‘Vīrabhadrāṣṭottaram’ Recent trends in revivalism of the Hindu Scriptures

 

Dr. Jeyapriya-Rajarajan ¹

 

¹ Free-Lance Art Critic, Gandhigram, Tamilnadu, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

Ayyar (1990) has listed the aṣṭottaram of the divinities in an order. They are Vighneśvara, Subrahmaṇya Kalidos (1999): 89-90, Devasenā, Vaḷḷi, Śiva, Pārvatī, Kṛṣṇa, [Dāśarathi]-Rāma (cf. Rajarajan 2017), Nṛsiṃha, Veṅkaṭeśvara (two versions: Sanarkumārasaṃhitā and Varāha Purāṇa), Lakṣmī (two versions: 1 source not cited, 2 Anyat), Sarasvatī, Sūrya (two versions), Candra, Aṅgāraka, Budha, Guru/Bṛhaspati, Śukra, Śanaiścara, Rāhu, Ketu (Sūrya to Ketu under ‘Navagṛahas’, see Rajarajan (2015), Parthiban (2019), Lalitāṣṭottaram, Viṣṇu (Ratan Parimoo), Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Durgā, Hariharaputra, Śaṅkarācārya Kalidos (1997), Rudratriśatī and the sahasranāmas of Devī (from the Rudrayāmaḷa) and Lalitā (from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa). The Śiva (Hans Bakkar) and Viṣṇu sahasranāmas are part of the Mahābhārata, uttered by the great kṣatriya-ācārya, Bhīṣma.

Sahasranāma literally means “thousand-name”, triśati (three-hundred) and aṣṭottaramśata (aṣṭa “eight”, uttaram “end” Apte (1890/2012): 101 and śata “hundred”, meaning one-hundred ending with eight, i.e., one-hundred and eight); sahasranāma may be 1,000 or +1,000; and aṣṭottaramśata +108, popularly known as aṣṭottam. In fact, during nityapūjās, particularly puṣpāñjali we invoke (āvāhanaṃ “invite”) the divinities by uttering the 108 names in pūjālayas after the completion of abhiṣeka and alaṅkāra for the mūlabera Sastri (1916): 55, cf. Stietencron (1977): 127). This is a living tradition in the south. During alaṅkāra, the mūlabera is not shown for darśana of devotees assembled in the mahāmaṇḍapa of the temple. Now a day, the priests do not utter all the 108 epithets during pūjā. Hurry burry, they recite a few memorized nāmas to the modulation of their own tongue subject to common notes. Any individual may recite the names for personal gratification leading to solace.

āynturaippa ṉāyirampēr ātinaṭu vantivāy

vāytta malar tuvi vaikalum…

“I have selected the sahasranāma to recite regularly. Viṣṇu is the beginning, the center and the end.  I am showering the best flowers every day (while uttering the names).” (Tiruvantāti II, 73, Kalidos (2019)).

 

2. Aṣṭottaramaśaraḥ of Vīrabhadra

The Vīrabhadrāṣṭottaram has been tapped from a popular Tamil magazine, ‘Tiṉamalar’[ii]. The source is not cited, and the compiler’s name is not given. I presume someone whose kuladevatā, maybe of Kaṇṇaḍa-Telugu nāyakkar (Nāyaka) lineage, is Vīrabhadra has done this job (see Rajarajan (2009): 54-57, 60, 97-99, figs. 12-20, Rajarajan (2018), Rajarajan (2019). We are just listing the translated nāmas. The Tamil version of obscure origin couched in conventional format. The nāmas in begin with Oṃ (Tamil Ōm) and end with pōṟṟi (Be Exalted or Praise), cf. the Pōṟṟittiruvakaval of Māṇikkavācakar[iii], e.g. Ōm Īcan makanē iṟavā pōṟṟi - 3. The work may be brought under the head “literature whose author is not known”, e.g. the Kōḷūr Peṇpiḷḷai Irakaciyam[iv] in Vaiṣṇava lore Parthiban (2018).

 “Thou the Grace given by the Nāyaka of Āvuṭai” (Yoni) 1

“Thou kicked the ignominious yākam/yajña” (of Dakṣa) 2

“Thou the Lord, son of Īśvara” 3

“Thou, the servant of Rudra” 4

“Thou are the uttama in my heart” 5, cf. Puruṣottama

“Thou offer courage and grace” 6

“Thou, the eight-armed, aṣṭabhuja[v]” 7

“Thou, the dean of the Lord mounted on the bull, son of Vṣabhavāhana” 8

“Thou accomplished the command of Śiva” 9, Dakṣa-yajña destroyed.

