Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram – Depiction of Stories
of Shaiva Saints in Temple
Of particular interest and narrative force at the
Darasuram temple is a series of stories concerning Saiva saints, illustrated in
miniature panels as the top line of the base of the vimana and the mandapa.
Many of these are explained by means of labels incised in characters of the
period, and some of these are detailed below:
Many scenes present graphic depictions of Appar, the
great saint who converted Mahendra-Varman Pallava, and who is always
represented holding a spud against his shoulder. Then there is the story of
Tirumular, bathing with his wife in the tank beside the temple. This is
followed by the story of a saint who was fond of feeding Saiva devotees. Once
Siva tested the saint by coming to him at midnight in the guise of a Brahmana
and demanding food, the saint did not hesitate to feed him. The label for this
story reads: Ilaiyamarangudi Marar Kadai.
The next panel shows a saint clothed in lion-skin,
carrying a rod in his hand and standing before a scale. On one side of the
scale there are two figures of a man and woman in adoration, while Siva and Parvati,
on Nandi, grant them darshana. There is also a scene of a king offering his
sword to a young Saiva saint, clothed in lion-skin and carrying a staff.
The devotion of Kannappanayanar is illustrated in a
panel that shows him plucking out his own eye with an arrow, as an offering. Markandeya
appears next with Yama's noose wrapped not only around the adoring saint's
neck, but also around the linga itself.
Beyond this is the story of a woman having her hair cut
off as a saint watches; Siva with his consort are seen riding their bull high
up in the sky. Next, there is a representation of a saint playing the flute
near an elephant in a forest, surrounded by cows, when Siva and Parvati visit
him on their bull.
The next scene shows a devotee carefully preparing a
garland, and then adoring Siva, seated in front of a temple and holding a
rosary.
The next scene shows the legend of Nanda, the great
saint who bathed in the tank and walked though fire to access the portals of
Chidambaram temple. Siva and Parvati are shown on the bull, granting Nanda darshana.
This story is labeled: Tirunalai-povar kadai.
The next scene shows the story of Tirukkuripputondar,
the saintly washer man from Kanchi, whose sincerity was tested by Siva. Siva is
shown in the guise of an old Brahmana, holding a staff and demanding his
clothes, which could not be washed by that evening because of a storm.
Then follow scenes from the life of Chandesa. The
boy-saint is shown bathing a linga under a tree with the milk of his cows. When
his father interrupts him with anger, Chandesa not brooking interference cuts
off his father's legs with an axe. For this he is rewarded by a Saiva saint,
who winds a garland on his head. Chandesa is shown seated reverently at the
feet of Siva and Parvati while he is adorned with the garland. The inscription reads:
Saynallurpillaiyar kadai.
Next is the story of Tirujnanasambanda, the boy-saint
who overcame the Jainas, by performing the miracle of floating a manuscript against
the current of a stream. The Jainas are shown impaled, while the saint is
depicted as a very small boy, holding cymbals and being adored by a devotee
from behind. Three nude Jainas, holding flowers and other objects, are shown
standing; their intention is probably to throw these objects into the stream
and perform a miracle. The king is at the centre of the panel, and beyond him
are the impaled, defeated Jainas.
Another carving shows a devotee who was commanded by an aerial
voice to find ghee to light the lamps at the Siva temple at Tiruvalur
(indicated by a bull). Having failed to do so, he is shown filling a vessel
with water from a lotus-pond full of fish and birds. The inscription clearly
reads: Naminandi Adigal.
Then there is the story of the boy-saint Sambandar,
described as Aludaiyapillaiyar in the inscription. His father is questioning
the boy, who points to Siva and Parvati on Nandi and explains that they fed him
with divine milk.
Beyond this is the legend of the warrior Kalikkamanayanar,
choosing to die on his bed rather than be cured of paralysis by Sundara-murti. Sundara-murti,
in turn, attempts suicide rather than return without curing the warrior.
Eventually, the one is brought to life and the other prevented from killing
himself. The inscription reads: eyarkon Kalikkamandar.
Now appear two priests, the Homa fire between them, and
the label: Somasimaranar.
Next there is a saint adoring Siva with a garland. This
is the story of a Jaina who was so lost in the worship of Siva that he did not
notice when he used bricks instead of flowers. It is labeled: Sakkiyanar.
This is followed by the legend of another great Saiva
devotee, who served his son's flesh to Siva when the deity came to him in
disguise and demanded this ghastly food. When it was cooked, the guest refused to
eat in the house of a childless couple. Finally, Siva appeared before them and
restored the child to life, and the mother was greatly joyful. The label reads:
Siruttondar kadai.
Labeled Seramanperumal kadai is a depiction of Sera man,
the Chera king, going to Kailasa on an elephant. Beyond this are a number of
scholars and a king. The inscription, in two strips, reads: Poyyadimaiyillada
pulavar and Kurruvanar - all Saiva saints.
The next story is described as Puga/cholanar. Here a
saintly Chola king is so filled with sorrow at the sight of the head of a Siva
devotee in heads piled before him by his victorious commander that, to expiate
the sin, he takes this enemy's head on his own and enters the fire, when Siva and
Parvati appear on Nandi to bless him.
Beyond this is a scene from the life of a king who was
fond of rewarding Saiva saints irrespective of their sincerity. He is shown in
the company of six pandaram saints. The label reads: Narasingamunaiyaraiyar.
Next comes the story of Adipattan, a fisherman from
Nagapattinam who would offer the best fish from his daily catch to Siva. One
day he caught only a single fish, but offered even that willingly, at which
Siva appeared with his consort on his bull and blessed him. The inscription reads:
Adibattar kadai.
