Chapter 4.2 - Dakshinamurti

I

Silence is the limit of true knowledge—“Monamenpatu nana varampu”. This silence expresses the supreme peacefulness. It is a negation of all the worries and frenzied activities of the world. The Absolute is characterised by this supreme calmness and the Vedas always wind up crying in joy: “Om Santi! Santi! Santih!”. The Seers of India have visualized this form of supreme peacefulness and have given to it a concrete form, a form which has moved the hearts of great philosophers like Sankara. He exclaims, “What a wonder of wonders! The Teacher is young; the students are hoary old men, and His teaching is but silence, and lo! all their doubts are cleared.” This refers to the form of Dakshinamurti, found in every Shiva temple in a niche on the southern wall. It is because He faces the south, He is known as Dakshinamurti or in Tamili “Ten mukam konta katavul.” As the Tamil Country including Ceylon where Tamil was spoken, was the southernmost Country then known, the Tamilians looked upon Dakshinamurti—and Nataraja, who also faces south—as the Deity of their own.

The Dakshinamurti form is traced to the Mohenjo-daro-Harappa civilization. One of the engraved seals found there is described by Marshall. Because of the importance of his remarks for the History of Shaivism, they are quoted in full:

“The God who is three faced is seated on a low Indian throne in a typical attitude of yoga, with legs bent double beneath Him, heel to heel, and toes turned downwards. His arms are outstretched, His hands with thumbs to front, resting on His knees. From wrist to shoulder the arms are covered with bangles, eight smaller and three larger; over his breast is a triangular pectoral or perhaps a series of necklaces or torques, like those on the later class of Goddess figurines from Baluchistan; and round His waist a double band. The lower limbs are bare and the phallus seemingly exposed, but it is possible that what appears to be the phallus is in reality the end of the waist band. Crowning His head is a pair of horns meeting in a tall head-dress. To either side of the God are four animals, an elephant and tiger on His proper right, a rhinoceros and buffalo on His left. Beneath the throne are two deer standing with heads regardant and horns turned to the centre”.

In continuation, he says,

“At the top of the seal is an inscription of seven letters, the last of which, for lack of room at the right-hand top corner, has been placed between the elephant and the tiger. From the foregoing, it will be seen, that the attributes of the deity are peculiarly distinctive. In the first place, He is three faced (trimukha), and we are at once reminded that in historic times Shiva was portrayed with one, three, four, or five faces and always with three eyes, and that the familiar triad, of Shiva, Brahma and Visnu, is habitually represented by a three-faced image. Of the threefaced Shiva—that is Shiva without Brahma and Visnn—there is a fine example among the ruined temples of Devangann near Mount Abu, and other examples are illustrated in T. A. Gopinatha Rao’s Elements of Hindu Iconography_f notably one at Melceri, near Kaverip-pakkam in the North Arcot District, another near the Gokak Falls in the Belgaum District, and a third at Chitorgarh in Udaipur State but in historic times the type was not a common one and may have been produced under the influence of the trimukha images representing the triad. Indeed, the question presents itself whether the three-faced deity on our Mohenjo-daro seal is not a syncretic form of three deities rolled in one. I do not mean by this that the philosophic idea of a triad associated with the doctrine of the absolute had taken shape at this early period, but simply that the cult of this particular god—call him Shiva or by whatever name we like—had been amalgamated with other cults, and that the fact was signified by giving him three faces instead of one. In support of this suggestion, it is to be recalled that the conception of the triad or trinity is a very old one in India, though it was possibly not until the historic period that it assumed a philosophic aspect, and that it was equally old in Mesopotamia, where such triads as those of Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar or of Anu, Enlili and Ea were long antecedent to the Aryans. In this three-faced God from Mohenjo-daro, therefore, it may be that the germ of the same idea is expressed. It is more likely, however, that in the first instance the god was provided with a plurality of faces in token of his all-seeing nature; that these images afterwards suggested the trimurtis of Shiva, Brahma, and Visnu; and that the latter in their turn subsequently inspired such images as those referred to above.

“The second feature of this pre-Aryan god that links him with the historic Shiva is his peculiar Yogi-like posture, with feet drawn up beneath him, toes turned down, and hands extended above the knees. Shiva is pre-eminently the prince of Yogis, the typical ascetic and self-mortifier, whence his names Mahatapah, Mahayogiu. Primarily, the purpose of yoga was the attainment of union with the god by mental discipline and concentration; but it was also the means of acquiring miraculous powers, and hence in course of time the yogi came to be regarded as a magician, miracle-monger, and charlatan. Like Shaivism itself, yoga had its origin among the preAryan population, and this explains why it was not until the Epic Period that it came to play an important role in Indo-Aryan religion. Even before the discovery of this seal, Rai Bahadur Ramaprasad Chanda had pointed out that the head of the male statue from Mohenjo-daro illustrated in Pl. XCVIII has its eyes concentrated on the tip of the nose, and had concluded—with remarkable intuition—that it was portrayed in an attitude of yoga. Probably it is the statue of a priest or may be of a king-priest, since it lacks the horns which would naturally be expected if it were a figure of the deity himself. That it possessed a religious or quasi-religious character is suggested by the distinctive trefoil patterning of its robe—a motif which in Sumer is reserved for objects of a sacral nature. A deity in the same yogi attitude is also depicted on a small faience sealing from Mohenjo-daro, but in this case there is a kneeling Naga to either side of him with hands uplifted in prayer. Whether this deity is three-faced or not, the sealing is too defaced to show, but it is noteworthy that on another seal lately found at Mohenjo-daro a deity is portrayed in the same posture with one face only. As already remarked, Shiva may be represented with one, three, four, or more faces, but that his prehistoric prototype also had a variable number of faces obviously cannot be taken for granted. It may be that the god on all three seals is one and the same, but it may also be that the yoga attitude was transferred to other deities as well.

