Pallikondaruliya Azhvar Shrine[Cont.]

THE CELESTIALS [39, 40]

There are two males, two females and a dwarf in this group. The dwarf and one male are to the right of the Brahma whereas the rest of the three are to the left of Brahma. All are flying towards east in fierce mood [41] with action to crush the ogres Madhu and Kaitabha.

DWARF

The first in the flying group is a stunted figure [42] with both his hands raised up in which the left is showing vismaya and the right is eulogizing. Karandamakuta adorns his head a nd few untied locks spreading behind. His lower garment is short attire with slackly worn idaikattu over it and its knots dangling on his sides. The vastra yajnopavita is worn in upavita fashion. Charapali, bangles, anklet, patrakundala are the ornaments a dorn him. Both his hands are raised upwards showing vismaya in the left and eulogizing in the right. [43]

THE FLYING MALE TO THE RIGHT OF BRAHMA

The male to the right of Brahma is with his left leg lifted up and folded to his knees whereas the right leg is stretched out. His locks are formed as Karanda makuta in which few of the leftover locks are formed as loops and dangling to his right and few of the locks are spread untied on his shoulders. His lower garment is a half wear with hip belt and the idaikattu is slackly worn over it. The hip belt is beautifully knotted in the front and the idaikattu on the sides. Patrakundalas, charapali, bangles, beaded anklet are the ornaments worn by him. Vastra yajnopavita is worn in upavita fashion. His right hand is raised above his head and showing kataka whereas his left hand is raised upto his shoulder and showing darjani. The spreading of the looped locks and idaikattu knots shows his flight pace.

THE MALE TO THE LEFT OF BRAHMA

The male to the left of Brahma is flying with both his legs folded upto his knees. The left leg is raised up and folded flat whereas the right leg is folded behind. The left hand is in suchi pointing the ogres whereas the right hand is eulogizing the God. His hair and attire styled like his counterpart and the looped locks dangling to his right in accordance to his movement. He is decked with bangles, armlets, charapali, patrakundalas, finger rings, waist ornament and the anklet is salangai. The vastra yajnopavita is worn in upavita fashion which is clasped near the chest. His irate face also possesses fangs.

THE FEMALES

Among the two female figures the first one is flying with her left leg lifted and folded flat whereas the right leg is stretched down. Her locks are formed as Karanda makuta and the excess locks from the makuta are beautifully looped, besides, the untied locks also formed as loops and are dangling upto her waist. The right hand is raised above the head and showing darjani [44] whereas the left hand is raised up to the shoulders and folded inwardly with palm closed.

Patrakundalas, charapali, bangles, armlets and thalcheri are the ornaments adorn by her. Her lower garment is draping upto her knee and instead of idaikattu a diaphanous pleated gatherings is worn in the front which drape upto her ankle. The front gathering is also decorated with beads and bell hangings. She is also wearing breast band and vastra yajnopavita. Unlike her other counterparts her eyes are not disgorged, instead they are beautiful and gracious, besides she is also in a slight grin.

The second flying female has positioned her legs as like her male counterpart who is to the left of Brahma. Karanda makuta adorn her head with coiled locks spreading behind her upto the waist. Her lower garment is draping upto her knee fastened by hip belt and idaikattu above. The hip belt is beautifully knotted in the front and the idaikattu on the sides. Vastra yajnopavita is worn in upavita fashion, but breast band is absent. Patrakundalas, charapali, bangles, armlets, hip ornament, salangai are the ornaments worn by her. Her left hand is in suchi towards the ogres and the right hand is raised upwards showing a hasta.[45] Unlike her female counterpart she is furious and shown with fangs.

Footnotes

[39]. In the northern wall, besides Luminaries, divine musician ensembles, sapta-rishis group, Thakkan and Agni, there are six other figures that can be taken as weapons and Vidhyadharas. Among the six figures; three are to the east of Brahma and three to his west. Except the figure with spikes in the head all the others are flying. Unlike the other ensemble of the northern wall these six are in fierce mood either moving towards the ogres or facing the ogres lividly. Symbolic representation is absent in these figures.ibid., Gopinath Rao., “Vishnu is accompanied by five to eight of his weapons, in the uttama and the madhyama class of depiction. The five of his noted weapons being Sankha (Panchajanya), Chakra (Sudarsana), Gada (Kaumodaki), Dhanus (saranga) and Khadga (Nandaka) are personified under the name of Ayudha-purushas; among the five Sankha and Khadga are males, Gada and Dhanus are females, Chakra is an eunuch, but according to Vishnudharmottara Chakra is described as a male”. P.73-115 “It is required that the Ayudha-purushas should be made according to the ashta-tala measures, that they should each have only one face with a pair of eyes, that the head should be adorned with the karantamakuta and that each of them should have only two hands held over the chest in the anjali pose. When the hands are in anjali pose the particular emblem or weapon which each of them is intended to represent is shown over the crown worn on the head or emblem is placed between the hands”. P.288.ibid., Pratima-Kosha, “Vidhyadaras are celestial beings with dark complexion, shown with fangs, two-armed carrying mace in one hand, and hand-drum (damru) in the other” P.120.

40.ibid., Soundara Rajan, K.V., “....the five ayudha devatas of Visnu like Pancajanya, Sudarsana, Kaumodaki, Saranga and Nandaka (which even at Ellora in the mid-late eighth century caves are shown personified in the Anantasayi panels there), Madhu-Kaitabha, Kinnara-Vidyadharas and Sukabrahma in an unrivalled galaxy”. It is ambiguous which figures are to take as Ayudha devatas and how many of them to take as Vidhyadaras. ibid., மு.நளினி, இரா.கலைக்கோவன் “the authors suggested that the spiked figure and the dwarf can be taken as weapons whereas the rest as Vidhyadharas”.

41.At Malayadipatti they are shown in ecstasy.

42.ibid., மு.நளினி, இரா.கலைக்கோவன்/“according to the authors he is Kuralar, one of the weapon of Vishnu, the Sankha”.

43. The Malayadipatti Dwarf is eulogizing in both his hands.

44.ibid., மு.நளினி, இரா.கலைக்கோவன்/ according to the authors it is in kataka hasta. P.220

45.ibid., மு.நளினி, இரா.கலைக்கோவன்/ according to the authors the mudra is ‘hamsasya’. P.220this is txt file