“Thou, the incomparable Beauty”, Sundara 10; images of Agni- and Aghora- Vīrabhadra are found in the kampattaṭimaṇḍapa of Sundareśvara enclave in Maturai Rajarajan (2009): pl. 31, cf. Rajarajan (2006): II, pl. 89-92).

“Thou originated on the head (keśa[va] “hair”, turned heir) of Śiva” 11

“Protect us to follow the path of dharma” 12

“Lord, come to be decorated with tumpai (Leucas aspera) flowers[vi]” 13, symbolic of purity of word and deed.

“Reduce the enemies to dust, satrunāsa” 14

“Praise the Victor that won heroic battles” 15, cf. Aṣṭa-Vīrabhadra Rajarajan (2019): 60)[vii]

“Thou chased away the armies of demonic terrorists” 16, Vīrabhadra was the war-God of the Nāyakas Keḻadi-Ikkēri, cf. the Vīrabhadra and Aghoreśvara temples in Malnāḍ.

“Be exalted, Thou the Victor” 17, Vijaya is a prefix to Rāma, Vijaya-Rāghava.

“Thy Guide is Bhairava” 18, another terrific manifestation of Śiva of whom 64 are listed Rajarajan (2009): 2)

“Thou achieve righteous victories, dharmavijaya” 19

“Thou the victor of directions, dikvijaya” 20

“Thou plucked out the eyes of Bhaga[viii]” 21 (cf. Rajarajan (2009): 49-50) Bhaga was a minor Vedic deity, one among the Ādityas and Viśvadevatas Dowson (1928/1998): 43. Vīrabhadra is God of the Vīraśaivas who revolted against brāhmaṇas and the Vedas.

“Thou broke the teeth of the Sun God, Sūrya-Ravi” 22

“Thou absorbed the illumination of celestial bodies, e.g. Ravi-Candra” 23

“Thou trampled Candra” 24

“Thou cut the tongue of Agni” 25

“Thou amputated the hands of Agni” 26

“Thou ended the lives of gods” 27 those that attended the sacrilegious yajña of Dakṣa.

“Thou snatched the Kāmadhenu of Vasiṣṭha” 28

“Thou helped Agastya to compress Kāviri in his fist” 29

“Thou eradicated the pride of celestials” 30

“Thou traped the [mahiṣa]-vāhana of Yama” 31

“Thou accomplished the job assigned by the Ekamūrti” 32, Ēkaṉ-Śiva (Civapurāṇam l. 5), cf. Tiruccantaviruttam 17, Viṣṇu is the Ādideva “Ēkamūrti Mūnrumūrti Nālumūrtti…Pōkamūrtti Puṇṇiyattinmūrtti eṇṇil-Mūrtti Nākamūrtti…

“Thou snatched the dvaja of Yama” 33

“Thou tied the hands of Varuṇa” 34

“Thou, the King that shatter hills to pieces” 35, Vīrabhāhu, assistant of Murukaṉ in his war with Tārakāsura

“Lord, Thou restrained the forces of Vṛkṣa” 36, cf. the previous epithet, vṛkṣa-Tārakāsura as tree (Fig. 5)

“Thou accomplished the job when the munis were under consternation” 37, in the yajñaśālā of Dakṣa

“Lord, Thou curtail all the sins committed in past births” 38, cf. Viśodhanaḥ (VSN-637)

“Thou make shine the vedis (experts in Vedas)” 39

“Thou amputated the head of Dakṣa” 40, later fitted with a goat-head[ix]

“Thou amputated the head of Takar” 41, takar “goat” or gajāsura (TL III, 1705)

“Thou offered the drum” 42, ‘Tamarukaṉ’ seems to be personified ḍamaruka (TL III, 1755)

“Thou rooted out the pride of Dakṣa” 43

“Thou accomplished the curse (on Dakṣa) of Dākṣāyaṇī” 44, the curse was the ruin of the yajña and its yajamāna

“Thou, the follower of Kālī” 45, Vīrabhadra’s assistant and wife.

“Thou, the Lord of protection (from evil)” 46, Kāvalteyvam “Guardian God” 46

“Thou, the frightening form that destroyed the yajña” 47

“Thou, the Immaculate know no defeat” 48

“Thou, the holder of aṣṭāyudhas” 49 - caturbhuja-Vīra in STN (3.55, 119) takes khaḍga, bāṇa, gadā and dhanus; the Śilparatna (chap. 8) deals with aṣṭabhuja-Vīra Aghoramūrti Rajarajan (2009): 63, pl. 25).