“Shiva is not only prince of Yogis; he is also lord of the beasts (pasupati), and it is seemingly in reference to this aspect of his nature that the four animals—the elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, and buffalo—are grouped about him. In historic times the title pasupati meant “lord of cattle”, and by analogy pasu was applied to the human herds of which Shiva was the herdsman; but in the Vedic hymns pasu signified a beast of the jungle, and it may reasonably be interred, therefore, that at that time the deity was regarded as master of wild, no less than of tame animals. Rudra, the Vedic God, whose cult was amalgamated and identified with that of Shiva, also bore the title of pasupati, and this may conceivably have been one of the reasons for identifying him with Shiva. An instructive parallel to this aspect of the deity is furnished by the nameless god and goddess of Minoan Crete, who are frequently figured on the monuments in company with lions or leopards and have come to be known as the master and mistress of animals. The Anatolian Cybele, too, who is analogous to the Great Mother Mahadevt—the consort of Shiva—was similarly supported by lions.

“Still another attribute that helps to connect this unknown God with Shiva, though it does not amount to actual evidence of identity, is the pair of horns crowning his head. Similar horns appear on the heads of various figures at Mohenjo-daro, as well as on the terra-cotta masks figured in Pl. XCV, 1-3. In these cases there can be little doubt that the horns have a special sacred significance. In Pl. XU, 18 and 22, they are certainly the emblem of the deity; in other cases they seem to have been transferred to the priest or possibly to the votary. Precisely the same practice obtained at this period in Sumer and Babylonia, where horns were commonly used to denote the deity, but were also worn by kings or priests, presumably because they were regarded as incarnations or representatives of the horned gods. Such horns, therefore, must not be regarded as the attribute of any particular deity or used as an argument for associating one deity with another. On the other hand, this particular pre-Aryan emblem of divinity, although not generally adopted by the Vedic Aryan, did not entirely die out. In later days it took the form of the trisula or trident, and in that guise continued to be a special attribute of Shiva, though it was subsequently usurped by other sects as well; notably by the Buddhists, with whom it stood for the Trinity of the three jewels (triratna). This emblem, therefore, while of itself proving nothing definite, nevertheless provides another link in the chain which connects Shiva with the pre-Aryan religion, and to this extent supports his identification with the deity of the seal.

“Finally, there remain the deer or ibexes beneath the seat of the god. Two deer in a like position are portrayed on many mediaeval images of Shiva, especially when he appears in the form of Dakshinamurti or Yogadakshinamurti; and a deer (mrga) held in one of his hands is a frequent attribute of the god in other manifestations. The two deer beneath the throne recall, of course, the familiar deer beneath the Buddha’s throne in the dharmacakra scene, where they are symbolic of the deer-park, in which the first sermon was preached; and so common, indeed, was this motif in early Buddhist India, that we might well have been excused for supposing that it was borrowed by the Shaivites from the Buddhists. It now becomes evident, however, that the motif was long anterior to Buddhism, and it seems not improbable that the Buddhists themselves adopted it, as they adopted so much else, from the popular religion of the day, as being peculiarly associated with the Yogi or the Teacher type already long established by the Shaivites.

III

The Puranic story as found in Tamil Kantapuranam based on the Sankara Samhita of Maha Skanda Purana is as follows: The Mother Goddess, born as the daughter of Daksa, gave that form away, enraged at the insult of Daksa hurled on Her and Her husband. She lay down Herself as a child to be picked up by the Mountain-king Himavan. In the meantime, Shiva in Kailas seated Himself under a banyan tree (Ficus dalhouseae) ‘kalladl’. The sons of Brahma, the four great rsis Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara came to Him; and He took them to that secret place for conferring on them the highest knowledge and bliss. The teacher and the taught were realising the supreme bliss of the Absolute. The whole world remained unmoved by any rufflings of the heart or lust. It looked as though creation had stopped. No child was born. The daughter of Himavan was performing tapas for winning the hands and heart of Shiva. The Devas were suffering under the grinding tyranny of Surapadma. It was foretold to them that a child born to Shiva could alone kill this demon and restore peace. To bring about a union of the Mother-Goddess and Father-God, the Devas sent Kama to kindle the passion in the heart of Shiva. It is before this great Yogi of a God, teaching the rsis to experience the highest bliss, that Kama, much against his wish, went, only to be burnt to ashes.

