Aug 12, 2018 Lord Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is a much revered deity of Hindus especially in South India.He is known by various names like Murugan, Shanmukha (Shanmuga), Subramanian, Shadanana, Guha, Senthil, Saravana, Kumaraswamy and Skanda ( Refer 108 Names of Lord Murugan). Listen to and chant this popular Murugan Gayatri Mantra 108 times with the help of lyrics. Lord Murugan is also known as Skanda, Kandha, Subramanya, Sahnmuga.
by R.K.K. Rajarajan
- Mantra To Get Pregnant Mantra To Become Pregnant. Childless couples that are trying for a baby can also seek the blessings and grace of Lord Murugan by chanting these mantras with utmost devotion. This combination of mantras from different traditions is something I really feel drawn to do. The essence of the Mantra can be stated as follows.
- This name is an ode to Lord Murugan who is also called Dvinanetraya or the one with 12 eyes. This will be an excellent pick for your baby. Gangasiruvan: The holy river Ganga was the sister of Lord Murugan’s mother Goddess Parvati and had a hand in nourishing him. Hence Lord Murugan is also known as Gangasiruvan or ‘Ganga’s boy’.
Introduction
The temple cars of Tamilnadu are a repository of Hindu iconography. Being massivewood carved monuments, each and every car houses not less than 200iconographical pieces in addition to decorative motifs such as yālis and horse riders.[1]
The wealth of material forthcoming from the cars are varied in dimensionand need to be surveyed thoroughly. But for a major work on the subject andarticles in Journals like East and West (Rome)and Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland(London)[2] , thesubject has evaded the attention of art historians.
Recently, Dr. GeorgeMitchell and Dr. Anna Dallapicoia have undertaken a mini-project so as toenable the organisation of an exhibition of wood carvings in London. The resultof the project has been published from Bombay by the journal Mārg (Vol. XLIII, No. 2, 1991).
This small article takes into account two miniatures from the temple car of theSubrahmanyasvāmi temple, Alagumalai (Coimbatore district). Both the templeand its car are dedicated to Subrahmanya (T. Murukan, Skt. Skanda or Kumāra)and so most of the iconographical illustrations in the car focus the forms ofthe hero of the temple and mainly depict events from the Skanda Purāna (T. Kanda Purānam).[3]
Besides some of the themes from Saiva and Vaisnava mythology are also illustrated inthe car. Most striking among them are two pieces which give a classical shapeto two of the events from Kanda Purānam and SarabhaPurānam. They are: (1) Skanda as Brahmasāsta in which the Lordpunishes Brahmā for not knowing the meaning of pranava mantra and imprisons him within the bars, and (2) Skandastriking a wild boar from which Visnu emerges.
Mythological Background
The two miniatures under consideration relate to two of the chief deities of the Hindupantheon, viz., Brahmā and Visnu. But in both Skanda is the hero since hepunishes the two antiheroes and establishes his superiority over them as LordSuperior of the Kaumāra cult.Later Siva, Skanda's father, rebuked him for having done so and asked Skanda whetherhe knew the meaning of pranava. Skanda'sreply was ‘yes'. Then, Siva asked him to tell what it was. To take a lesson,one should seek it with the discipline expected of a student. So, Skanda askedSiva to be his student and know the secrets of the mantra. Then, Siva is said to have appeared before Skanda with thehead down, mouth closed with one hand and in meek submission. Skanda divulgedthe secrets through a whisper. Later, at Siva's behest Brahmā was releasedfrom the prison. The story is elaborated in KandaPurānam (Urpattikāndam, AyancirainīkkuPatalam).
The second myth pertains to one of the avatārsof Visnu. Visnu, the Lord of Sustenance, and second among the Trinity issaid to have incarnated himself as a wild boar (Varāhamūrti) in orderto relieve Mother Earth (Bhūdevi) from the clutches of a demon, calledHiranyāksa. After accomplishing the job successfully, he did not revertback to his original form as Visnu but started molesting the worlds since thewrath (ugra) did not vanish. At thattime Skanda is said to have set him right by piercing his vel (Skt. Shakti-āyudha)into the Boar's body and thereby recovered the original Visnu. This episodeis hinted in Sarabha Puranam (4. ArivuruttiyaCarukkam, v. 47).
Iconographical Illustrations
The two miniatures found in the Alagumalai temple car are unique because no such figurecarving is reported to exist. Some rare motifs of the type are said to bepresent in the huge cars of the Tyāgarājasvāmi temple at Tiruvārūr(Thanjāvūr district).[6] But the Alagumalai pieces are noted for novelty of the object and uniquethematic elements that they include. Adobe cs3 master collection free with keygen.
In the first miniature Skanda is found in ālīdhaposture with the left leg thrown forward and kicking a boar. The leg isplaced on the back of the beast. The Lord holds the shakti in his pūrvahastas with its head striking the boar at its neck. The back left handholds the vajrāyudha. The objectin the back right hand is not clear. Skanda wears a karanda makuta, skandamālā and other ornaments. Behindthe Boar, a God stands who is caturbhuja andholds the shankha and cakra in para hastas. The pūrvahastas are in anjali bandha attitude.Obviously, this is Visnu who emerges from his disguised form as the Boar (Varāha-avatāra). Theillustration falls in line with the myth narrated in the foregoing account.That is to say, Visnu on warpath in his varāhaform, is redeemed by Skanda, the omnipotent Lord of the Kaumāras.