“Thou, the accomplisher of assigned jobs” 50

“Thou, the Lord extolled in pure Tamil” 51 - Vīrabhadra appears since the 8^th century in the Tiruvācakam of Māṇikkavācakar Rajarajan (2009): 34-41)

“Thou, graced with separate temples” 52 - rare in Tamilnāḍu, popular in Vijayanagara-Nāyaka art Rajarajan (2009), Rajarajan (2018), Rajarajan (2019)

“Lord, Thou pervades all over the Cosmos” 53, Virāṭ Puruṣa

“Thou, safeguards the lives of the Tamils” 54 - Vīra is Lord of all countries wherever heroism of the righteous order prevails, cf. Māṇikkavācakar ‘Teṉṉāṭuṭaiya Cicaṉē pōṟṟi/ Ennāṭṭavarkkum iṟaivā pōṟṟi” “Śiva of the southern country Be Exalted, Let the God of all countries[x] Be Exalted” (Pōṟṟittiruvakaval ll. 164-165, Pope 2003: 40, see note 3)

“Praise the Lord, He is the sovereign seated in Āndhradeśa” 55 maybe Lepākṣī  Rajarajan (2009): Plan 4) or Śrīsailam (a separate temple).

“Praise the Lord, He is handsomely present (in temples of) Karnāṭaka” 56, e.g. Muduvīraṇṇā of Hampi and Mātaṅga-parvata.

“Praise the Lord, He is present in Kēraḷa” 57 Sarkar (1978): 104) notes the Vīrabhadra temple Udiyavara. Furthermore, Vīrabhadra is the guide that leads the Sapta Mātkas.

“Lord residing in the Parvata Hill be Praised” 58 maybe the sapta-Kulaparvatas (or Kulvarai) in southern India[xi].

“The Lord of Kashmir be Exalted” 59, cf. Kailāsanātha, the abode of Śiva and Umā.

“Lord, Thou are speaking to me” 60 the kuladevatā worshippers (Fig. 6) ardently believe ave varuvā, ave pēcuvā “He will come, He will speak to me”. Pēcum Teyvam is “Talking God”[xii].

“Thy words reverberate in the Tēvāram hymns” 61 Tamil literature talks of aṭṭavīraṭṭānam (eight heroic venues) of which Pariyalūr is the venue of the destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice by Vīrabhadra (Rajarajan (2009): 35).

“Thou are present in the umbilicus of Tiruvācakam” 62.

“Thou get an honorable place in the Vedas” 63

“Thou are shining in the folk literature of the land” 64 the Jats (root jaṭa “locks of hair”) in Rājasthān claim origin from Vīrabhadra.

“Thou are the mould of the vigraha of Śiva” 65

“Thou are the annihilator of the evil-monsters” 66

“Thou are the wielder of triśūla” 67

“Thou chase away inveterate enemies” 68

“Thou are the wonder enacting aṭṭahāsa” 69 Tripurāntakamūrti was armed well but he did not employ any weapon, the Lord’s mere aṭṭahāsa (loud laughter) shattered the forts.

“Thou are the immaculate Primeval Divinity” 70

“Vīrabhadra, Thou give us life” 71

“Thou are the warmth of the fire of wrath” 72

“Thou are Śiva, present in my full mind” 73

“Lord, Thou are of the form of Śiva” 74 The standard version of the creation of Vīrabhadra was from a hair of Śiva (see epithet 11) above. The Takkayākapparaṇi (8.89) of Oṭṭakkūttar c. 12^th century (paraṇi[xiii] minor literary composition) says Vīra emerged from the forehead od Śiva, i.e., the Lord’s third eye, tritīyanetra, ‘neṟṟi viḻikka vantu piṟantu niṉṟān Vīran’.

“Thou complete the undertaken karma efficiently” 75

“Thou wipe out the drohis that eat our food and do harm us” 76 They drink our water and eat our mother, go “cow”. It is one among the pañcamahāpātakas.

“Thou bless the dharmātmas to live long” 76

“Bless us, warding off all our miseries” 77

“Thou stand by the garbhagṛhas” 78 the Lord is present everywhere in Ayodhyā or Kashmir (Kailāsa see note 3).

“Thou the Excellency through the ages” 79

“Thou are the beloved brother of Gaṇapati” 80

“Thou are the elder of Murukaṉ” 81

“Thou are the grace offering Vīrabhadra” 82 Lord of projecting heroism.

