iconography & oDeyar

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 20 Aug 2006, 00:13

CML,

As per your interest in iconography i will post some pictures from time to time as discussed in JCRW thread.

As we were discussing shrI rAjarAjEsshvari , I thought i will post this first :

rAjarAjEshvari in the above depiction is seated on the left lap of Lord shiva who is endowed with beauty of "kOTimanmathas". dEvi can also be described as 'ajapa'. She is holding a noose (pAsha), a hook(aMkusha), a bow of sugarcane and five arrows. dEvi is saeted in paMcaprEtAsana posture. She is also paMcapraNAvarUpiNiM. She has vermilon color (siMdUravarNa).

rAjarAjEshvari has 25 names as per lalitOpAKyAna:

siMhAsanEshI, lalitA, mahArAj~jI, parAMkushA, cApinI, tripurA, mahAtripurasuMdarI, suMdarI, cakranAthA, samrAj~jI, cakriNI, cakrEshvarI, mahAdEvI, kAmEshI, paramEshvarI, kAmarAjaprIyA, kAmakOTikA, cakravartinI, mahAvidyA, shivA, anaMgavallabhA, sarvapATalA, kulanAthA, AmnAyanAthA, sarvAmnAyanivAsinI, shRuMgAranAyikA.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Aug 2006, 02:08

RC,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
BTW, which of the dEvI's names has 15 akSarAs? (pancadaSakSarI)
Ravi

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 20 Aug 2006, 02:24

Raja chandra
Nice. To clarify, what I actually said was I would rather you posted the pics of the remamining four faces of ISvara(that CML asked) elsewhere. The reason being simple- the other 4 faces were not being discussed in the thread. You are welcome to post in the oDeyar thread pictures directly relevant to our discussion/kRti. They certainly add value and colour to the discussions.

kiransurya · Post by **kiransurya** » 20 Aug 2006, 05:25

RC
Well done. These pictures make discussions all the more exciting...
Thanks

meena · Post by **meena** » 20 Aug 2006, 05:53

She is holding a noose (pAsha), a hook(aMkusha), a bow of sugarcane and five arrows.

RC
does the noose,hook, bow and 5 arrows represent/mean anything?

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 20 Aug 2006, 06:01

Raja Chandra wrote:---- samrAj~jI,---

Just to make sure, is ti samrAj~ni or sAmrAj~ni.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 20 Aug 2006, 11:22

Thanks RC
Let us use this as the dedicated thread to post these art forms. Of course you may post the ones relevant to JC in that thread. But I am interested in pictures of other deities too in this artistic form. Please post the defining shloka whenever possible.
I notice these are ancient! Are these commisioned by royalty? They remind me of the pictures I have seen in temple walls!

In the picture you posted is Siva in the vamadeva form (not the four heads) to go with the lyric posted?

Please also post any info (puranic?) that you have on the paraphernalia such as the severed head(?) and the deities on the base!

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 20 Aug 2006, 11:37

cmlover wrote:Please also post any info (puranic?) that you have on the paraphernalia such as the severed head(?) and the deities on the base!

No that is not the severed head. She is

pancabrahmAsanasthitA. (lalitA sahasranAma)

brahma, viShNu, rudra, ISvara are the four feet of the bed. These are the four deities shown in the picture. The plank of the bed is Siva. sadASiva is the mattress who is shown in the picture(Aka the head seen on your right). mahESAna is the pillow

SrIpura bindumadhyastha cintAmaNi mandirastha
SivAkAra mancasthita SivakAmESAnkasthA |(Ahiri navAvaraNa of MD)

SivAkArE mancE paramaSiva paryankanilayAm
bhajanti tvAm dhanyAH katicana cidAnandalaharIm |(saundarya lahari SlOka 8)

meena · Post by **meena** » 20 Aug 2006, 11:46

I notice these are ancient! Are these commisioned by royalty? They remind me of the pictures I have seen in temple walls!

cml
RC has posted some of the wonderful pics on HHJW thread.
If i recall correct he said these were from "sri-tattva-nidhi", an encyclopaedic monumental work by H.H. Maharaja Shri Sir Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar III Bahadur,Maharaja of Mysore. (1780-1865)

kiransurya · Post by **kiransurya** » 20 Aug 2006, 16:08

meena wrote:
She is holding a noose (pAsha), a hook(aMkusha), a bow of sugarcane and five arrows.
RC
does the noose,hook, bow and 5 arrows represent/mean anything?

