Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/167

Rh Here Siva is seated in the sukhāsana or the comfortable posture on a raised pedestal, as in the case of Sōmāskanda figures, his left leg hanging down and resting on a foot-stool. The goddess Pārvatī too is seated to the left of Siva on the same pedestal, her right leg being bent at the knee and placed on the pedestal while the left is hanging down to rest on another foot-stool. Siva has four arms. In his two back hands he holds the axe and the deer and with the two front arms he is seen decorating with a flower garland the locks of his servant, the devoted Chandēsa. The latter sits on the ground at the foot of Siva, with bending knees and folded arms, and receives the divine favour with gratitude. The images are well ornamented. Above the group are seen flying gods and demi-gods who have evidently gathered round to see the kindness of Siva shown towards his devotee. According to the Mayamata Chandēsa has behind his folded arms the weapon parasu (axe). On the east gōpura of the Chidambaram temple is a figure of Chandēsānugrahamūrti in which Chandēsa is represented with the axe between his folded arms.

The size of the image of Chandēsa must, it is stated, be small so as to reach the arms of Siva and is to be bedecked with the ornaments of children. The Kāsyapa-Silpa states that between the god and the goddess may be placed the figure of Skanda, at the sculptor's option. " Next to Dakshināmūrti," it says, " the figure of Chandesānugraha is the most famous." A group of images under the name Chandēsvaraprasādadēva was set up in the Tanjore temple by king Rājarāja I, and consisted of (l) the god Chandēsvaraprasādadēva with four arms, (2) the demon Musalagan with two arms, (3) the goddess Umāparamēsvarī, (4) Mahādēva (the linga worshipped evidently by the boy Chandēsa), (5) the devotee with two arms, (6) his father also with two arms represented as having fallen down and lying on the ground and (7) Chandēsa receiving with his two arms the boon of a flower garland from Siva. This description agrees with the story related in the Periyapurānam, a compilation of the thirteenth century A.D. The Kāranāgama, whose date is not known, was also apparently familiar with the story.

Some particularly fierce forms of Siva may now be described. First in fierceness comes the form of the fabulous