IV

It is this form of the God, expounding the highest truth to the rsis, that is called the Dakshinamurti form. It is the form of the great teacher. It has come to be generalized thus: “Therefore we have a teacher of Yoga, a teacher of Jnana, a teacher of Music and a teacher of gastras (Books and Arts).” This gives us four forms: Yoga Dakshinamurti, Jnana Dakshinamurti, Vinadhara Dakshinamurti and Vyakhyana Dakshinamurti.

The Yoga Dakshinamurti, according to the Agamas, is found in three forms. In the first form, the legs are found crossed one over the other such that the soles are turned upside in what is called the svastikasana. The front right hand holds the yoga mudrd near the chest. The front left hand rests on the lap. The back right hand holds the aksamala and the back left hand, a lotus. The sight is fixed on the tip of the nose. A few jatas hang over the shoulders. Here, we find rsis surrounding Him.

In the second form, the right leg hangs down, whilst the left leg is bent as in the ‘utkutikasana’. The yogapatta surrounds the body and the left leg. The stretched out front left arm rests by its elbow on the knee of the bent left leg. Otherwise this form is like the first.

In the third form, both the legs are bent and crossed and kept more or less vertically whilst a yogapatta goes round the body and the legs to keep them in position. The front arms rest stretched out on the respective knees. The back hands hold an aksamala on the right and a water pot on the left. The jatas are disposed in the form of jatamanakila and in it are the crescent moon, a snake, and other objects.

The Jnana Dakshinamurti is of the same form as the Vyakhyana Dakshinamurti. But here, the back right hand holds the aksmala and the back left hand a water lily, whilst the front right hand and left hand are held in jnanamudra and abhaya or danda poses respectively.

The Vinadhara Dakshinamurti, as the teacher of music, is called Gana Dakshinamurti by Kamikagama. The front hands are held sarpakdra, the right palm faces downwards whilst the left faces upwards. The left arm is held at a higher level and the right arm is held at a lower level. This is the pose required for holding the ‘Vinif whose sound-box rests on the right thigh. The lower right hand manipulates its strings. The vina itself is held at the top by the left hand and at the lower end by the right hand. The Amsumadbhedagama keeps the left leg as in ‘utkutika’ pose. The two front hands hold the ‘vina’; otherwise this form is like the Vyakhydna Dakshinamurti form.

The Vyakhydna Dakshinamurti is seated under a banyan tree on a seat of tiger’s skin or on a padmasana. The right leg hangs down straight; the left leg is bent and it rests on the right thigh, as in ‘virasana’. The right leg may or may not be resting on an ‘apasmara purusa’. There are four hands, the front right is held in cinmudra or samdamsa pose and the front left hand is kept in a varada pose resting upon the left knee. Sometimes this is held straight in the danda pose when the elbow rests on the left knee. In the back right hand is the aksamala. In the corresponding left hand, there is fire or snake. The hand held in varada pose may hold a book and the other left hand may hold a snake, fire, a lotus or a nilotpala (blue lily). The body is rigid, without any bend, in the upright posture of a yogi. In the jota, there are datura and other wild flowers, and a serpent on the left, the skull, the crescent moon and small bells on the right, whilst the smiling Ganga is in the centre. The face shows no mental perturbation. His sight is fixed on the tip of the nose or on the tip of the toe. The rsis are surrounding Him, eager to learn. Their names are given in many different ways: Kamikagama beginning to enumerate seven rsis specifically refers only to five: Kausika, Kasyapa, Bharadvaja, Atri and Gautama. Some Agamas refer ‘only to four: Agastya. Pulastya, Visvamitra and Angirasa. Others give the names of seven rsis: Narada, Jamadagni, Vasista, Bhrgu, Bharadvaja, kanaka and Agastya. There are kinnaras and devas.

In some cases, Vinadhara Dakshinamurti is found in a standing posture, as in the Madras Museum image.

V

Coming to the sculptures of the age of Arurar, we find various representations of this form in the Kailasanatha temple. In the interior of the small court, Rea describes two panels thus:

“The panel to the right is a large one, and has a sculptured group of twelve sages, who seem to be listening to the exhortations of the philosophic Shiva (Dakshinamurti), who is represented seated under a banyan tree in a panel opposite this one, on the south side wall of the central shrine in this court. The panel, with the sages, occupies a position on the south wall of the court, and the two panels exactly face each other. The ingenious arrangement is adopted on the opposite side of this court, and also on the north and the south sides of the large vimana”.

Lower down, in the same page, he refers to a large panel opposite to the large one noted on the south side. He writes:

“The subject is much the same in both cases; in this panel eleven seated sages are listening to the exhortations of Shiva, who is represented in a panel on the north side of the central shrine. He is armed with different symbolical weapons, and seems to be preaching war”.

