The Quest for the Pāśupata Weapon
This article offers a new iconographic reading of the sixth-century architrave of the gateway of the Mahādeva Temple at ancient Madhyamikā (Nagarī). It is argued that the eastern and western face of the architrave should be read in conjunction. The eastern face shows Śiva’s entry as a naked mendican...
| Published in: | Indo-Iranian journal |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2016
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| In: |
Indo-Iranian journal
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| Further subjects: | B
Devadāruvana
Kirātārjunīya
Brahmaśiras
Aulikaras
Śiva
Saivism
Pāśupata Weapon
Huns
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| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | This article offers a new iconographic reading of the sixth-century architrave of the gateway of the Mahādeva Temple at ancient Madhyamikā (Nagarī). It is argued that the eastern and western face of the architrave should be read in conjunction. The eastern face shows Śiva’s entry as a naked mendicant into the Devadāruvana, while the western face depicts the Kirātārjunīya, a story that is foreshadowed in the panels of the eastern face. The motif that ties both stories together is the Brahmaśiras or ‘Head of Brahmā,’ which is simultaneously the skull that forms Śiva’s begging bowl and the Pāśupata Weapon acquired by Arjuna. The theme of the winning of the Pāśupata Weapon may have had particular resonance for the Aulikara rulers in their troubled times. |
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| ISSN: | 1572-8536 |
| Contains: | In: Indo-Iranian journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15728536-05903011 |