La légende de Skanda selon le Kandapuranam tamoul et l'iconographie

by R. Dessigane and P. Z. Pattabiramin

This volume describes a version of the legend of Skanda that is very popular in the south of India and that has provided themes for iconography and theatrical representations during religious ceremonies associated with the deity. The Kandapuranam is a Tamil text whose author, Kacciyappacivacariyasvami, belonged to Kancipuram in Tamil Nadu. It may date back to the 12th century A.D. Kacciyappa is believed to have based his sources on a Sanskrit text, the san?karasamhita. The Kandapuranam, which differs completely from the known text normally referred to as the Skandapurana, represents one of the most important southern collections of legends on Skanda. It is summed up here in French and illustrated with photographs from South Indian temples.