The other illustration shows Skanda standing in the centre with two figures ofBrahmā to his front and back. Skanda knuckles Brahmā, standing infront, with his front right hand. He perhaps holds a fruit (?) in the frontleft hand.The second illustration actually consists of twoscenes, compressed within the same sculptural frame. One relates to punishmentmeted out by Skanda to Brahmā and the second pertains to the scene of imprisonment.
Significance of the Illustrations
Illustrations such as discussed so far appear only in late medieval art, may be after the14th century AD. The base for such portrayal is the Kanda Purānam in which the mythology pertaining to Skandaacquired a full-fledged form. In earlier stages, the Lord is mostly associatedwith Sūrapadma, Tāraka and their associates. With the growth of mythsand literature, the iconographical perspective of Skanda goes on proliferating.The final stage of this evolution is reached during the late Vijayanagarperiod. An āgamic work called Kumāratantram Emmylou harris gliding bird rar. was also produced which deals with the later developments in iconography.
Stylistically speaking the event relating to Varāhasamhārais of some interest. Though a work of the late medieval times, it imitatesan ancient mode of illustration. To be specific, the Lord having his leg on theback of the Boar and piercing the vel intohis neck is of importance. Devi-Mahisāsuramardini in early Indian art isshown in a similar pattern.[8] Evidences are the iconographs on the subject from the Udayagiri (earlyGupta) and Ellora caves. The classical piece in Cave 1 at Bādāmi isalso of the same type. This shows the artist's proficiency with regard to thelatest developments in myth and the antique modes of iconographicalrepresentation.
The theme is important for a retrospective assessment of the growth of theKaumāra cult within the six great sects of Hinduism. Of them the mostpopular are Saivism, Vaisnavism and Sāktam. When compared with thesethree, others are not so popular. So, the Kaumāras with a view to projectthe personality of their cult hero, Skanda or Kumāra, invented effectivemyths to propagate their own sectarian creed. The result was that Siva, Visnuand Brahmā were made insignificant before their Great Lord. So, Sivaappears before Skanda with folded hands and mouth shut to learn the secrets ofthe pranava mantra. So, Murukan inTamil tradition is called Takappan Svāmi ‘Lord of the Father'.Brahmā is knuckled and imprisoned. Visnu is humiliated under pretext ofhis wrong moves after the successful completion of an avatāra's activity.[9]
The appropriation of the fruit (of knowledge) from Ganapati is of somesignificance. According to the myth, Skanda claims superior wisdom overBrahmā and Siva. This status of eminence is pointed out by the fruit beingattributed to the Lord.
Conclusion
The above study shows that the temple cars are a promising area for further research. There arenearly 90 temple cars in Tamilnadu alone. Similar monuments are found invarious parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. A thorough survey anddocumentation of these wood carved relics of the past may bring to light themany faceted aspects of the south Indian iconography. It is indeed achallenging job. But a day should come when these paradigms, frozen into woodencaskets, are discovered and registered on the palimpsest of Indian art.
References & Notes
[1]Raju Kalidos, 'The WoodCarvings of Tamilnadu: An Iconographical Survey', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London,No. 1, 1988, p. 100.
[2] RajuKalidos, Temple Cars of MedievalTamilaham, Madurai, 1989; same author's articles in East and West (Rome): 'Stone Cars and Rathamandapas', Vol. XIV,Nos. 1-3, pp. 153-73; 'Visnu's Mohini Incarnation: An Iconographical andSexological Study', Vol. XXXVI, Nos. 1-3, pp. 183-204; 'Iconography andSymbolism of Pancamukha Nrsimha', Vol. XXXVII, Nos. 1-4, pp. 283-96;'Yoninilyā: Concept and Application in South Indian Art', Vol. XL, Nos.1-4, pp. 115-53 and 'Pancamukha Anjaneya in Canonic Literature and Art', Vol.XLI. Also the reference in previous note may be noted.
[3] The Kanda Purānam of Kacciyappa Civāccāriyār(14th century AD) is said to be the prototype of the Sanskritic Skanda Purāna. vide Kamil V.Zvelebil, Tiru Murugan, Madras, 1981,p. 33.
Murugan Moola Mantra
[4] Of the sanmatas (T. aruvakaiccamayam) Kaumāram is one; the other five beingSaivam, Vaisnavam, Sāktam, Gānapatyam and Sauram.
[5] Greatestamong the mantras, the mysterious Om, is the pranava, the root of all cosmic wisdom.
Mastercraft maximum 4 in 1 laser pro manual. [6] RajuKalidos, Temple Cars of MedievalTamilaham, pp. Revit 2016 keygen download. 340-42.
Ample sound agf keygen for mac. [7] This is veryinteresting because according to another myth Siva is said to have awarded afruit (of wisdom?) to Ganapati who competed with Skanda for the prize. Help me please mmd for mac. But inthe present illustration the fruit has gone to Skanda.
[8] RajuKalidos, 'Iconography of Mahisāsuramardini: A Probe into StylisticEvolution', Acta Orientalia, Copenhagen, Vol. L, pp. 7-28, figs. 7-14.
[9] A similaranecdote is related in case of Nrsimha who is ultimately overcome by Siva as Sarabhamūrti.
This article first appeared in Kāla (Journal of Indian Art History Congress) Vol. I, 1994-95, pp. 129-134. Font jawi traditional.
Dr. R.K.K. Rajarajan
Department of Art History, Aesthetics & FineArts
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai - 625016 Tamil Nadu, India
Department of Art History, Aesthetics & FineArts
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai - 625016 Tamil Nadu, India
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