Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 124

102
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JUNE, 1931
been strong enough to uproot Saivism. Some powerful force must have operated to bring about this change; and this was probably the influence of the then ruling kings.
Among the Trimûrtis, viz., Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, there had always been rivalry for supremacy between Vishņu and Siva. Some claimed that Siva was the supreme deity, and others Vishnu. If Vishnu were proclaimed supreme, it was the duty of either Brahma or Siva to contest the claim. As Brahma, in consequence of a curse, had been denied the privilege of having a temple, it falls to the lot of Siva to oppose the fact. If Siva himself were to declare that Vishņu is the supreme deity, then the whole world would accept his statement without opposition. As Mahabalipuram had already become staunchly devoted to the worship of Siva, this expedient had to be used to change the minds of the people. But for this it would have been very diffioult to change the local worship from Siva to Vishnu. To afford further testimony of the fact that Siva had made this declaration, it was considered desirable to represent the fact in the soulpture carved on the face of the rook, which has ever since been known locally as Arjuna's penanoe. There is also a Puranio story in support of this statement. There is a story in the Padmottara-Purana that holding a red hot axe in his hand Siva proclaimed to the whole world that Vishņu was the supreme being. Holding a red hot iron in the hand is a Hindu form of making an asseveration. This fact is mentioned in Paramatabhanga, a work in Tamil by Sri Nigamanta Mahadebika.
“ மாதவனே பரனென்று வையங்காண
மழுவேந்தி மயல் தீர்க்க வல்லதேவன் - கைதவமொன்று கந்தவரைக் கடியசாபங்
கதுவியனா யதின் பலத்தைக் கருதிப்பண்டை வேதநெறியணுகாத விலங்கு தாவி வேறாக
விரித்துரைத்த விகற்பமெல்லாம் ஓதுவது குத்திரத்துக் கென்றுரைத்தா
னோதாதே யோதுவிக்கு மொருவன்றானே ”. "The supreme god Narayana, who without learning from anybody, is capable of teaching others, declared the study of Saiva, Pasupata, Kapalika and Kalamukha tantras, all a deceit. All these are outside the time-honoured path of the Veda and taught by Siva, who axe (or a red hot iron) in hand could proclaim to all the world that Vishnu is the supreme deity. Siva taught these in order to give effect to the curse of the sage Gautama that those who set up to examine eternal truths may suffer in false belief."
Let us now describe the bas-relief in the light of the new fact stated above. The relief is carved on the sloping face of a huge rook, divided into two parts by a cleft in the middle. It is through this cleft that the rain water falling on the hill flows down and collects in the tank at the foot of the hill. The soene is divided into two parts, the one to illustrate Siva's declaration to the world, and the other to show Vishnu's temple with several worshippers (see Pl. I and also Pl. XXIX (a) and (6) in A.S.I. Memoir No. XXXIII]. The upper half of the proper right and the whole of the proper left have been devoted to illustrating Siva's declaration, and the lower half of the proper right has been utilized to depict Vishnu and his worshippers. This latter part has not been completely carved; it has been left unfinished: A multitude of forms of life, from birds to Devas, 6.6., from the lowest to the highest, are sculptured on the upper half of the proper right and the whole of the proper left of the side of the rock. Kinnaras, Kinnaris, Kimpurushas, Apsaras, Surya and Chandra and the Devas, too, are represented as running to hear the words of Siva, who appears very prominently in the relief. Those on the proper right are raising their left hand towards their left ears, while those on the proper left are raising their right hand towards their right ear, to indicate their efforts to hear every word that issued from the lips of Siva. The other hand in each case seems to be in the añjali pose. This shows
Paramatabhanga, stanza 41.