Paṇṇir Polinda Vīṇaiyar
Vinadhara, the manifestation of Lord Siva as a great recitalist of vina, is one among the sixty-four forms of Lord Siva. The Hindu religious texts glorify Lord Siva as the cosmic teacher, who teaches yoga, gnana, vyakyana, music to the great rishis; the teaching of the former three symbolizes the form of Dakshinamurti while the latter in the form of Vinadhara Dakshinamurti. He is also said to be the inventor of ‘Rudra vina’ in contemplation to the beauty of his consort Parvati. It is believed that Lord Siva, the ‘Vina gnanapriya’, enjoys playing vina attune to the universal naada and conveys the ultimate gnana through Vina.
Among the two teaching forms of Lord Siva viz., Dakshinamurti and Vinadhara Dakshinamurti, the former is quite common phenomenon seen on the southern koshtha of the main shrine of Siva temples of Tamil Nadu, whereas the latter find rarely depicted. Vinadhara is also seen in two forms; handling vina in seated form and in standing form.
Here let us see how Vinadhara is depicted in Tamil Saiva literatures and as sculptures. Tamil Saiva literatures in innumerable verses glorified the god as recitalist of Vina and vocalist. The Saiva Saints eulogizes the Lord as the ‘Supreme Yogi’, the author of the Vedas, the possessor of the vina, pleasure to play upon vina, sing and dance to the tune of Vina accompanied by the various other musical instruments like kuzhal, monthai, muzha, thalam. Some of the verses given below will bring to forefront how Lord Siva is glorified as a vina recitalist in Thirumurais
‘மோந்தை முழாக்குழல் தாளமோர் வீணை முதிரவோர் வாய்மூரி பாடி’1.44.5
‘மறையி னான்ஒலி மல்கு வீணையன்’ 2.25.6
‘பண்ணுலாம் பாடல்வீணை பயில்வானோர் பரமயோகி’ 3.58.8
‘கூடுமே குடமுழவம் வீணை தாளங் குறுநடைய சிறுபூதம் முழக்க மாக்கூத்
தாடுமே அந்தடக்கை அனலேந் தும்மே அவனாகில் அதிகைவீ ரட்ட னாமே.’ 6.4.5‘அறைகலந்த குழல்மொந்தை வீணை யாழும் அந்தரத்திற் கந்தருவர் அமர ரேத்த மறைகலந்த மந்திரமும் நீருங் கொண்டு’ …. 6.40.2
Even the quality of Vina carried by the Lord is also described; the one with mellifluous sound, the defect-less one, the one with three melodies, the one that sounds like a toddler, the one that is celebrated for its melodies, the one with heptatonic scales etc.
‘பண்ணுமூன்று வீணையோடு’ 1.47.6 ‘மிகநல்ல வீணை தடவி’ 2.85.1
‘பண்ணிற் பொலிந்த வீணையர்’ 2.111.3 ‘பண்ணமர் வீணையினான்’ 3.61.4
‘பண்ணார்ந்த வீணை பயின்ற விரலவனே என்கின் றாளால்’ 4.6.6
Here is a grand depiction of Vinadhara as described by Saint Appar in Thiruadhigaivirattanam and Thirumazhapadi Thiruthandagam in his Sixth Thirumurai
This grand depiction of Vinadhara form of Lord Siva is a masterpiece of Cholas, found on the southern koshtha of the vimana of Vishamangaleswara temple at Thudaiyur in Thiruchirappalli district. The god is standing on a padma pitha with his right leg planted in sama and his left leg in trysra, the front hands in kataka are handling the vina whereas the back hands are in kartari mudra carry parasu in the right and deer in the left. His locks are styled as jatamandala; thick braids are beautifully curled at the ends, the girdle of the head band is bow knotted on the right side. A beaded and stone studded head patta with ornamental plates in the front and sides adorn his forehead with a scull in the apex. The hair dressing is further ornamented with crescent moon and a flower on the left side. The deity is richly decked with stone and pearl studded ornaments; kandigai, stone studded charapali, and beaded necklace with a heavy stoned broaches adorn the neck. In the elongated ears patrakundala is seen in the right and makara kundala in the left, keyura and kankanas deck the arms, thalseri in the ankle, stone studded udarabanda in the abdomen. The short attire (mara-uri attire) draping his lower body is fastened by simhamukha kachchu and a tharagaichummai (hip ornament) also adorn the waist. The idaikattu is slackly worn above the lower garment and its heavy knots dangle on the sides. A thick yajnopavita is worn in upavita fashion. The deity is also decked with tholmalai in the shoulders. Behind the God is seen the banyan tree with his pokkanam hanging on a branch, an owl is seen inside a hole in the tree. The stylish poise, grand hair dressing, ornaments, attire, and his poise add classiness.
The vina handled by the God is long and decorative with a small gourd in the down end and ornamental upper end with a string extending to the top and bottom. It is the one among the very few sculpture with the instrument still remaining intact.
The concert of the Lord is also with other accompanists’ viz., a pair of Kinnaras with vina, a gana with damru and a female with thalam (cymbal). The kinnaras are shown in the clouds, each one on either side depicted above the jatamandala of god. Both in karandamakuta and decked with various ornaments like patrakundalas, charapali, bangles, armlets, udarabandha. As accompanist to the god’s concert they are gently handling the long vina in flying posture with their feathers stretched out.
The gana standing to the right of the god is handling the damru. In short attire, yajnopavita and decked with ornaments like patrakundalas, charapali, kankanas, keyura, udarabanda. His locks are gathered and knotted in the summit. He is handling the damru with the posture and smile shows his involvement in the Lord’s concert. The female to the left of the god is handling the cymbal, draped in long attire with idaikattu and decked with ornaments like patrakundalas, charapali, bangles, armlets, chhannavira and her locks are gathered and knotted in the side. Her smile shows her involvement to the Lord’s concert as like the Gana.
Vinadara of Visamangaleswara temple is a grand and rare panel; with accompanying instrumentalist. The deity decked lavishly with ornaments, his composed poise, stylish reciting of the Vina with the nonchalant smile is certainly a treat to the eyes.
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