“Thou are the God of Mercy” 83

“Thou are the Vīra[xiv] cutting at the guardian-knot defectors” 84

“Thou are Root sustaining our vīra” 85

“Thou shower unending graces” 86

“Allow us to lead a righteous noble life” 87

“Thou are the Guardian God” 88

“Thy duty is to see Śivaism flourish” 89

“Thou are graced with anklets of molten gold” 90

“Thou enable the vaṃśa of dharma flourish” 91

“Grant us peace and prosperity” 92

“Thou cut the nose of Vācdevī” 93 for attending the yajña of Dakṣa

“Thou are the Lord assuring prosperity of the Cosmos” 94

“Praise the Lord graced with strong shoulders” 95

“Thou torpedo the evil minds” 96

“Thou see the worlds live” 97

“Thou are Bhadra, the Uttamadeva” 98

“Thou are the immaculate Ādipuruṣa” 99

“Thou are the skilful king of dancers, Naṭarāja (Figs. 1-2, 3)” 100

“Thou chase away the evil-minded even if they are gods” 101, cf. Kāmadahanamūrti[xv] (Fig. 4)

“Thou are the Hero extolled in the Cosmos” 102

“Thou infuse life in the dead” 103 all punished gods in Dakṣa-yajña were restored to their former glory after the destruction of the ignoble sacrifice, including Dakṣa. This is Hindu dharma. The aim is to reform durātmas, not to punish them.

“Thou are the child reborn to fight (for peace)” 104

“Thou are the protector of the māṅgalyasūtra of women” 105

“Thou are the Lord, Your Majesty” 106…

“Hail, Hail Vīrabhadra is Exalted (Figs. 1-2)” 108.

It may be pointed out that the sahasranāma and aṣṭottaramśata bearing on Śiva and Devī register the earliest nāmas bearing on Vīrabhadra and Dakṣāyaṇī. It is from this root that the unknown author of the Vīrabhrāṣṭottaram has coined the 108 epithets on the Lord. We may cite the following[xvi], e.g.

‘Pattīnāṃ-pataye’ Rudratriśati-35 (pattīna “foot soldier”, pattiḥ “hero” [Apte (1890/2012): 312], Hero of heroes, Vīrabhadra [Figs. 1-2]; leads the devasena against the asurasena in the devāsura-yuddha)

‘Dākṣāyinyai’ Durgāṣṭottaram-26 (daughter of Dakṣa) ‘Dākṣāyaṇī’ Lalitāsahasranāma -598 (Daughter of Dakṣa)

‘Dakṣayajña-vināśinī’ Lalitāsahasranāma-600 (Dākṣāyaṇī destroyed the vainglorious sacrifice of Dakṣa) Śiva created Vīrabhadra to get the job done (Rajarajan (2009): chap. 2, Rajarajan (2018), Rajarajan (2019)).

‘Dakṣayāgapahārin’ Śivasahasranāma-188 (destroyed Dakṣa’s yajña)

‘Dakṣādhvarahara’ Śivāṣṭottaram-99 (blessed the incorrigible Dakṣa with a boon for resurrection)

 ‘Vīrabhadra’ Śivāṣṭottaram-55 (Hero marching in all direction (Figs. 1-2)

Figure 1

Figure 1 Nṛtya-Vīrabhadra (Note Pāduka, Mustache and Sword), Kaḷḷarpirāṉ Temple, Vaikuntam (cf. Rajarajan (2009): pl. 40)

Figure 2

Figure 2 Having Destroyed the Yajña of Dakṣa, Vīra Started Dancing Exultantly, Holds Horn to Blow, Aprājitapṛccha Cited in  Rajarajan (2009): 50)

 

Figure 3

Figure 3 Śiva-Tāṇḍavam, Kuṉṟakkuṭi Pāṇḍya Rock-Cut Cave (8th Century CE)

 

Figure 4

Figure 4 Kāmadahanamūrti, Kantakōṭṭam (Modern Stucco), Ceṉṉai

Figure 5

Figure 5 Vīra Shattering the Tree-Demon, Kāmākṣī Ammaṉ temple, Tēvatāṉappaṭṭi (grāmadevatā Temple for Tree Goddess, it Came up Under Patronage of the Pāḷaiyakkārar-Nāyakas of Eḻumalai – Parthiban (2019), Vol. II Plates)

 

Figure 6

Figure 6 Vīrabhadra Temple, Old (left) and New (Right), Bōḍināyakkaṉpaṭṭi, Village, Tiṇṭukkal (From R.K. Parthiban (2019)

 

I understand the vīra-Śaivism otherwise the suddha-Śaivas of Karnāṭaka and Āndhradeśa have several such horde of devotional works whose authors are not known. Following the earlier model set by Parthiban (2018) and the Norwegian Institute of Advanced Study in Religion and Theology, we could also make headway in this direction. Many forgotten texts and scriptures in vernaculars could be discovered and brought to limelight. Furthermore, it is very much desired that centers of Advanced Study in Religion and Theology of Hinduism is instituted in leading Indian universities and abroad. Several true historical currents are veiled in Muslim chronicles, which make up the main source for Indian historian-steeds with eyes cloaked. The mukkāṭu (face cover) will have to be removed.

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

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