chap19
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Vedic Roots of Hindu Iconography
R. Nagaswamy
CHAPTER-19
A Rare Kālabhairava
A rare Kālabhairava sculpture is preserved in the Siva temple of Thirutturaippūṇḍi village in Tamil Nadu. It is a stone sculpture of Gajasamhāra mūrthi assignable to the time of Kulottuṅga Chola in circa 1200 CE. It has many rare features not noticed in sculptures of Tamil Nadu. The God is shown with three heads and ten arms standing with his right leg planted on the head of an elephant while the left leg is lifted to waist height and turned to the right almost in the pose of dancing. The front pair of arms are lifted high and hold the skin of the elephant and the next immediate pair of arms hold abhaya mudra with the right hand and the left in pose pointing down. The other three right arms hold a bow, a bell and a sword while the upper left arms hold damaru, gada and khatvānga. The god wears a long garland of bells. The skin of the elephant is being torn and what is seen coiled intestines of the animal. inside the leg are the ribs of the elephant. Beneath the ribs on the right side is seen the coiled intestines of the animal.
The front central face has a sharp nose, protruding teeth, raised eyebrows, with the third eye which appears as a rounded ball. The right and left faces are like the front face except that they face the sides. The raised jaṭa maṇḍala is spread like a circular halo behind the head. There is nakra? kuṇḍala on the right and patra kuṇḍala on the left.
An Image of seated Ganeśa with four arms and a four armed deity probably Subrahmaṇya are seen on the right and left of the elephant's skin on top. To the left of the skin by the side of the leg is seen goddess Pārvatī with a high Jaṭāmakuṭa and two arms. The goddess holds a flower in her right arm and a child on the left arm. In between the deity and the elephant is seen a Goddess seated on a pedestal with four arms who resembles Maheśvari. The head of the elephant is treated beautifully. To the right of the leg of the lord immediately close to the head of the elephant is seen a standing figure with four arms who looks like a Kshetrapāla with his dog standing behind him. A fairly depicted seen a figure with hands folded in añjali and his hair tied like a bun above the head. In between the folded hand and body is sword tucked in. The figure has a close resemblance to the portrait of the Chola king Kulottuṅga III known from elsewhere. This would suggest that the sculpture was a royal consecration.
I may draw attention to a Tamil Tēvāram verse of Śaiva saint Appar (600 CE) which refers to the samhāra of the elephant demon Gajāśura by lord Śiva 4th book addressed to Thirucchērai. The verse refers to the skinning of the elephant demon. Śiva, wielding a terrifying sharp trident and bursting damaruka drum in his hand tore the elephant demon as Kāla Bhairava and as he noticed Pārvatī trembling with fear at the situation laughed as if his mouth will break. The verse makes it clear that the destroyer of the elephant demon was Kāla Bhairava Śiva, which has received the attention in South India.
விரித்த பல்கதிர் கொள் சூலம், வெடிபடு தமருகம், கை
தரித்து ஓர் கோல காலபயிரவன் ஆகி, வேழம்
உரித்து, உமை அஞ்சக் கண்டு, ஒண் திரு மணிவாய் விள்ளச்
சிரித்து, அருள்செய்தார் - சேறைச் செந்நெறிச் செல்வனாரே.
viritta palkatir koḷ cūlam, veṭipaṭu tamarukam, kai
tarittu ōr kōla kālapayiravaṉ āki, veḻam
urittu, umai añcak kaṇṭu, oṇ tiru maṇivāy viḷḷac
cirittu, aruḷceytār - ceṟaic cenneṟic celvaṉāre
In another verse also Appar refers to the same exploit of Śiva who tore the skin of the Elephant and even as blood was flowing he spreads out the skin and wore the same a garment. Umā looked at terrified and laughed (at Thiruppayarrur, 4 book) Evidently th form of Gajāśura vadha was well known in the south.
In the northern part of India the Gajasamhāra episode is well known but it seems to a part of Andhkāśura vadha episode. In sculptural representation we find the main figure is shown as Andhakāśura samhara piercing the body of the Aśura with a relation. In such portrayals Śiva holds the Elephant in two of his upper hands. This suggest that the skin of the elephant preceded Andhakāśura vadha and so is connected with the exploits of seven mothers. When Śiva destroyed the elephant it was his amsa a part of power came out as Bhairava and killed the elephant. The Bhairava is said to have merged Śiva and then Śiva is said to have proceeded to annihilate Andhakāśura.