Terrific Manifestations of Siva: Virabhadra

by Jeyapriya Rajarajan

There are several books on such individual manifestations of Siva such as Nataraja, Ardhanarisvara, Sadasiva and so on. There is no exhaustive study of a fierce form of the Lord Virabhadra. This work fulfils the need. In seven chapters and three appendices the mythology, art and cult of Virabhadra is systematically sketched.

The first chapter deals Prolegomena, second chapter deals exhaustively with most of the Sanskrit Puranas and other liturgical works. The specialty is the summary of Tamil ideas form literary sources that scholars in the field usually neglect may be due to lack of knowledge or oversight.

The other chapters deal with the following aspects: third deals with some of the select temples for the Lord in south India and the case study of a clan temple; fourth, Pratimalaksana of Vira and allied deities from silpasastras and agamas; fifth, Vira in early medieval art of the Pandyas, Pallavas, Calukyas of Badami and Vengi and Rastrakutas; sixth, Vira in later medieval act, particularly Vijayanagara-Nayaka; seventh, Festivities and cult orientation as gleaned from travel accounts and the case study of a clan temple at Bodinayakkanpatti.

The annexure deals with Sarabhamurti, Astamukhagandabherunda Nrsimha and Vira in the art of Andhradesa. The bibliography is comprehensive. The book is richly illustrated with plans of temples and photographic samples of Vira in colour and black & white. The book is a monumental contribution to art historical scholarship.

About the Author:

Dr Jeyapriya Rajarajan hails from a family of distinguished scholars, Prof. Raju Kalidos and Prof. R.K.K. Rajarajan. She has published articles in “East and West”, Rome, and several felicitation volumes to noted archaeologists and historians at home. She was in Eritrea for some time with her husband and son. The author’s thirst for historical scholarship is immense. She has completed a book on “Sacred Sports of Siva” that deals with a neglected aspect of art history on Tamil Nadu, i.e. Tiruvilaiyatar Puranam in literature and art.