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In the countless battles between good and evil that enliven Brahmanical mythology, progress of all forms tries to destroy the universe to gain supremacy over the gods.

In this connection we can take a glance to a record the Chandrehe inscription of Prabodhasiva of Kalacuri year 724^[1] this 艢补颈惫补 grant gives a description of 艢颈惫补 in which it is stated:

鈥淢ay the mass of lustre of the laugh of 艢补峁卥补谤补 clad in an elephant-skin which white like the goose, in spread round his face and which, being slightly darkened by the effulgence of his (blue) neck, at once assumes the clear splendour of the moon emerging from a cloud-grant you prosperity!鈥�

It also speaks that:

鈥淪killed in the 肠腻谤墨 steps; which puts to flight the elephants of the quarters; which caused a sudden movement of a part of the universe by the revolutions of his staff-like arms and which is accompanied by the deep sound of the 岣峚尘谤耻.鈥�^[2]

This description reminds us about the Pur膩峁噄c story of 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补鈥搇iterally 鈥渆lephant-demon鈥濃�搗aries little from a classic plot and asura takes the form of a monstrous elephant and goes out on the rampage. The gods in heaven watch helplessly and finally beg 艢颈惫补, the Destroyer, to bring an end to the menace. 艢颈惫补 confronts elephant and challenged him in a dance to the death. Following a predictable climax, the god flags the hide off the demonic form and wraps it around himself. Draped in this macabre cloak and dripping with the monster鈥檚 blood, he proclaims his victory with a terrifying dance which may be mentioned here as 肠腻谤墨 dance. Inscriptions like Tarpandighi grant of Lak峁�ma峁嘺sena^[3] when describing Lord 厂补诲腻艣颈惫补 who has ten arms; it speaks that in one of his right hands he holds an elephant goad considering our Puranic reference we can take this as a symbolic to the 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补 story where 艢颈惫补 gets victory over an elephant demon. And thus the worshippers of 艢颈惫补 invoke him by the name of 骋补箩补蝉补峁僪腻谤补.

[21. 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补 蝉补峁僪腻谤补 image and t膩峁囜笉ava n峁泃ya of 艢颈惫补 within his belly, Hoysala temple, Belur]

The darker side of 艢颈惫补鈥檚 dance emerges with his manifestation as 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补-蝉补峁僪腻谤补murti (Slayer of the Elephant-demon). A vivid cultural depiction at the K膩艣ivi艣ve艣vara temple in Lakkundi shows 艢颈惫补 clutching 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补鈥檚 skin around himself with five of his ten hands. The elephant鈥檚 head lolls heavily to a side; its tail and one pair of stumpy legs have barely survived the elements. Weathering lends an added dimension to the imagery; like a leathery eggshell, the hide-cloak looks like it might crumble at the slightest hint of movement. Surrounding the grisly vignette is an unruly cluster of gods and goddesses, jostling; it would seem, for a better view. An equally animated rendering, at the Gha峁璭艣vara temple Badoli in western India, shows a beard and grimacing 艢颈惫补 with a garland of skulls slung around his neck. The elephant-skin cloak is almost incidental in composition. Similar version can also be seen in the courtyard of the 痴颈谤奴辫腻办峁�a temple in Pattadakal. 艢颈惫补 here sticks a stiffly exultant pose; his smile is inscrutable. 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补鈥檚 hide forms a taut back drop that also defines the frame. 艢颈惫补 suppressed the elephant鈥檚 head with his left foot. His ancillary right arm assumes the Gaja-hasta (elephant-hand) posture. The fingers pointing to the right foot are symbolic of leading the devout on the faith to salvation.^[4] In some of the legends it is said that the head of this 骋补箩腻蝉耻谤补 was used on 骋补峁噀艣补鈥檚 head.

[22. Gaja-hasta mudr膩]

The hand of 艢颈惫补 plays a significant role in the creation of 骋补峁噀艣补鈥搈uch-loved elephantheaded god of wisdom and patron of literary and academic persuades. The mythology of the rubicund deity is varied and complex. In the most popular tale of 骋补峁噀艣补鈥檚 creation, 艢颈惫补鈥檚 consort 笔腻谤惫补迟墨 fashions a boy-child out of rubbings from her own body and instructs him to guard the house while she goes in for a bath. 艢颈惫补 returns home to find a stranger minding the front door. Because the obedient denies him entry, 艢颈惫补 lops the youngster鈥檚 head off. 笔腻谤惫补迟墨 emerges from her bath and is distraught. To mollify his wife, 艢颈惫补 replaces the child鈥檚 head with that of the first animal he comes across鈥搘hich happens to be an elephant鈥揳nd restores life into the little boy. Also known as 骋补峁嘺辫补迟颈 (Lord of the 骋补峁嘺蝉), Vigne艣vara (remover of obstacles) and Eka-danta (one tusked), 骋补峁噀艣补 the elephant headed God is invoked in the beginning of any new work or assignment for an auspicious commencement. His iconography, therefore, is hugely eclectic. An especially charming depiction, in a cavetemple at Udayagiri, Central India, shows the god seated like a quiet and introspective child.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

EI, Vol. XXI, pp. 149-151.

[2]:

CII, Vol. IV, pp. 198-204.

[3]:

EI, Vol. XII, pp. 6-7.

[4]:

V. Ram., pp. 37-38.