On page 28, Rea describes the exterior of the Mahendra-varmesvaragrham:

“On the south side of this shrine is the large panel (before referred to), as being opposite the sculptured group of twelve sages. It represents the figure of Dakshinamurti, or Shiva in His yogi seat, under a banyan tree. He has four hands: in the upper right is a noose; and in one of the left is a serpent. His hair is matted; and His knees are bound together with a cloth. In the same panel are a male, and a female and two deer”.

“Over the niche is a central figure of Gunapati.... On each side of the large panel is a set of three small ones; in the right lower are two figures seated cross-legged; they have matted hair, and are seemingly yogis; the panel over has a lion and two gandharvas; the top panel has a musician playing to amuse Shiva.

“The lowest of the three panels—on the left of the central one—has two figures, one of which is a yogi, with beard, matted hair and crown; the upper tier of panels is similar to the right side”.

“The north side has a design similar in its main features and grouping, to the south side. The principal figure is Shiva, but, in this case, He is shown in fierce attitude, armed with numerous symbolical weapons, and seemingly preaching war to His disciples seated in the panel directly opposite. He has eight hands; the upper right and left support an elephant’s skin over His head; in the right, are drum, club and trident; one of the left touches His crown; another has a noose, and the lowest is empty. Over the figure is a row of gandharvas”.

Describing the inner court, Mr. Rea notices that the central panel has Shiva as a yogi with an attendant on right and left.

Coming to the Ardhamandapam, on the south outside face of the shrine is Shiva as a yogi seated under a tree. He has four arms: in one of His left is a torch; beside Him are birds, two deer and a snake under. The panel is supported on an elephant’s head. The side panels have yogis under, with yalis and ornament on top: This is given in plate No. LXII. On the north side of the central shrine, on the north facade of the vimana, is Shiva in yogasana seated over a bhuta: these are supported on an elephant. The lower side panels have worshipping figures of Brahma on Shiva’s right, and Visnu on His left. In the two upper side panels are a ydli and rider: This is given in plate No. LV, fig. 2.

Among the cell sculptures also, we have representations of Dakshina/m/urti. In Cell No. XVI, Shiva, according to Mr. Rea, is found in yogasana resting on the shoulders of a devotee, whilst two yogis sit in meditation, on what seem to be clouds. This is found in plate No. XXXV, figure 1.

Between cells Nos. XXII and XXIII, there is a yogi with four attendants. In the XXXV cell, Shiva is found seated in yogasana under a banyan tree; His right leg rests on a deer; two gandharvas are held up on each side in His hands; two yogis kneel under: This is found in plate No. XL, figure 1. The space between cells XXXVand XXXVI represents eleven yogis seated in a row on a platform, on the right side of which is a panel with Parvati under a tree. All these three give the story of Parvati’s tapas and Shiva’s yoga.

There is one thing very startling about R'ea’s description of Dakshinamurti. He interprets the expression as a sermon inciting war. The Puranas give nowhere any such hint. Hence Mr. Gopinatha Rao dismisses this interpretation with the remark, “Such mistakes are fairly common in Rea’s publications and hence need no serious refutation”.

The surface of the stone wherein this form was sculptured had peeled off, leaving a disfigured sculpture. It is because of this disfiguration, Rea must have been misled into this kind of wrong interpretation. In addition to this, sometimes, replastering had been done in later ages by people who could not make out the exact nature of the injured sculptures. Mr. Gopinatha Rao suggests that this must have been in this way, that the lotus, required by the Agamas to be in the hand of Dakshinamurti, had been replaced by a later day artist by a torch.

Plate XXXV, fig. 1, (Rea), gives us the picture of Yoga Dakshinamurti—the third mode of its representations as described above.

Plate LV, fig. 2, (Rea), is a similar Yoga Dakshinamurti.. The description of this figure as given by Rea had already been noted.

Plate CXI, fig. 2, (Rea), gives a similar sculpture in a panel on the North side of the Tripurantakesvara temple. The Sankha and Cakra found in the hands of Dakshinamurti are evidently wrong.

The second form of Yoga Dakshinamurti which may be easily recognized with the help of the yogapatta surrounding the left leg is found in plate XL, fig. 1, and in plate LXII.

The latter appears as plate LXXVII and the former more or less as plate LXXVIII in Hindu Iconography, which Mr. Gopinatha Rao describes as follows:

“In this sculpture Shiva has His left leg bent and resting vertically on the seat and this leg and the body are bound together by the yogapatta. The front right hand is held in the yogamudrd pose, while the front left hand is in the abhaya pose. The back right hand keeps an aksamala and the back left hand, agni or a lotus flower. The right leg is hanging down the seat. Shiva is as in the previous instances, seated under the shade of a banyan tree and below His seat are deer lying, with their heads lifted up to Shiva. Below His right elbow is a cobra with an uplifted hood, also gazing at the enchanting figure of Shiva. Above the head of Shiva are seen seated a pair of bhutas on either side. On three niches situated on either side respectively of Dakshinamurti are rsis sitting and listening to the preaching of Dharma or Yoga by Shiva. The image, whose photograph is reproduced as plate LXXVIII, is almost similar to that on plate LXXVII; the back right hand, in this instance, carries a cobra. Dakshinamurti is seen sitting here upon a bhadrapitha placed upon a hill”.