Meena
Bow in devi`s hand represents mind(heart) of all the creatures and the 5 arrows(flowers) in her hand represent Sabda, sparsa, roopa, rasa, gandhas respectively (Senses) as stated in Lalitha Sahasranaama
Manoroopekshu kodanda panchathanmaatra saayaka

Noose(pAsha) represents 'raaga' as in penchant for material pleasures(???). Hook (aMkusa)
represents 'anger'

Raagaswaroopa paasadya krodhaaakaarankusojwala (Lalitha Sahasranaama)

DRS and CML can explain this better

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 20 Aug 2006, 17:27

Very well done Kiran. That explanation is perfect

kiransurya · Post by **kiransurya** » 20 Aug 2006, 18:27

DRS
After all, its your tutelage.
he he

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 20 Aug 2006, 18:30

The mind is the bow that lets loose the 5 arrows of faculties/senses. And it is ones own affections that is a noose. And the goad for all this is anger. Ones enemies are within oneslef. Not without.

Kiran, guru is pleased

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 20 Aug 2006, 22:49

Thanks DRS for the explanations.
Thanks meena, I do remember now.

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 20 Aug 2006, 23:24

drshrikaanth wrote:
Raja Chandra wrote:---- samrAj~jI,---
Just to make sure, is ti samrAj~ni or sAmrAj~ni.

i also had the same doubt, but the text is aper what i ahve written !

Since so much has been written after i posted the picture last night, it appears there are no other points to be clarified ! If any kindly let me know .

meena · Post by **meena** » 20 Aug 2006, 23:42

kiran
thanks

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 20 Aug 2006, 23:58

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 20 Aug 2006, 23:59

||atha sadyOjAtAdipaMcamUrtidhyAnaM||
shaivE kAraNagamE tatra sadyOjAtamUrtidhyAnaM

kuMdEMdushaMKasphaTikAvabhAsO
vEdAkShamAlAvaradAbhayAMkaH|
trayakShascaturvaktra uruprabhAvaH
sadyOdhijAtovatu mAM pratIcyAM||

{shvEtavarNaH}

||Meditations on the five forms of Shiva||
Meditation of sadyojAta and others as given in kAraNagama of shaiva group.

He has complexion like the jasmine flower, the moon, the conch and the alum.
He ia holding in his hands vedic scriptures/books, a rosary, gesturing grant of boons and fearlessness.
He has four faces with three eyes in each of them.
May Lord sadyOjAta who is in the east direction protect me with his immense influence/powers.

{ white color}

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 26 Aug 2006, 00:49

||atha kShipraprasAdagaNapatidhyAnaM||mudgalapurANE-

dhRutapAshAMkushakalpalatAsvaradashca bIjapUrayutaH
shashishakalakalitamauListrilOcanO ruNashca gajavadanaH |
bhAsurabhUShaNadIptO bRuhadudaraH padma viShTarOllasitaH
viGnapayOdharapavanaH karadhRutakamalassadAstu mE bhUtrai||

He carries a noose, a hook, a wish-granting tree (kalpavRukSha) and his own tusk. He has a fruit called bIjapura in his mouth (snout) with crescent moon adorning his head. He has three eyes, an elephant face resplendent with crimson/red glow. He is shining as he is adorning bright jewels and has a huge belly. He sits on a lotus posture; he is wind to all cloud like obstacles. He is holding lotus in his hand. May such gaNApati be there whenever I seek my prosperity.

ravi, i will post one more tomorrow

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Aug 2006, 00:56

RC,
THANKS ...
These images are beautiful.
Ravi

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Aug 2006, 01:26

RC

any info Re: the artists who painted these awesome pics. I assume all must be from karnataka (?) thanks again for sharing.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Aug 2006, 01:34

Thanks RC!
In the picture you posted in the oDeyar thread I think the 'phalam' is 'kadali' (banana) from the looks (correct me!). In this he holds the favourite bIjApUram (woodapple) in the trunk!
padma viShTarOllasitaH would mean sitting splendidly on the lotus and not sitting in the padmAsana posture which certianly is not depicted!
also
mE bhUtrai means May he be my protector!

