskrit
Śvetāmbara Āgama — Ardhamāgadhī Prakrit
South Indian Inscriptions
Shore Temple
Dharmaraja Ratha
Kailasanatha Temple
Śilparatna — Śrīkumāra (Śilparatna) 1500, Sanskrit