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HINDU ICONOGRAPHY
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14. Vishapaharana-mürti (Śiva Drinking Poison to
Save the World) (Pls. 71-73) During the churning of the ocean by the gods and the demons, among other things, poison emerged, which threatened to destroy the world. Then Siva offered to drink the poison in order to save it from destruction.
DAKSHIŅA-MURTIS (For iconographical details, see following Tubles)
Siva is the great master of Yoga, music, dancing and of other sciences. As a universal teacher, he is called Dakshina-murti. Dakshina means south, and since Siva was seated facing the south when he taught the sages, he came to be known by this name.
Siva is an expounder of the Sāstras. As JñanaDakshiņa-murti he is represented as seated in the savya lalitāsana (with the right leg pendant), with the left one bent and resting on the right thigh (Pl. 74). As a teacher of Sastras he is known as Vyakhyana-Dakshina-murti (PL. 75). He has four arms, of which one right is held in the jñāna mudrā and the other holds a rosary. One left hand is in the boon-giving pose, while one other left hand holds either fire or snake. Rishis, seeking knowledge, surround the teacher-god.
Siva is master not only of the Sastras, but he is also a great master of music, both vocal and instrumental. Siva, as a music teacher is called Vinādhara-Dakshina-murti.
As Yoga-Dakshina-murti, Siva practises penance. So his eyes are fixed on the tip of the nose. One of his right hands is held near the chest in the yogamudrā, while a left hand rests upon the lap in the typical yogic posture.
NRITTA-MURTIS (For iconographical details, see following Tables)
Siva is a great master of the art of dancing. The Bharata-Natyaśāstra mentions 108 different kinds of dance poses and in the Saivagamas it is stated that Siva danced in 108 modes. These modes as mentioned by the two texts may be identical.
Though the Saivagamas mention 108 modes of Siva's dances they actually describe only nine. One is that of Natarāja described in the Amáumabhēdāgama. The Dance of Siva as Natarāja (Pls 76-79)
Siva, the Mabāyogi, is also Natarāja, the Lord
of Dancers. Dancing is a form of magic in which the personality of the dancer becomes transformed, the dancer becoming endowed with supra-terrestrial powers in the process. Dancing is an act of creation. Siva, in his dance manifestation, is the Cosmic Dancer and gives manifestation to Eternal Energy. Through his frantic motions he generates the powers of evolution, maintenance and dissolution of the world.
The Natarāja figures are meaningful. Siva carries a drum in the upper right hand (Pls. 78-79). This connotes Sound, the vehicle of speech. Sound is associated with Ether, the primary manifestation of the Brahman, the Universal Soul. From Ether are generated a number of other elements like Air, Fire, Water and Earth. When the process of manifestation begins, it is with Sound and Ether.
The upper left hand of Nataraja bears on its palm a tongue of flame. At the end of the Kali Age, Fire will consume creation. While the drum is symbolic of the act of creation, the flame of fire is suggestive of destruction.
The second right hand of Siva is in the protection attitude. This hand is pointed downwards to the uplifted left foot. This foot is suggestive of salvation.
Siva dances on the prostrate body of the dwarf Apasmāra Purusha, who symbolises ignorance or darkness. The Darkness of ignorance can be destroyed by the attainment of knowledge, which releases man from the bondage of existence.
The figure of Natarāja is encompassed by a ring of flame and light, which is symbolic of the holy syllable AUM. This is an affirmation of creation. 'A is the state of waking consciousness, together with its world of gross experience, U is the state of dreaming consciousness, together with its experience of the subtle shapes of dreams, M is the state of dreamless sleep, the natural condition of undifferentiated consciousness. The Silence following the pronunciation of the three A, U, and M is the ultimate unmanifest.'
Siva as the cosmic dancer is the embodiment and manifestation of eternal energy in its five activities: (1) Creation, (2) Maintenance, (3) Destruction, (4) Concealment, and (5) Favour.
SIVA AS MAHĀYOGI (PL. 80) According to the Saivites, Siva is CreatorProtector-Destroyer. He sits in deep meditation,