Plate XL, fig. 1, in Rea, is more or less similar to the plate LXXVIII of Hindu Iconography. The background of the banyan tree is visible. In Rea, there, Dakshinamurti is holding what appears to be a hatchet on the left back hand. The left front hand seems to be holding the yoga mudra. There is the cobra with the uplifted hood on the right side. There are two rsis sitting under His feet; the form of the deer is also visible.

Forms of Dakshinamurti described by Rea as preaching to the rsis may be taken as Vyakhyana Dakshinamurti or Jnana Daksir namurti.

Coming to the Vinadhara Dakshinamurti, fortunately, we have one representation of this form in a sculpture of the Kailasanatha temple. Plate XLIH, fig. 2, gives a drawing of this sculpture.

Rea describes it as follows:

“Shiva stands with his left foot raised, and resting on a pedestal; He holds a musical instrument across His body. Two devotees—one with knotted hair, and the other bearded—stand on His left. Two bulls are seen—on the left of Shiva—ascending the sky, with Shiva and Parvati on each”.

Those who are riding the bulls must be taken to be, two out of the eleven Rudras. There is also a third figure behind the two rsis. All the three seem to be dancing in joy to the tune of the music played on the ‘Vina’ by Lord Shiva. There is an umbrella above the crown of Shiva. It is not clear what the back arms are holding. The front arms are held in the kataka pose holding the musical instrument: the left arm is holding its upper end and the right arm is probably playing on the instrument near its sound box. Except for the standing posture, this tallies with the Agamic description; and the tradition of South Indian temples seem to favour this standing posture as may be seen from the Vinadhara Dakshinamurti found in the Madras Museum and at Vatarankam which are all in standing posture.

VI

Marshall’s suggestion that this yogi’s form of Shiva is probably as old as Indus valley civilization as has already been mentioned. The intimate connection of Shaivism with yogic practices from the Vedic age has been referred to when describing the Daksa yajna elsewhere. The munis and kesins of Rg Veda are associated with Rudra, The Kaivalya Upanisad speaks of the yogi. The cult of guru is found developed even in Svetasvatara Upanisad, Svetasvatara being the guru. In the Mahabharata, we see this cult taking a firm root and Krishna is initiated into Shaivism by Upamanyu.

Dakshinamurti as the Lord of the banyan tree is as old as the Cankam Literature. He is often connected with Muruka, the Tamil God, as His son. The Tirumurukarruppatai sings of Him as “Al kelu katavul. “Al amar celvan” —seems to be the popular term of the God in the Cankam Age. Puram., 198:9 mentions, “Alamar katavul”.

It will be seen that He is described as being rich and it is because of this that the poet of Purananuru, Pericattanar, compares the wealth of his patron Pantiyan Napmaran to this God. This tradition of the peculiar wealth of Dakshinamurti seems to have been current during the time of Arurar also, who sings of Him as “Al nilal kil iruntarulum celvan”.

‘Ay’, one of the seven Tamil patrons is remembered even today for his artistic appreciation of the form of this Lord which inspired

this patron to make a gift of a costly silk presented to him by the Nagas to this God.

Cilappatikaram mentions a brahmin boy who bore the name Dakshinamurti and who conquered others in a learned debate. He is mentioned as “Alamar celvan peyarkontu valarnton”. Therefore, by that time, the name of Dakshinamurti must have gained great currency in the land.

In the age of Tevaram, this cult of Dakshinamurti, as the cult of the great teacher of Yoga, Jnana and of all kinds of learning and Arts, seems to have become, fully developed. If Natarija represents the bliss of the Absolute, Dakshinamurti represents the knowledge aspect as unperturbed peace and silence.

VII

We have “Alakkayil”, of ‘Kaccur’ in the Chingleput District. Arurar addresses the Lord, “Kolakkayil kuraiyak koyil kulirpun kaccur vatapalai dlak koyil kallal nilarktl arankal uraitta ammane” —‘Oh! Thou father! who expounded the Dharmas under the shade of the banyan tree in the “Alakkoyil” in the northern part of the cool and beautiful Kaccur, that beautiful temple, that temple without any want”. Probably in the age of Arurar, there was a famous representation of Dakshinamurti form in the temple of “Alakkayil”.

It looks as though that the tradition as found crystallized today had not taken that final form in the age of Tevaram. Dakshinamurti is found all alone without the Mother Goddess on His side. But, Campantar speaks of our Lord who expounds the Vedas seated himself under a banyan tree along with the Lady of the crescent forehead.

Plate XLli fig. 2, in Rea, gives the representation of Shiva and Parvati. Shiva is seated there. There is aksamala in the right back hand and probably dnmudra in the left front hand. The left leg, instead of the right leg, is hanging down and the right leg is crossed over it. The right front arm is resting straight on the seat. There is Brahma beneath the seat. Yogapaftam is seen binding the right leg on to the body. It is this which makes us suspect that this is something similar to what Campantar describes in his form. Rea describes here Shiva as a yogi, But Arurar spenks of Daksinamurti as ‘Artwan’. This word ‘Aravan’, thanks to Tirukkural, has come to denote an ascetic or a sanyasin, the ‘nittar’—“Antanar enpor aravor .

