Samharamurti: The Andhakasuravadhamurti and Gajantaka Shiva as depicted in the Kailasanath Temple
The Kailasanath temple at Ellora is the largest monolithic rock-cut structure globally, measuring 32 meters tall and 78 meters long. Constructed in the South Indian Dravidian architectural style, it symbolizes the Kailash mountain, which is considered the dwelling place of Lord Shiva. The temple features carvings of numerous deities, including Shiva, Vishnu, Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, along with depictions from Hindu epic tales. The primary shrine is consecrated to Lord Shiva, who serves as the temple’s principal deity. His mount, Nandi, the revered bull, stands proudly facing the main shrine.
Shiva is portrayed in different representations in this temple, which can be categorized mainly as Anugrahamurti, the gentle form; Samharamurti, the fierce form; Nrittamurti, the dancing Shiva; and as guru, or the teacher, along with other representations such as Ardhanarishvara, Harihara, Umamahesha, Vrisabhantika, Kalyansundaramurti, and Shiva alongside Ram and Lakshman, as well as Shiva testing Parvati’s love.
History of Shiva as Samharamurti
Shiva is recognized as the deity of destruction in Hindu mythology, where he is portrayed as fearsome and devastating. There are 12 aggressive forms of Shiva mentioned in Hindu scriptures, however, in Kailasanath, Gajantaka, Tripurantaka, Kalarimurti, Andhakasuravadhamurti, and Bhairava forms are carved out. This article examines his depiction as Samharamurti, emphasizing his representations as Andhakasuravadhamurti and Gajantaka.
The legend of Andhakasuravadha and Gajantaka
The tale of Andhakasuravadha and Gajantaka, the slayer of the elephant demon Gajasura, are often cited together and have been portrayed four times in Kailasa. According to the legends, the demon Andhaka kidnapped Parvati, who is Shiva’s wife, prompting Shiva to fight with him. According to ‘Andhakasuravadha’, another demon named Nila transformed into an elephant in an attempt to defeat Shiva at the same time. However, this was thwarted by Veerabhadra, another wrathful form of Shiva, who manifested as a lion and killed Nila. The skin of this elephant was then offered to Shiva. However, in the narrative of ‘Gajasura Vadha’ from the Shiv Mahapuran, Gajasura presented his skin to Shiva and requested that Shiva be referred to as Krittivasa (the one dressed in elephant hide). After getting rid of Gajasura, Shiva wounded Andhaka in the battle, but due to a boon, each drop of his blood that touched the ground created another Andhaka. To prevent the blood from falling and leading to resurrection, Shiva assumed the form of Shakti, also called saptamatrika—Maheshvari, Yogeshvari, Kumari, Brahmani, Varahi, Vaishnavi, and Chamunda, and collected the blood in a bowl. Ultimately, Shiva emerged victorious in the battle.
Andhakasuravadha Murti: Iconography
Many features of Andhakasuravadhamurti can be seen in most artistic representations. Shiva is portrayed either in a combat stance or stepping on a defeated demon, symbolizing ultimate victory. Shiva displays an extremely fierce expression, showing his fangs and furrowed brows, embodying his fierce role as the ultimate obliterator of ignorance and evil. However, it is his third eye—a powerful symbol of divine wisdom—that truly distinguishes him. Frequently shown wide open, this eye not only discloses his profound insights but also plays an essential role in cleansing the heart of Andhaka. Shiva’s trident (Trishula) is depicted piercing the demon Andhaka, symbolizing the end of darkness. Andhaka is typically illustrated writhed in pain, often depicted as a small figure, indicating how ignorance and evil vanish when faced with cosmic knowledge. Shiva mostly has multiple arms, (four, six, or ten) each holding sacred symbols like the damaru (drum), sword, axe, and noose, symbolizing his mastery over time, destruction, and salvation. In most of these depictions, Kali or the Yoginis are shown drinking Andhaka’s blood to prevent him from regenerating.
Shiva as Andhakasuravadhamurti and Gajantaka
This depiction is one of the most powerful manifestations of Shiva and has appeared numerous times on the walls of the Kailasa temple. A grand portrayal of this story featuring a 10-armed Shiva can be found on the eastern wall of Nandimandapa. Shiva is shown with his right foot resting on Apasmarapurusha, a figure representing ignorance. His front left hand is positioned near his waist, fingers tightly clenched. Shiva sports a nagabandha (coils of a snake) on his forehead, wears a garland of skulls , and his curly, untamed jatas (knot of hair) cascading down. In his front right hand, he holds the tusk of Gajasura; in his middle right hands, he carries the trident (trishula) and the two-headed drum (damaru); and his backhands grasp the hide of an elephant. With one of his middle left hands, he softly touches Uma’s face, who is seated in maharajalilasana (royal pose) on a lotus throne with double petals supported by lions. His other left-hand holds a bowl. The carved elephant on Shiva’s right represents Gajasura. Below Apasmarapurusha, seven female figures, known as Saptamatrika, are seated in padmasana on the ground. Shiva’s attendants (ganas) are depicted dancing between his legs. Rishi Shringi and Rishi Bhringi are shown alongside.
In a different panel, Shiva is wielding a trishula and is accompanied by Parvati and saptamatrikas, indicating that it portrays the tales of ‘Andhakasura vadha’ and ‘Gajasura vadha’. The panel is immense, with Shiva’s extended arms occupying a significant portion of the area. All characters occupy their own space, yet are connected to tell the story.
In the eastern gallery, there’s a delightful depiction of Andhakasuravadhamurti that catches the eye! Here, we see Andhaka holding onto a trishula, which is being wielded by the impressive six-armed Shiva. He’s performing an anjali hasta gesture, while the other end of the trishula is piercing Gajasura. What’s especially interesting about this panel is that it features the goddess Yogeshvari instead of a saptamatrika. We can also see this same wonderful scene beautifully carved on the outer side of the northern wall of the Gudha mandapa and on the eastern side of the Gopuram.
Conclusion
The aggressive forms of Shiva are some of the most majestic and larger-than-life sculptures, exuding both divinity and power. The fierce representations of Andhakasuravadha forms are primarily found on the inner walls of the Gopuram. Interestingly, there are no aggressive forms of Shiva in the antarala (interval passage) and garbhagriha (Sanctum sanctorum), most likely due to space constraints.
References:
- https://mapacademy.io/article/kailasanatha-temple-ellora/
- https://indianculture.gov.in/stories/kailasa-majestic-temple-ellora#:~:text=It%20is%20also%20said%20that,is%20shown%20seated%20in%20repose.
- https://30stades.com/travel/ellora-caves-kailasa-temple-aurangabad-carved-from-single-rock-architecture
- https://www.sahapedia.org/shiva-sculptures-kailash-temple-ellora
- https://www.sahapedia.org/manifestation-unmanifested-shiva-sculptures-kailash-temple-ellora