Matangalila and Hastyayurveda (study)
by Chandrima Das | 2021 | 98,676 words
This page relates ‘Elephant-headed God (Ganesha)� of the study on the Matangalina and Hastyayurveda in the light of available epigraphic data on elephants in ancient India. Both the Matanga-Lila (by Nilakantha) and and the Hasti-Ayurveda (by Palakapya) represent technical Sanskrit works deal with the treatment of elephants. This thesis deals with their natural abode, capturing techniques, myths and metaphors, and other text related to elephants reflected from a historical and chronological cultural framework.
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The Elephant-headed God (³Ò²¹á¹‡eÅ›²¹)
±Ê³Ü°ùÄåṇa²õ narrate the story of the creation of the elephant headed God. At his birth ³Ò²¹á¹‡eÅ›²¹ was visited by Gods and Demi-gods only Åš²¹²Ô¾± did not visit. ±ÊÄå°ù±¹²¹³ÙÄ« enquired the reason of his absence. She was told that he feared to harm her child, since it was matter of common knowledge that the head of one on whom Åš²¹²Ô¾± looked was likely to be burnt to ashes at his glance. With easy pride the mother smiled, and assuring him that her son could not be subject to his power, sent him warm invitation. Accordingly Åš²¹²Ô¾± came but to everyone’s horror when he looked at the baby ³Ò²¹á¹‡eÅ›²¹ his head disappeared in a flame. At this catastrophe the mother was profoundly disturbed, and commanded her guests somewhat sharply at once to restore the head of her child. But Åš²¹²Ô¾± smiled pleasantly, and pointed out that the head as such no longer existed. It lay in ashes before them. ±ÊÄå°ù±¹²¹³ÙÄ« asked him to send forth a servant and replace the head of her child with the one he first meets. Åš²¹²Ô¾± had no option save to obey. He could only severe the head of a living being who was at fault or inadvertently was doing wrong. He came across an elephant sleeping with his head to the north. This trifling fault brought him under the jurisdiction, and hastily the servant cut off his head and returned to put it on the infant’s body. It is for this reason that ³Ò²¹á¹‡eÅ›²¹ wears an elephant-head.
Coomaraswamy and Nivedita discuss the significance of this narrative.[1] What is interesting in this narrative is not the creation of an elephant headed God but to show the power of Åš²¹²Ô¾±, and consequently to generate a requirement of his propitiation to get rid of his evil eye.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Coomaraswamy and Nivedita. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists, pp.381-382.