Indian Antiquary Vol 60

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

Page 125

103
JUNE, 1931]
VISHNU'S PARADEVATA PARAMARTHYA
the respect they feel for the person of Siva. A pair, probably a husband and wife, is running towards the cleft near the feet of a person who is worshipping Siva, and who has been hitherto considered to be Arjuna. These two persons alone appear to be going away from Siva. They are running quickly to the waterfall, to wash their hands and feet in order to purify themselves before approaching Siva. It seems that they are running quickly, so as not to miss the words of Siva. The person who has all along been regarded as Arjuna is a worshipper of Siva, and is practising hata-yoga by standing on one leg in order to please the god.
The natural waterfall has been utilized by the sculptor to represent Nagas and Naginis, as if they were issuing from the lower world to hear the teaching of Siva. Thus all forms of creation have been represented, and each is depicted as if eager to hear the words of Siva. The lower half of the left side consists of a temple where an image of Vishnu is set up. All around. there are worshippers. One is offering libations, one is performing his midday prayer (sandhyd. vandanam) and is addressing the sun in the prescribed form. Others are performing contemplation (japam) in sitting posture. One is holding a pot of water and directing another to go to the temple, as may be surmised from the position of his two fingers, which are pointing to the temple The water is intended for bathing the image of Vishnu. It is called tirumañ. jana kudam. The other figure holding a twisted object in the hand has been supposed till now to be holding a cornucopia, or horn of plenty. [See Pl. II or Pl. XXXI (a), in 4.8.1. Memoir No. XXXIII.] The twisted object is held at the bottom by the left hand and at the top by the right hand. If it were a cornucopia it could have been held by one hand, and the mouth would have appeared open and not as shown in the figure. The left thumb is seen in the middle, near the end of the twisted object. As the object is held by both hands, and as it is in a twisted condition, it appears that the man, after washing Vishnu's cloth, is squeezing the water out of it, by twisting the ends with his hands. That is precisely how cloths are wrung after washing even at the present day. Thus there is no reason for the cornucopia suggestion. Why should western ideas be imported where everything is entirely eastern Thus the lower half of the proper right side consists of a Vishnu temple and worshippers. This is entirely different from the rest of the scene. It is to this Vishnu that Siva is pointing with his left hand. (See Pl. III or Pl. XXX in A.S.I.Memoir No. XXXIII.) Siva is holding a long staff with a lotus-like object at its end, a sort of mace (gadá), to denote that he is making an asseveration. As Vishnu is here declared to be the supreme deity he is enshrined in a temple. Any deity that is worshipped should always have a vitána, or canopy, over it, to indicate its importance. This is generally the case in South India. Another point that we have to note is, that Siva has no vitána over his head. He stands in the open air, but Vishnu, to whom Siva is pointing as the supreme, has got a canopy. Thus Siva is proclaiming to all the world, which is represented by all manner of beings, both articulate and inarticulate, that Vishnu is the supreme deity. Siva is the prominent object in the upper half, and Vishnu enshrined in the temple is the prominent figure in the lower half. By such means a place which was once a stronghold of Saivism was changed to Vaishnavism. This expedient was necessary to guide the common people. Consistently with this view we have the relief where Sri Krishna is holding up Mt. Govardhana to afford protection to the Gopis and Gopas, who were experiencing unendurable suffering from the incessant rain brought on by Indra. Thus the bas-relief, which has up till now been called "Arjuna's Penance," may hereafter be called Vishnu's Paradevatá Paramarthya Relief. In order to have more effect on the people, another sculpture similar to this was carved on the side of a rook about a quarter of a mile to the south of this big sculpture: but this is in an unfinished condition. [See Pl. XXXIII (a) in A. 8. I. Memoir No. XXXIII.]
Similarly, another error has been committed by all scholars with regard to the identification of the so-called Panchapândava Rathas. There are five rock-cut shrines. In all Saivite temples there are five shrines to house the five martis (images), namely, Siva, Parvati, or Amman, Subrahmanya, Ganesa, and Chandikesvara. These five rock-cut temples