Images of Daksinamurti

Siva's forms are classified into three aspects that is Vega, boga and yoga.^[1] Daksinamurti form comes under the yoga aspect. He is regarded as the repository of all arts and wisdom.^[2] Daksinamurti is one of the twenty five sportive forms of Siva.^[3] The origin of this form is interesting. Once upon a time Daksha, the father-in-law of Siva, insulted Him and His consort Uma, by not inviting them to a sacrifice, which he was performing. Uma went there without invitation, but being insulted, jumped into the fire pit and destroyed herself. This made Siva furious. He created Virabhadra out of his hair who had destroyed Daksha. Then Siva retired to a forest and sat underneath a Banyan tree deeply engaged in meditation. After some time Siva gave up His penance and married once again Uma, who had now incarnated herself as Parvati.

There are different forms of Daksinamurti like Gnana Daksinamurti, Yoga Daksinamurti, Vinadhara Daksinamurti, Meda Daksinamurti, Sakti Daksinamurti, Vyakhyana Daksinamurti and so on.^[4] The sculpture of Daksinamurti is always conceived as youthful teacher, seated beneath a Banyan tree," teaching aged sages and removing their doubts by his very silence.^[5]

The Tamil Sangam work Purananuru^[6] speaks of Daksinamurti as "Aal Amar Kadavul". The post Sangam epic Cilappadikaram^[7] mentions " Aal Amar Selvan. The archaeological discoveries of Indus Valley civilization prove that Lord Siva might have been worshipped in the form of Daksinamurti".^[8]

The concept of Daksinamurti is found illustrated in the sculptures from the Pallava period in Tamil country. Daksinamurti usually appears in a sitting posture rarely in the form of Vinadhara Daksinamurti.^[9] A figure of Vinadhara Daksinamurti is carved out on the southern side in the central panel of Dharmaraja ratha at Mahabalipuram. He is in a standing posture with a slightly raised right leg. He has four arms; the upper right hand is held in chinmudra, the left one in kapithahasta, the lower right in abhaya and left in kataka or mukti hastas.

The images of Daksinamurti can be seen in the walls of the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram in much varieties.^[10] In the Pandya country a unique piece of Daksinamurti is found in the south just under the vimana at the top of the rock cut temple at Kalugumalai. In this singular instance, Daksinamurti plays the mridanga of the ahkya type (musical instrument) which is placed on his lap. He is sitting in the sukasana pose with his right leg bent and the left resting on an Apasmdrapurilsa. The rear right hand holds aparasu, while the left holds an akshamala. He has amridanga in his front left hand and the fingers of the right hand are playing on it.^[11]

The artistic piece of Daksinamurti is appeared on the western side of the Devakoshta of the central shrine. Apasmdrapurusa prostrated under the right leg of Daksinamurti lifts his head with vyakhyana mudra in his right hand and a snake in his left hand. As a guru he teaches his doctorial to his disciples collected round him, two on either side are found in the sides of Daksinamurti pilasters. The Saints are found with jatamakutas, braided hairs, flowing beards and moustaches. They wear udarabandhas and yajnopavitas. They seem to be fully conscious of the upadesa of Daksinamurti. They are sitting with crossed legs showing vyakhyana mudra in their right hands. This image is an example of the early of the later Cholas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

S. Narayanaswamy, Daksinamurti, (Tamil) Pt. I, Tiruvavaduthurai, 1990, p. 8.

[2]:

N.R. Murugavel, "Sivaperumanin Tiruvuruvangal," Tirukoyil, November 1970, pp. 50-51.

[3]:

Ibid., January 1972, p. 152.

[4]:

H. Krishna Sastri, South Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses, Madras, 1916, pp. 89-90,

[5]:

K.R. Srinivasan, The Dharmaraja Ratha and its Sculptures, Mahabalipuram, New Delhi, 1975, p. 45.

[6]:

S. Narayanaswamy, Op.Cit., pp. 2-5.

[7]:

S. Avvai Duraisami Pillai, ed., Purananuru, Vol. I, Tinneveli, 1952, v. 198, 1.9, p. 428.

[8]:

U.V. Saminathaiyar, ed., Silappadikaram, Thanjavur, 1985, Canto 2, Katturaikadai 23, 11. 90-91, p. 502.

[9]:

K.R. Srinivasan, Op.Cit.,p. 36.

[10]:

D.R. Rajeswari, The Pallava Sculptures, New Delhi, 1988, p. 76.

[11]:

C. Sivaramamurti, Kalugumalai and Early Pandyan Rock-cut Shrines, Bombay, 1961, pp. 20-21.