 

The number of rsis or saints, who were taught by Dakshinamurti, has not reached the definiteness of the later days. In the Kailasanatha temple sculptures, we saw in a few cases eleven rsis and in a few others twelve rsis undergoing spiritual training under Daksinamurti. Rea’s plate No. LXII has four saints, two on either side of the panel. In plate LV, fig. 2, there are only two attendants with anjali pose. In plate XL, fig. 1, there are only two rsis. This number two becomes important in view of Campantar’s poem where he speaks of the great Lord who expounded the Vedas and the path of righteousness when the two persons fell sincerely at his pair of feet beneath the shadow of the beautiful banyan tree.

In the Agamas, we find the same variety of numbers. Some give the number as seven, some as four; even here, when the names are enumerated, they differ. It was stated that some Agamas give the number as four; but as already pointed out, this four is not Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara, but Agastya, Pulastya, Visvamitra and Angirasa,

By the time of Jnanasambandar, the number four was gaining strength. Out of the seven places in which he refers to the Lord of the teacher, he does not mention any number in four places; he speaks of the saints as ‘antanalar’ or ‘munivar in the plural Arurar also refers to them as ‘antanar . In one place, as already hinted, Campantar mentions the number as two. But in two places, he speaks of the rsis as four—‘nalvar’.

VIII

Arurar, in about 38 places, refers to the expounding of the Vedas, etc. Arurar speaks of these rsis as ‘the group of great tapasvins’—“Matavar kulu” and ‘great munis of rare tapas “Aruntava ma munivar” and ‘Antanar’ giving no number in all these places. But in two places, he mentions the saints as four ‘Nalvarkku .

What he taught the saints is mentioned variously. It is because of this, we have the various forms of Dakshinamurti. Campantar speaks of the Lord expounding the Vedas, the subtle thoughts of the Vedas along with the Dharma. In another place he speaks of the Lord expounding the Vedas where shines the Dharma; in another place he is said to have expounded the Dharma as the Veda In a fourth place, he speaks of the Lord expounding ‘Aram ridnku’—‘the Dharmas four’ sitting along with the saints. The ‘Aram nanku is still further explained in another hymn. ‘Aram nanku’ is nothing except the ‘Aram, Porul, Inpam and Vtyu , the purusarthas. These were expounded to the rsis, whose minds ever thinking of the significance of Shiva form, were no slaves to the five senses. He is spoken of as the author of all the religions and philosophies—‘“Camay ankalai vakuttavan”

Arurar speaks of the Lord as one who gave out the Vedas especially Sdmaveda; “Maraiyoti”, “Vedamoti”, “Samavedamoti”, “Mamarai patavallan”, “Nanmari patavallan “Samavedam peritukappan” and “Patiya nanmaraiyan" This may refer to Dakshinamurti form or to the fact that the Lord is the author of the Vedas. In other places, the poet makes it clear that the Lord expounded the Vedas under the banyan tree—“Marai nankum kallal nilal kil-p panniya enkal piran”, or that he elaborately expounded the Vedas—“Marai nankum virittukanfvr” “Vedan tan virittdtavallan” and also “Nanmanai nul urai peruka urait tu”. In these places, the reference must be to Dakshinamurti, the teacher, because, these references assume the teacher, commenting elaborately in the subtle and fundamental principles of the Vedas, Whenever the verb ‘uraittal’ or ‘pakartaV or ‘kurutal’ is found, we can assume a reference to teaching as contrasted with the verb 'otu’ or ‘patu’. The teacher expounds not only the Vedas but all the subsidiary sciences related to the Vedas called its ‘angas’; He is a great expert in them”. The Lord expounds also the Agamas Here it is stated that they have been expounded to the Devas, evidently meaning the Deva rsis. God is great in showering grace on those who follow the path of Agamas. Arurar also refers to this great teacher expounding the Dharma. This Dharma is used in a wider sense. We have seen Jnanasambandar speak of the four purusarthas as four ‘aram’. The Buddhists also speak of Dharma in a wider sense as to include the attainment of ‘nirvanam’. It is in that sense that Tiruvalluvar has used ‘aram’ under which head he speaks of the true experience of ‘meyyunarvu’. etc. In this sense, God is not only the embodiment of the Vedas and the subsidiary sciences, but also the embodiment of ‘aram’—‘aravan , We have seen Campantar referring to the Lord as the author of all philosophies and religions.

Arurar speaks of ‘Aram’ or Dharma in the plural as ‘Arankali perhaps having in mind Campantar’s phrase ‘Aram nanku above referred to. If we bear in mind such usage as Buddha Dharma, Dharmopadesa, etc., it will be clear that ‘Aram’ may be used in the use of philosophy or religion, and the use of the word ‘Aram’ in the plural may refer to these.

Arurar speaks in one place as the Lord expounding everything, the four Vedas, all the other things that exist, the various paths, the various Lords of the hymns, the ancient things and all that is good. Here we see Daksnamurti developing the teacher of all sciences and arts and of all that can be conceived of.

