Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

Author(s): Jaikishandas Sadani
Publisher: B J Institute of Learning & Research

Page 37

Underground Shrine Queen's step-well at Patan
Bhairava We have seen that Maheśvara is the benevolent aspect of Siva. But Bhairava is His dreadful aspect which annihilates the wickedness lurking around. Tantra Loka alludes to three aspects of Śiva. They are the Bheda, Bheda-bheda and the Abheda. The first is the benign Śiva, second the agitated Rudra and the third is the frightening Bhairava. The dancing Bhairava, the fearful one, is depicted in the step-well with all His dynamism. The benevolent, the fearful one are all fused together in the Abheda Bhairava. Though this form is dreaded by the evil-doers, it is all benevolent for the devotees.
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The sculpture of Bhairava is well preserved in the step-well. This aspect of Śiva has been sculpted with all the imagination of the highest form of terror. Bhairava Murti Vidhana is elaborated in detail in Visņudharmottara (3.59) and Agni Purana (529-10) and also in Tattva Nidhi (p. 73). It is a supreme depiction of benevolence midst devastation. It is the light of life, portrayed midst the dark dance of death. Bhairava is a twenty armed God with a short loin cloth around his waist, and dangling cloth between his legs. A girdle of bells surrounds his waist as well. The bells are joined with the girdle and they ring on his thighs as he dances. Matted hair cling to his head. He wears a well inset necklace and a jewelled garland. Armlets and bracelets adorn his arms and wrists. In his twenty hands he carries various weapons and things. He weilds a dagger, a thunder bolt, a club (Mudgara), kettle drum (damaru), a sword, a cobra snake and he holds an object between his thumb and the finger, which is not very clear. In the other set of ten hands we can again see some object between the thumb and the finger, a tail of cobra, open palm for striking, a shield, an indistinct object, a noose or pasa, a goad, a scull bowl with fish, and a severed human head of a demon. His wild dogs are preying upon the corpse and also a jumping fox is licking the severed head in Bhairava's hand. In the distant corner we see the ghoul feeding upon the severed arm of the corpse. In the surrounding frame we have Gaṇeśa and the seven female figures. One of them is seated while the others are in dancing poses. They may be the seven matṛikās or as some reckon them to be the seven yoginis since Bhairava is known to be their leader. The ravages of time and weather have not touched this panel and the characteristics of Bhairava are well brought out by the artist's chisel. Moreover, four rasas are depicted in this image very elaborately. They are raudra (anger), bhayanaka (dreadful), bibhatsa (gruesome) and karuņa (compassion). This shows the artist's mastery over the literary aesthetics, while chiselling the images with great artistic skill.
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