[Y-Indology] re: A query on iconography

[Guest guest]

le 18/02/2002 19:02, vidya jayaram à vidyajayaram a écrit :

 

 

 

Dear Vidya,

 

Let me answer first to your second question which is easy.

Your second question is on representation of Kabandha in Indian temples.

Yes, there is a representation of Kabandha in the temple of Hazara Rama in

Hampi- famous site of capital city Vijayanagara. Ramayana has been carved

twice in the temple of Hazara Rama in Hampi-Vijayanagara. One serie is on

the prakara walls of the temple and the other is on the external facades of

the main temple walls. The image of Kabandha is on the southern wall in the

south eastern corner if my memory does not cheat me.

Your first question is about how to distinguish between Kankala and

Bhikshatana murti.

According to Kalikakakhanda in Skandapurana after putting an end to

Vishnu's Matsyavatara Shiva holds the fish bone as "Kankala" in his hand.

Whereas in Bhiksatanamurti he is very handsome. He goes all naked. Sometimes

he is represented with Canine teeth. Then he should be called as

"BhikSATana-Bhairava". In the absence of canine teeth he is only

Bhiksatanamurti.

Please note that what I have given you here is valid only for the temples

in Karnataka.

With regards,

Vasundhara

>

1.How does one distinguish between images of kankAla

> mUrti and bhikshATana mUrti.

>

> 2.Are there any iconographic representations of

> kabhandha in any of the temples in India?

>

>

>

> Sincerely

>

> Vidya

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games

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> indology

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> Your use of is subject to

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>

[Guest guest]

> after putting an end to

> Vishnu's Matsyavatara Shiva holds the fish bone as

> "Kankala" in his hand.

> Whereas in Bhiksatanamurti he is very handsome. He

> goes all naked. Sometimes

> he is represented with Canine teeth. Then he should

> be called as

> "BhikSATana-Bhairava". In the absence of canine

> teeth he is only

> Bhiksatanamurti.

 

I would like to add that there are also stories how

Siva had to become a bhik.SAtana in order to get

purified of sin after cutting off the fifth head of

Brahma. The skull of the head is said to get stuck to

the palm of Siva's hand and then to fall off in the

place called BrahmakalApam on HimAlaya slopes, where

he came after longtime wandering. As bhik.SAtana, Siva

indeed was very handsome which is nicely illustrated

in the story of DArukavana's sages and their wives.

All these stories are scuttered in various purANa-s,

some Tamil sources and, I think, I have seen something

in MahAbharata as well.

In the sculptural images of Siva as bhik.SAtana he has

four hands. The lower right one touches the mouth of

the accompanying deer, the upper has a kettle drum.

The upper left hand has either SUla with some pea-cock

feathers on it or just a bunch of those feathers

placed accross the shoulder. Lower left hand holds

kapAla. There are sandals on Siva's feet and a serpent

on his waist. The right leg is slightly ku~Ncita and

has an anklet, the left is placed as if he is going to

walk. He is accompanied either by a deer or by Vi.SNu

in the form of MOhinI or demon KindOdara with a

begging bowl on his head, or any two of them. Some

images of bhik.SAtana have eight hands with various

weapons and no accompanying deer or demon (like the

one in PErur).

The ka-NkAla image is quite similar. The legs'

positions are same as above. It has been described in

MAyAtmata, KASyapaSilpa of AMSumattantra and Aditya

purANa (sorry, I don't have the exact references).

According to the first text, Siva wears a fine cloth,

is surrounded by either women or demons, has the

peacock feathers and a skeleton (ka-NkAla) in his

right hands, ta-Nka and varada in the left ones,

serpent around his loins, a knife stuck into his

girdle on the right side. He is said to be followed by

animals whom he feeds from his hands.

According to the second text, he has a necklace of

skeletons, a kettle-drum and peacock feathers on a

stuff in his left hands, a stick for the kettle-drum

in the upper right hand, while the lower right touches

the mouth of the deer.

According to the third source, the skeletons are those

of the Vi.SNu's incarnations.

Sometimes, Siva in this image is also said to carry a

skeleton on his shoulder tied by a rope to a stuff.

A short comparative descriptions with some photos

of the sculptural images of Siva as bhik.SAtana and

ka-NkAla can be also found in the book by H.Krishna

Sastri: South-Indian images of gods and goddesses.

Bhartiya Publishing House, 1974.

Hope, this helps.

Marina Orelskaya

 

 

 

 

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