Prayogamanjari and Saivagamanibandhana (Study)
by R. Suthashi | 2010 | 31,491 words
This study deals with the iconography found in the Prayogamanjari and Saivagamanibandhana: Sanskrit books dealing Temple-construction and Shilpa-Shastra: the ancient Indian science of of arts and crafts.—The Prayoga-Manjari was written by Ravi of Matharakula in the 10th century AD whereas the Shaivagama-Nibandhana is authored by Murari-Bhatta from ...
Introduction (Anthropomorphic forms of Shiva in Kerala Tantric works)
Anthropomorphic forms of Siva in Kerala Tantric Works The anthropomorphic forms of Siva is not seen in Prayogamanjari and Tantrasamuccaya, the two important Tantric texts. In Saivagamanibandhana some such forms are simply mentioned.1 Isanasivagurudeva-paddhati and Silparatna are the two Kerala Tantric texts where the anthropomorphic forms of Siva are discussed in detail. In Isanasivagurudeva-paddhati, there are sixteen forms of Siva described. Some of them are Umaskandayuktah, Candrasekharah, Gamgadharah, Bhiksatanamurtih etc. While describing these Rupapratimas, the author gives the measures of them also. In addition to the sixteen forms, four more Rupapratimas are seen described in Silparatna, thus the number increasing to twenty. Sukhasana, Gajahamurti, Yogamurti and Jnanamurti are the added forms in Silparatna In Kerala, the worship of anthropomorphic forms of Siva is very rare even though it is reported that there are such forms in some places. In Trissur district, near Mala, there is a temple Tiruvairanikkulam or Airanikkulam where the central shrine is decorated with the Siva image. It weighs about thousand kilograms and is in a sitting pose with two hands, the righthand in Jnanamudra
and the left resting on the knee. The image is made with Pancaloha. In Thiruvananthapuram, in the Palkulangara Devi Temple, the subdeity is the Lord Siva, where his image is believed to be existed earlier. But after the re-installation, it is seen changed from anthropomorphic form to the Linga form. It is supposed that the shift to Linga form may be to avoid the inconvenience of making the full structure in human form. The human figures of Siva is described in Silparatna and Isanasivagurudeva-paddhati are discussed here.