South Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses

300 Pages·1916·46.467 MB·English

by  H. Krishna Sastri

SOUTH-INDIAN IMAGES OF GODS AND
GODDESSES
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THE TANTORE TEMPIE.
SOUTH-INDIAN IMAGES
OF
GODS AND GODDESSES
BY
H. KRISHNA SASTRI, B.A., RAO SAHEB,
AtMstant AichceologicalSitpetintendtntfoi hfaqtapliy,
Southern Circle
Published under the authority ofthe Government ofMadras.
MADRAS GOVERNMENT PRESS
1916
THIS little book o\Se^s its origin to a suggestion made
by His Excellency Lord Carmichael, when he was
He
Governor of Madras in the year 1912. felt that,
while there was a multitude of books dealing with Hindu
religion and incidentally with Hindu iconography, there
was 110 popular handbook which would give information
about the images one commonly sees in temples or
museums in Southern India, and that it would be a
distinctly useful thing to supply that want. The
Madras Government entrusted the task to me, presu-
mably because my official duties bring me very often to
visit the various temples in the Province and to study
and classify the images found therein.
When I accepted the task, I was not fully aware of
the difficulties that lay before me. In the first place,
there were very few printed books, in Sanskrit or in
translations, that gave the orthodox description and
And when
significance of the images set up in temples.
I 'managed to collate notes from a few old manuscripts
treating of this subject, it was almost impossible in
several instances to reconcile the discrepancies which
they showed or even to understand the technical terms
which abounded in them. In some cases, the descrip-
tion of a particular image found in the local chAronicles
or Sthala-Pnrdnas could not be traced in the gamas.
I am not altogether sanguine that I have steered clear
of these difficulties and succeeded in presenting a clear
and readable account to the average reader.
PREFACE
vi
My chief source of information in compiling this
book has been an excellent work entitled u Tattvanidhi,"
published by the Sri-Venkatesvara Steam Press at
Bombay, and compiled by His Highness the Maharaja
Mummadi Krishnaraja Vodeyar Bahadur of Mysore.
A
short bibliography of other Sanskrit works consulted
by me is given at page xv.
Among the many friends who have kindly helped
me in this task, my special thanks are due to Sir J. H.
Marshall, Kt., C.I.E., M.A., LITT.D., F.S A., Director-General
of x^rchaeology, Simla, and his assistant Mr. V. Natesa
Aiyar, B.A., for extracts from ancient manuscripts on the
subject of Indian iconography , to Mr. A. H. Longhurst,
Archaeological Superintendent, Southern Circle, for the
numerous illustrations without which the book would
be almost unintelligible and to Mr. C. S. Anantarama
;
Aiyar, the Under Secretary to the Government of
Madras, for much valuable criticism which has been of
great assistance to me. My thanks are also due to Mr.
T. Fisher, Superintendent, Government Press, Madras,
for his many kind suggestions about the get-up of
the book and a practical arrangement of the numerous
illustrations.
OOTACAMUND,
H KRISHNA
ist Apnl 7916. SASTRI.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
i.
INTRODUCTORY.
TAGLb
Templesandimages, thesubjectof Ajfi//iasand bilpa-bastm* ; origin of
smtonetemples in the Pallava peiiod (page li.) Their development
the Chola period (2) Signsto distinguish a Saivatemplefrom a
Vaishnava temple ; ritual generally followed in temples ; annual
festivals (^f.) Ritual in templesofvillage-deities (7) . ... i 9
CHAPTER
II.
BRAHMA
Not worshippedas the chief deityin a temple; his images and general
description (10) Variousforms, illustrations (n) .. ... ... io-~l6
CHAPTER
III
VISHNU
His general description (17) Incarnations (22) Boar incarnation and
thereverencepaidto itby the early South-Indian kings (22f.) Man-
lion incarnationandits varieties (24!.) Dwarf incarnation (jof)
Rama incarnation(3$f) Krishna incarnation and varieties (3/f)
Buddhaand Kalki incarnations(47) Anantasaym, PadmanaKha or
Ranganatha (5of) Jalasayana, Vaikuntha-Narayana, Lakshmi-
Narayana, Garuda-Narayana and Yogesvara-Vishnu (52! ) The 24
general forms of Vishnu , Plnduranga, Uayagriva and Venkatesa
(55f.) Pradyumna 01 Manmatha, Vishvaksenaand Garuda(62f.)
Hanuman (64f.) Sudarsana(66f.) Saligrarnastones (/of) ... 17 71
CHAPTER
IV.
SIVA.