Another illustration shows a devotee who would feed
Saiva saints, and even cut off his wife's hands when she hesitated to welcome
and wash the feet of their old servant, now turned a recluse and shown standing
at their door. He was consequently graced by a darshana of Siva and Parvati on
their bull. The inscription reads: Kalikkambandar kadai.
Another saint is shown driving a pair of bulls to press
oil. He would take this to the Siva temple beyond the river. One day he failed
to get the required oil, so he tried to feed the lamps with his own blood by
cutting off his head, until Siva appeared and blessed him. The fragmentary inscription
reads: Kaliyanar.
The next story tells of Sattiyandar, a devotee of Siva,
who would cut off the tongue of those who spoke ill of Saiva devotees.
A Pallava king who abandoned his throne to serve Siva is
shown adoring temples at four different places. The inscription reads: Ayyadigal
Kadavarkonar.
This is followed by a scene illustrating the story of Kanampulandar;
a saint would light lamps in temples. Once, failing to obtain money by selling
grass to buy ghee for the lamps, he first lit the grass itself and later his
own locks of hair.
The next carving shows the famous author of Tirukkovai,
who spent all his wealth in renovating temples and finally reached mount
Kailasa. The inscription reads: Kariyar.
The next scene shows the Pandyan king Nedumaran, who was
converted by his queen and minister. The inscription reads: Nedumaranar.
Beyond this is the sage Vayilar, seated with a rosary in
his hand. Another scene shows a king cutting off his queen's hands with a
sword. This is the story of a Pallava king who mutilated his queen for having inadvertently
smelt a flower intended for Siva.
She had already had her nose cut off by a saint named
Seruttunai for the same offence. The inscription reads: Kalanchinganar.
The adjacent panel shows Seruttunai cutting off the
queen's nose, and is labeled Seruttunaiyandar.
Beyond this is the story of the saintly priest of the
Srivilliputtur temple, who worshipped Siva even during a great famine. Growing
increasingly weak, he once dropped his water-pot on a linga, and the god
appeared and directed him to seek and find a coin daily near the bali-pitha, to
sustain himself. The inscription reads: Pugalttunaiyar.
The next scene shows a warrior killing a child with his
sword, while women shout in fear and crouch away from him. He then adores Siva with
Parvati on Nandi. This illustrates the story of the commander of a Chola king
who killed all his people, including babies, for having consumed paddy intended
for Siva during a famine, when he was away in the battlefield. The inscription
reads: Kolpuliyandar.
The next scene shows a saint adoring several other
saints - an act considered as meritorious as adoring Siva himself. The
inscription reads: Battaraippanivar.
The following scene shows devotees singing and sounding
cymbals before a Siva temple. The label reads: Paramanaiye paduvar - which
means their songs of praise are for Siva only. A similar scene shows a saint
seated in contemplation near a temple from where the deity is taken out in
procession, to the accompaniment of music and dance, towards the bali-pitha and
Nandi.
The next scene shows saints adoring Siva at Tiruvarur.
The inscription reads: Tiruvarurpirandar - which means that anyone born in the
holy spot of Tiruvarur is saintly enough to be adored.
Beyond this there is a saint worshipping a linga, above
which there is a bell hanging, and below a conch on a tripod, reminiscent of
objects portrayed in Javanese sculpture. This and its inscription, Mukhalam Thirumeni
tinduvar, glorify those who worship Siva thrice daily.
Another panel depicts the story of a Pandya king, and
his queen Mangayarkarasi who, with the help of the boy-saint Sambandar, converted
her husband to Saivism. The fragmentary inscription reads: Pandimadevi.
Then there is the story of the weaver-saint Nesandar,
who would donate the produce of his loom to Saiva devotees.
A beautiful sculpture beyond this shows a king adoring a
temple. This is a portrait of a Chola monarch who was ranked among the saints
for his devotion. The inscription reads: Ko Singapperumal.
The next scene illustrates the story of a devotee and
his wife who played musical instruments and sang near the Siva temple at
Madurai.
The saint holds an early type of vina (interesting for
the study of ancient musical instruments), and his wife plays cymbals. The
inscription reads: Tirunilakantapperumbananar.
Beyond this are Sadaiyanar and Isainaniyar, father and
mother of Sundara, whose story is illustrated in succeeding panels. Thus: an
old Brahmana with a manuscript and umbrella in his hands talks to a princely
youth. Inscribed Avana-olaikattinapadi, this illustrates how
Siva came disguised as a Brahmana to fetch the
Sundara-murti, on the day of his marriage, to the temple at Thiruvennainallur.
He carried a document that proved his claim over Sundara, as also over his
father and grandfather. The following scene shows some Saiva saints and a youth
sounding cymbals before a temple.
This illustrates the beginning of Sundara's career as a
composer of hymns. The inscription reads: Udayanambiyai andukondaruliyapadi.
Next, a princely youth, evidently Sundara, is shown
leading a king by a temple and directing him to cross a river to reach another
Siva temple. The inscription reads: Udaiyanambikku ollenrarulinapadi.
The next scene shows Sundara, quite princely in
appearance with a peacock-feather umbrella carried by an attendant, waylaid by
dacoits and robbed of the wealth he received from the Chera king. The
inscription reads: Udayanambiyai vedar valipparittavidam. Further up, a scene shows
Sundara sounding cymbals near a temple, with a number of bags piled before him.
This illustrates how the thieves were commanded by the deity to restore
Sundara's wealth at Thirumurganpoondi. The inscription reads:
Tirumuruganpundiyil perrapadi.
The last scene shows a woman receiving her child from
the jaws of a crocodile in a tank adjoining a temple at Avinasi. The princely
figure here is saint Sundara, his hands in adoration. The scene illustrates how,
by singing a hymn, Sundara caused the crocodile to disgorge the child it had
swallowed. The inscription reads Avinasiyandar mudalaivaipillai.
