Matangalila and Hastyayurveda (study)
by Chandrima Das | 2021 | 98,676 words
This page relates ‘Elephants in Shaktism’ of the study on the Matangalina and Hastyayurveda in the light of available epigraphic data on elephants in ancient India. Both the Matanga-Lila (by Nilakantha) and and the Hasti-Ayurveda (by Palakapya) represent technical Sanskrit works deal with the treatment of elephants. This thesis deals with their natural abode, capturing techniques, myths and metaphors, and other text related to elephants reflected from a historical and chronological cultural framework.
Elephants in Śaktism
Besides mainstream Brahmanical cult we also find the association of elephants in the Śākta cult as well. In the Cauṣaṭ Yoginī cult the Yoginis bear human as well as animal faces and we also find the association of elephant as a vāhana of one of the Yoginīs. Each is identified by a name tag and has a vāhana crouching at her feet. The vāhana of Śrī Raṇajirā is an elephant.[1] Another mythical story relating Śakti cult found in Dewal Praśasti of Lalla, the Chinda. It started with veneration of the daughter of the Mountain, Pārvatī.
To quote the inscriptional record–
“May the daughter of the Mountain purify the universe–she the spotless splendour of whose throat has been gained through a multitude of pearls fallen from the frontal globes of the Dānava (who assumed the shape of) an elephant (and was) wounded by (her) trident, she who wears as it were the halo surrounding the moon which is surpassed by her face.”
Here the demon who assumed the shape of an elephant is no doubt Mahiṣāsura. According to the Devīmāhātya of Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa (LXXIII, 30), the asura turned himself also into a Mahāgaja. The description of the inscription is somewhat similar to that of the Mythical story of Mahiṣāsuramardinī, which symbolises the final victory of good over evil power.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
V. Ram. Elephant Kingdom–Sculptures from Indian Architecture, p.39.
[2]:
EI, Vol.I, p.81 & n.