IX

The description of the saints may be next noted. They are referred to as “Antanar’—‘the brahmins’ or according to Tiruvalluvar, ‘the ascetics of the kind heart’. They are described as “Katil matavar”, —‘the great tapasvins’ without any chaff or defect. We have already referred to their description as ‘Antanar’. In another place they are described as “Aruntava mamunivar”—“the great munis of rare tapas.” These ‘ant anas’ are described as “Pdrtta nil ceviyalar” f The length of the ear may be explained as referring to their extensive learning. ‘Pdrtta’ or covered ear may be interpreted to signify their concentration so keen as to shut out all other detractions as though they were keeping the ears closed. The same idea is conveyed in another verse of Arurar by the phrase ‘Katu pottar’—‘those who close their ears’. The inscription of Rajaraja describing the image of Dakshinamurti installed by him in his great Tanjore temple speaks of “Karna pravrtas”. They are the ‘Karna pravaranas’ mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana. This word appears in the Kiskinda Kanda as the name of a savage hilltribe described by Sugriva whilst sending the vanaras in search of Sita, and in the Sundara Kandah as the description of some of the Raksasis guarding Sita in the Asoka vana as seen by Hanuman from a tree. They are said to have ears which they can close whenever they wanted, or, those whose ears are so large that they use them as a covering of the head. But this name is used by Arurar to the worshippers concentrated in their meditation, taking the word in its yoga significance or in its full connotation. He speaks of ‘Pdrtta nil ceviyalar’ as ‘Antanar’ who received the message from Dakshinamurti.

The God expounded and explained the truth and the verbs used in relation to this by Arurar are significant. The first root is ‘Pan’, which means to repeat or to speak many times. As a good teacher, the Lord must have been repeating the Vedas for the clear grasp of the essentials. The next verb is ‘Virtttal’ or elaboration Here, the Lord is said to love or be great in this elaboration. The elaboration is necessary for clarification. As a good teacher He is not tired of it; identifying with the students, He loves it. “Arul purital” is another verb used by the poet, emphasising the infinite grace of the Absolute taking form and shape, expounding the truth of the Dharma, ‘Uraitta’ ‘Uraippar’ ‘Uraittu —All these come from the root ‘Urai’ which has assumed a special significance in the learned world. The noun form means a commentary and therefore the verbal root means the comment. Arurar makes it clear in one place where he speaks of the Lord, commenting elaborately on the four Vedas—“Urai peruka uraittu”, and the poet adds that the Lord enjoyed it and thus showered His grace. Another verb used by the poet is ‘Kuru’ which implies oral teaching, in the course of a conversation and the poet adds, the Lord has made the Vedas, etc., crystal clear to the students. The root ‘Moll’™ has the same significance. The root ‘Pakar’ has the meaning of giving and declaring and this is used by the poet and it therefore implies the solemn declaration of the fundamental principles and in this connection the poet speaks of the Lord as ‘Pattan’ or the ‘learned scholar’ usually famous for His commentary. The root ‘Arai’ has the same significance of a solemn announcement or an emphatic declaration, or a clear enunciation and this word is used with reference to the Vedas, various arts, etc., as already referred to. The word ‘Ceppa’ also is used which denotes answering a question. According to the Puranas, the Lord dispelled the doubts which arose in the minds of the rsis and the word ‘Ceppa’ brings out the significance of an oral discussion with the students. The word ‘Puri’ means according to Parimelalakar always saying a thing and Arurar asks the Lord, why He has become naturalized so as to be always speaking of ‘Dharma’ seated under the banyan tree to shower His blessings on the great saints. The Pur anas also state that apart from this kind of oral teaching, there is a much more wonderful teaching by silence and contemplation. This is probably what the poet means when he says that our Lord has Himself become the Vedas, etc.

X

All the authorities agree, that the Lord taught under the banyan tree especially the variety called ‘Kallal’, and of the banyan tree in general. All are also agreed that He is seated and our poet signifies this idea by using the verb Truntu’. He is with the loin cloth and the serpent tied round. The varieties of versions with reference to the number of saints who have been taught have already been referred to. The authorities also make it clear that ‘Kinnaras’, ‘Devas and others adore His speeches. From the time of Mohenjo-daro, we find various animals surrounding this representation of a great teacher, bringing out the force of the description of the Lord ‘Posupati’. Our poet uses this representation for preaching his theory of Lord’s grace. He speaks of his being inspired to take refuge in the Lord by the story he heard of those who had erred—people who close their ears to the world, the kmnaras, the tiger, the snakes that bite, the lions which could not be easily caught, the group of tapasvins—all those attaining happiness when the Lord under the beautiful banyan tree expounded the Dharma in their very hearing.

