Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/157

Rh beyond his sixteenth year. His father was very disconsolate as the boy approached the end of his appointed time on earth. But Mārkandēya was not afraid and spent all his time worshipping Siva. While thus engaged, the god of Death (Kāla), whose duty it is to take the breath of life away from the mortal body at the appointed time, came up to the boy, with his weapons, the club and the noose, riding on his fierce buffalo. He was not daunted by the fact that the boy was engaged in holy duty but at once threw his relentless noose on the boy and began to pull his life out. The boy was frightened at the sight of the terrible god of Death and caught hold of the Siva-linga with both his hands. Siva then burst out from within the linga and, with one foot still placed on the linga, he kicked with the other the transgressing god of Death, pierced him with his trident and vanquished him. This is the Purānic story of Kālaharamūrti. According to the Āgamas he is represented as placing his right leg on the linga in the same attitude as that of the dancing Natarāja. His left leg, which is bent and raised, is placed on the breast of Kāla. The god wears a jatāmakuta and has an angry look, protruding teeth, three eyes and four (or sometimes eight) hands. The fore-arm on the right side holds the trident pointed downwards and raised to the level of the ear. The other right hand holds the axe while the two left hands exhibit the varada (with skull in palm) and the vismaya postures (fig. 88). The Kāranāgama adds that he must also be accompanied by the goddess. The god of Death has two arms and protruding teeth. He holds the noose and is lying flat on the ground with legs stretched out wide apart. In the sketch from Chandragiri (fig. 89) is seen Mārkandēya with the noose round his neck and embracing the linga. Siva also is seen holding the trident in two hands while Yama is attacking the young sage with a trident.

Nīlakantha,Srīkantha and Vishakantha are three synonymous names of Siva, given to him on account of his having swallowed the deadly poison (kālakūta) produced at the churning of the ocean by the dēvas and dānavas under instructions from the Creator, in order to obtain divine nectar. The