His temples and their non-sectarian nature, l^tt^a^ s>mbol of Siva;
itssignificance, dcscuption and varieties (72f.)~~Subsidiary images
ina Siva temple, importance attached to his sportiveforms (74f.)
The general foim Rudramuiti, its description andvarieties; Panoha-
dehamurtiand Maha-Sadasiva (76f.) Natarija and his several dan-
cing postures (77!") The Chidambaram, temple ; its history (88f.)
Dakshmamurti and his various forms (89f.) -Lingodbhava (93f.)
Bhikshatana and Mohim (9/f.) Katxkalamtirti (103) Ivalyana*
sundaianciGrti (iO3f.) Somaskanda and albed forms (i07f)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
viii
Vrihharudha (113?) Chandrasekharamurti (li4f.) Ardhanaii
(I2of) Harihara (125) Gajahamurti (i25f.) Gangadhara (129!")
Kalahaianiurti (i$2f) Nilakantha (iS/f) Tripurantakamurti
(I4of.) Kiiataijunamuitj (i4if.) Chandesanugrahamurti (l43f)
Sarabhamurti (1475) Pasupatamuiti, Rakshoghnamurti, Aghdra-
muiti, Bhaira\a and his vanous forms, Mahakala and Kalagni-
Rudra (148!".) Virabhadra and his various forms (1555.) Kshetia-
pGaalnaap(ailsiqfa)ndChhisanvdaersiaou,sNfaonidmlssa;,hiBshrpmopgullsaariatnyd(iJ6x5afr.)adevSaka(nld6iafa)nd
his differentforms ; the antiquity ofhisworship (i77f) . ... 72 183
CHAPTER
V.
,
SAKTI-GODDESSES.
Then significance (184) Then division into three classes and then
\\orshipon chakras, yunitas andpjthas (185) Sarasvati and her
different foims (i85f) Lakshmi and her different forms (187^)
Theeightenergies ofVishnu personified (189) General description
of Gaurl or Parvati (190) The Saptamatnkas (190!".) Sakti god-
dessesholdingVaishnavitesymbols.Chamnnda, Durga, Mahishasura-
mardiniand Maha-Lakshmi (196 211) Kalaratri, Tvarita,Tnpuia-
Bhaira\i, Vajiaprastarmi, Sura, Suiapriya, Srivid^aclevl, Pranasakti,
Svasthavesmi, Satruvidhvamsmi, Ugra-Tara, Dhiamravatl, SuhnT,
Pratjangira, Sitaladevi, Tnkantakidevi, Bhutamata and Sivaclutl
(2iif) Jyeshtha-Lakshmi (2i6f) Bala-Tripurasundari, Saubhag-
yabhuvanesvari, Annapurna, Gayatri, Savitri and Saras\ati, Tulaja-
Bhavani, Rajamatangi, Laghusyamala, \Taruni, Kurukulla and
Vindh>avasini [2i8f.)~Lalita, Tupuiasundari and Rajarajes\arij
theirworship on Bala-yantraand Stz-chttkta(zzof) 184--222
.CHAPTER
VI.
VILLAGE DEITIES.
Their origin traceable toTantrik goddesses; names of a few of them
(223f.) Their \\oishipand worshippers (226) Ceremonies peculiar
to temples ofvillage deities,Draupaditemplesa.\\&karagam(226f)
Sati-\vorship and the fire-vvalkmg ceiemony (229) Village gods .
Ai>anarand.Ka.rt.ippannasarm (229f) Ileio-woiship; devil-dances
(234; . .. . 223234
CHAPTER
VII.
MISCELLANEOUS DEITIES.
The n(2i3n5efP)lanTehtse(M23o5o)naTnhdetSheunot,hehrisPdleasncertispt(i2o3n9fan)dTthheebuDfiykap-aylaaknatsni
NInadgraas, A(g24m8,!.)YamTah,eNadnermiit-ag,odVsarunYaa,ksVhaaysu,anViddyKaudbhearraas(,24ietfc)., Tahned
Dvarapalas (2Sif) Saints and sages (2545) The threereligious
reformers; Sana and Vaishnava saints (259^ jaina images
(z62f) Pedestals, postures, symbols, weapons and jewellery of
images f26$f) .. . ... 235272
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FRONTISPTECK. The Tanjoie.templ.e. ...
FIG. i. Gopura, Narasimha temple ; Mangalagui . cj
,, 2. Back viewofcentral shrine, Siva temple; Gangaikonda- 6
solapuram 8
,, 3. Handranadi tank; Mannargudi g
4. Processional images (metal) , Madura . . . I2
5. Lamp patterns and/#/^-utensils , Uttatlui . 13
6. BraDoh.ma ; SKeuvmebnaPkaognoadam^ . . . -1.154
9J 7. . . .