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Aug 2006, 02:21

RC/cml

bIjapura is a citron.Woodapple falls under citrus fam?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Aug 2006, 02:23

Do elephants eat citrus

(especially the one with a broken tooth

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Aug 2006, 02:27

unfed elephant maybe hee hee.

on a serious note:
acc. to google- bIjapura is a citron.

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:16

Meena,

Remember reading Hasiru Honnu of B G L Swamy ( or may be one of his other works) where he had identified bIjApUra fruit- But don't think it was either a wood-apple or a citron.

As an aside, a bIjApUra, if it has to be anvartha has to have lots of seeds; isn't it ? Either the apple or citrus don't fall in that category ..

-Ramakriya

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:20

Wood apple is bElada haNNu/viLAmpazham/uLAmpaLu- oLampaLu. It will fit the bill. Pomegranate will fit too.

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:32

I was thinking 'wood-apple' meant 'mara-sEbu' also called as asian pear here in US, and so my remarks.

bElada haNNu fits the billa. For pomegranate we have 'dADima' as the samskrita name - so I think it shoud be the former. Another fruit that fits perfectly is seetaphala, but it does not have Indian origins, and so should be ruled out ( if it hadm't landed in India around 1850 AD)

Other modern day candidates would be : Tomato, Passion fruit etc

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:37

bahubIja phala is the name of sItAphala or custard apple. So Indian or not, it will fit the bill too

. ANd as these are descriptive names, they can mean an of these fruits depending on the context.

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:38

Ganapati liking the bIjApUra fruit must be carried from his earlier birth

Remember the birth story of Ganesha.

'bElada haNNu' is a favorite of , and routinely included as a part of diet for elephants.

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi to you all.

Let the lord with bIjApUra fruit in his hand protect us all.

-Ramakriya

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:44

ramakriya

wood apple is belada hannu
asian pear is mara sebu.

DELETED

Kapittha, Wood Apple
Loving Ganesha loves wood apples, kapittha, called the elephant fruit. Sweet to eat, packaged in a tough shell, it is a pharmacy of ayurveda's secret medicinal potencies.

DELETED

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:55

gajAnanam bhUtagaNAdi sEvitam |
kapittha jambUphalasAra bhakShitam |
umAsutam SOkavinASa kAraNam |
namAmi vighnESvara pAdapakajam|

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 26 Aug 2006, 06:58

Though not a citrus fruit, its citrus-like sournesss calls for adding a lot of guD (brown sugar) to it.
No wonder Ganesa loves it. He can play ball with it first and then smash it open to eat the pulp! A smidgen of it is added to sAru (rasam) sometimes as a flavoring...

DRS,
kapiththa is feronia elephantum--wood apple, elephant apple; also called kaitha according to my dictionary.

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 26 Aug 2006, 13:22

Amazing ! I post something late in the night and when i wake up i see such a lot of discussion !

As per Rev. J.Bucher's Kannada- English Dictionary based on the stupendous original work by Rev. Dr.F.Kittel's , bIjapUra means the citron !

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 26 Aug 2006, 15:12

CML,

You are free to correct me. I am only trying to read the kannada text (which is at times difficult as it is old style) and interpret as best I can !

||atha siddhagaNapatidhyAnaM || mudgalapurANE-

pakShacUtaphalapuShpamaMjarImikShudaMDatilamOdakaissaha |
udvahanparashumastutenama shrIsamRuddhiyutahEmapiMgaLa||

piMgaLavarNaH

He has a ripe mango,a bunch of flowers, a sugar cane, seasamum mOdaka and an axe in his hands. He has abundant wealth and and has complexion like Golden Yellow. Salutations to you O Lord .

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Aug 2006, 23:22

Just a simple correction
pakShacUtaphalapuShpamaMjarImikShudaMDatilamOdakaissaha |
udvahanparashumastutenama shrIsamRuddhiyutahEmapiMgaLa||

Raja Chandra · Post by **Raja Chandra** » 26 Aug 2006, 23:39

CML,

Yes, it was typo mistake , the text is as you have stated. Thanks

meena · Post by **meena** » 01 Sep 2006, 06:52

RC

pl. u/l the next image, thanks