XI

The Vinadhara is not mentioned with reference to the banyan tree by Arurar. Our poet however refers to the Lord playing on the ‘Vina’ in four places. In one place, he asks, Is He the Lord of the Vedas, and Vina alone His musical instrument?’ In another place he addresses the Lord as the pure one, who is possessed of a ‘Vina’. In a third place he enumerates all the musical instruments along with the ‘Vina’ and addresses the Lord as one who stands, sings and dances to their tune. In the fourth reference he addresses the Lord as coming in the street with the flowing matted hair and appearing beautiful with His ‘Vina’ We have already referred to the Lord playing on the ‘Vina’ when the whole universe is involved in Him as sung by Appar. The mention of ‘Kotukotti’ in the first two references above mentioned, denotes that our poet also is referring the dance of the final destruction. The fourth reference is to the Lord coming begging in the streets. Sambandar speaks of the Lord playing on the ‘Vina’ in the company of the Mother Goddess. We have already seen when describing the Ardhanarisvara form that there is a sculpture at the Kailasanatha temple where this Ardhanarisvara form is found playing on the ‘Vina’.

In the third reference above mentined the poet speaks of the Lord dancing along with the musical instruments like ‘Vina’ and we have already seen that our poet speaks of the Lord dancing in the Ardhanarisvara form and going a-begging in that form when the fourth reference also may be taken to refer to that form.

This story of the great teacher expounding the Dharma under the banyan tree has also an esoteric meaning and our poet raises the question in two places, “Why has the Lord done this? What is the significance of this?”

The esoteric significance of this form has been explained in the Daksinamurti Upanisad. According to the explanation given there, ‘Dakshina’ is ‘Jnana or knowledge’ and it is in front of the Lord, and therefore He is called Daksinamurti. The ‘Apasmara’ is the personification of ignorance which the Lord crushes down under. The book in His hand is the embodiment of wisdom illuminating our soul. The aksamala is the concrete form of the tattvas. The Daksinamurti form is the Absolute bliss. The banyan tree, with its shade, represents Maya. His seat, the ‘kamalasana’ or the lotus seat is the symbol of the sacred syllable ‘Om’. The bull represents Dharma. Daksinamurti is found seated on the bull in the Vallalar temple at Mayavaram where alone there is ‘utsava murti’ form for Him. Probably our poet has some such esoteric significance at that explained by the upanisad in his mind when he raises the question above referred to.

XII

S. 1.I., Vol. H, No. 50 describes a group of copper images which the king Rajarajadeva himself had set up in the temple of the Lord Sri Raj arajes vara. The central image was Daksinamurti with four arms represented as seated under a banyan tree on a mountain. The latter had two peaks on which there were two kinnaras and two kinnaris. Under the foot of the god was Musalagan. On the mountain were four rsis, a snake, two karnapravrtas and a tiger. The banyan tree on the mountain had nine main branches and forty-two minor ones. A wallet was suspended from the tree, and a bunch of peacock’s feathers, joined to a solid handle, was one of the accompaniments of the God.

The four rsis on the mountain may be representing Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara, the four sons of god Brahma, In order to expound the mysteries of the Vedas to these four rsis, the god Shiva is said to have assumed the form of Dakshinamurti. In fact Dakshinamurti is the god Shiva in his capacity as a spiritual teacher.

The following verse gives a description of Dakshinamurti:—

“Prodyaccakhamahavatadrumatale yogasanastham prabhum
Pratyaktattvabubhutsubhih pratidisam prddviksyamanananam
Mudram tarkamaylm dadhanamamalam karpuragauram sivam
Hrdyantah kalaye sphurantamanisam sridakshinamurttikam.”

Hemadri in his Vratakhanda has:—

“Daksena mudram pratipadayantam
Sitaksasutram ca tathardhvabhage
Vame ca pustamakhilagamadyam
Bibhranamurddhvena sudhadharam ca”.

“Sitambujastham sitavarnamisam
Sitambaralepanamindumaulim
Jnanam munibhyah pratipadayantam
Tam Daksinamurtimudaharantam”

The Karanagama supplies the following information:—

“Narado jamadagnisca Vasistabhrugudaksine
Bharadvajassaunakascapyagastyo Bhargavastatha
Vamabhage vidhatavyah kinnaradyaissusevite
Kaildsaparvate tasminvatavrksasya mulake.

“Asinam sakalesam tarn santarupam mahesvaram
Dakshinamurtimityuktam”
“Adhopasmaram sayayet.”

The following verse exemplifies the popular belief in Dakshinamurti as a teacher:

“Nityaso Dakshinamurttim dhyayetsadhakasattamah
Sastravyakhydnasamarthyam labhate vatsarantare”.

In South Indian temples, at present Dakshinamurti occupies a niche on the south wall of the central shrine with a stone structure in front of it. In the old ones, however, the niche appears to have remained alone without any clumsy addition made to it. For instance, in the Raj arajes vara temple there is a niche to Dakshinamurti on the south wall. But the structure in front of this niche covers one or two sections of an inscription of Rajaraj a." It is therefore clear, that, though Dakshinamurti was worshipped in the beginning of the 11th century A.D., the practice of raising up a special structure for him had not yet been come into vogue. It is also worthy to note that all the foregoing accompaniments are not found in the sculptures of Dakshinamurti which we now find in Shiva temples.