8. Do. Tiruvadi . . . . .1, 816
,, 9. Brahma and Sarasvatl ; kandiyur . .
10. Brahma on swan vehicle , Chidambaram . .20ic;
n. Vishnu (Ashtabhuja) ; Conjeeveram . .
12. Vishnu, Bellary . . . . . , 2i
,, 13. Do. Paramesvaramangalam . . 23
14. Vishnu and his consorts, Aiiyamba-kkam , 25
,, 15. Boar incarnation ofVishnu; St-ven Pagodas . 27
,, 16. Narasimha bursting forth from the pillar; Ahobalam 28
17. Ugia-Narasiniha do. . 29
18. Do (metal) ; Madras Museum . .3, ^31
,, 19. Yoga-Narasimha; Tmipati Hill . .
,, 20. Tnvikrama , Seven Pagodas . . . .36$4
2j. Do. KumbakOnaiu . . .
22. Vamana, Namakkal . . . . , ^
23. Rama and group (metal) , Raine-;varam . 40
24. Krishna tied to a mortar, Pcnukonda . . ,42
25 Butter-dance of Bala-Krishna (metal) ; Madras Museum 44
26, Serpent-dance of Kfihya-Krishna (metal) do. 4^
27. Venu-Gopala do. 46
,, 28. Madana-Gopala; Little (Conjeeverani . . . 48
?J 29. Govardhana-Kiishna , Seven Pagodas
,, 30. Krishna on the puniitii~\xw (wood)., Ku.mbako.nam. 40
31. Faithasarathiteaching Bhagavad-GitdtoArjuna ; Pushjja- 51
lri 53
,, 32. Anantasayin; Seven Pagodas
v33- Vaikuntha-Narayana ; Niimakkal
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
...
FIG. 34. Lakshmi-Narayana, Namakkal . . . . ^4
35. Garuda-Narayana; Chidambaram 56
36. Garuda-Narayana and Gajendramoksha; Kumbakonam 57
> 37- Yogesvara-Vishnu, Huvmahadagalh 58
,, 38. Do. (?) Kumbakonam . 59
, 39. Panduranga; Tirupati . .. .. .. .6160
40. Do. Ahobala.m ..... ..
Rati-Manmatha Chidambaram
41. ; ,6563
42. Garuda; Tanjore .
43. Sudarsana; Tirupati .6867
,, 44. Do. back view; do. . . .
,, 45. Do. front and back view (metal); Dadikkombu -7569
?) 46. Sahasra-lmga; Tiruvottiyur .
)} 4487.. PNaatnacrhaajmauk(mheat-alli)n;gaPa;nTcihraunvaadnaa.ikkkkualva.aml ... ..818708
Do. Rarnesvaram
,, 49. .. ...
,, 50. Urdhva-tandava , Tiruppanandal . . 83
Chidambaram ...
51. Patanjali ; 85
, 52- Vyaghrapada do. . 86
53 Kahka-tandava (metal), Nallur .9187
Dakshinamurti Avur
,, 54. ; . . . .
Vinadhara-Dakshinamurti Chidamba.ram..
55- ; . . .9492
56. Yoga-Dakshinamurti ; Conjeeveram . .
57. Dakshinamurti , Tiruvengavasal .9695
58. Lingodbhava; Tanjore . .. .....
n 59 Ekapada-Trimurti ; Tiruvottiyur . . .9998
60. Do. Tiruvanaikkaval
. .
,, 6612. MBhoihkishmat(amentaamlu)rt;iVa(lmuetvaulr) do.. . ... .101021
63. Kankalamurti (metal), Tenkasi . . 104
,, 64. Kankalamurti ; Dharasuram . . . . 105
65. Kalyana-Sundara, Madura 106
66. Kalyana-Sundara and Svayamvara Chidambaram 108
;
3, 67. Somaskanda (metal), Sivankudal . . . 1m09
3, 6689.. SUommasaashkiatnada; SevendPoa.godas . . . . , .112
Vnshavahana Chidambaram
,, 70. ; . . . 115
71. Do. (metal) ; Vedaranyara . , 116
}, 72. Chandrasekhara (metal); Tiruvottiyur . 117
73. Chandrasekhara ; Tanjore . . . 118
74. CAhrdahnadnraarsiekhaMraadu(rAlaingananiurti); Bagali . . .121^19
ii 75- ) . . . .
,, 76. Do. Kumbakonam . . . . 122