Shiva, Parvati in Chidambaram

Picture of  Mother Goddes in Indus Valley 

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,639

Date uploaded in London –21 April 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Hindu Vedas describe the Vedic gods in detail but the archaeological proofs of images come only from Harappan /Indus Valley Civilization. We see beautiful figures of Goddesses, Pasupati, a strange tiger goddess, ghosts and Saptamatas on Indus seals. In the Saptamata seal of Harappa/Mohanjadaro, a devotee offers severed human head (Nara bali) to a goddess and we know about self-sacrifices called Navakandam till later Pandya/ Choza periods.

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Tamils in Tamil Nadu worshipped Hindu gods and goddesses in their houses and temples as well. Tamil poets of Sangam Age give us enough proof for this in their poems composed 2000 years ago. Poets show us that Tamils were well versed in Puranas and two epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

No where Buddha or Mahavira is mentioned. Tamils worshipped Seven Stars in Saptarishi Constellation (Ursa Major), sun and moon too. Even Asura Guru Sukra/Venus and Deva Guru Brihaspati/Jupiter are mentioned as Iru Perum Deivangal/ Two Great Deities.

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Picture of Siva, Uma on Bull

Before Sangam Age, we get more evidence from Patanjali’s Mahabhashya commentary and Chanakya’s Arthasastra. Chanakya advised the Mauryan government to produce Gods’ figures in large scale and sell them to increase the revenue of the government.

Patanjali in his Mahabhashya commentary on world’s first grammar book Ashtadhyayi written by Panini , provide us interesting details. Patanjali lived 2200 years ago and Panini lived 2800 years ago according to Goldstucker.

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Arcaa and Pratikruti

Picture of Lord Siva drinking poison.

Patanjali has termed the ordinary images Pratikriti and gods’ images Arcaas. The pratikriti of a horse is named asvaka and a camel ustraka. Suffix ka was added to denote the pratikriti of an object.  Pratikritis of animals were used on flags as drawings. The author of the Kaasikaa has mentioned the pictures of the horses of Arjuna, Duryodhana etc. Garuda figures of Lord Vishnu were on pillars and flags. Rock edicts bearing inscriptions describing the Garuda dwaja (Eagle Flag)  have  been found at Mehrauli and Sisunia.

The idols of gods were made, and they were called arcas ( arcaas) . Two types of them were described by him, one for priests and the other for householders. Idols of Siva, Skanda and Vishaka are mentioned by him. The idols made for sale mentioned with the suffix ka. Thus we get

Siva ka

Skanda ka

Vishaka ka

Kasyapa ka

Kasyapa is a name of Varuna and Vishnu. Also Kasyapi devi for earth.

Rama, Kesava, Dhanapati and Vaisravana were also worshipped during Patanjali’s time.

Skanda and Vishaka pairs were also sold 2200 years ago. These details were provided by him on the commentary on following Paninian sutras,

5-3-96; 5-3-97;5-3-99; 5-3-100;

1-1-44; 1-1-54; 2-2-24; 2-2-34; 3-2-21; 3-2-111; 4-1-114; 5-1-12; 5-2-76; 5-3-99;6-3-26; 8-1-15

(P D Agnihotri of Bhopal has given the above information in his article in the volume Recent studies in Sanskrit and Indology, Ajanta publications, 1982.

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Sangam Tamil Literature

Picture of Lord Skanda on peacock.

Tamils in ancient Tamil Nadu worshipped idols in Temples and in their residences. But the residences had the gods’ pictures on the walls. We guess they were drawings on the walls or cloths. Doors of palaces and big houses had figures of Gaja Lakshmi and Conch and Lotus representing two of the Nine Treasures of Kubera. Kubera was also called Dhanapati, Vaisnavara, Siva sakha and Kuvera.

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Long list of temples is available in Silappdikaram, a Tamil epic of Post Sangam period.

Gatha Sapta Sati (GSS), Prakrit language anthology of love poems, also mentioned a painting of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita on a wall in a house. When the younger brother of a householder looked at the wife of his elder brother with bad intention, she politely refused by pointing out at Lakshmana picture on the wall.  Lakshmana was famous for his loyalty to his elder brother Rama and he never looked at Sita, Rama’s wife; he was said to have looked at her feet only. GSS also belonged to Sangam Age.

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We have hundreds of references to epic and Puranic anecdotes, flags, vahanas of Gods and symbols of all Gods in ancient Tamil poems.

Following references in Sangam literature confirm Image Worship:

Hero Stones and Sati Stones are available in South India from fifth century CE. Their worship is mentioned in many Sangam poems another Mysterious word Kandazi in Tolkappiamகந்தழி வழிபாடு   and later poems points out to worship of Linga (Siva) or post.

Very clear proof comes from Tamil epic Silappadikaram. Senguttuvan, a Chera king of Sangam Age, went all the way to the Holy Himalayas and took a stone, bathed it in the holy Ganga river and carved out Kannaki’s statue for worship. It spread to Sri Lanka as Patni (Chaste Woman) worship. Chaste women were more powerful than gods according to Tiru Valluvar.

Chenguttuvan made the statue only because of the popularity of image worship in his time.

We know the popularity of clay figures of Goddess Durga in Bengal, Lord Ganesh in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and Village Goddess figures of Tamil towns. Even today they are made for worship and dissolved in the river water on the third day. Such figures might have existed during Sangam Age. The word PAAVAI (doll) is mentioned in Sangam books as a worshipful figure.

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Picture of Nara bali in Harapa/ Mohanjadaro

Madurai Kanchi, one of the Sangam books, mentioned the deities taken around town in line 164. And in lines 577/8 more information about deities living in prosperous houses.

அணங்கு வழங்கும் அகல் அங்கண்

கொழுங்குடிச் செல்வரும் பிறரும் மேவிய,

மணம் புணர்ந்து ஓங்கிய , அணங்குடை நல் இல் – மதுரைக் காஞ்சி 577-578

And Tamils worshipped the deities living in the doors of the houses with Ghee and Aiyavi/white mustard.

தொல் வலி  நிலை இய, அணங்குடை நெடுநிலை

நெய்ப்படக் கரிந்த திண்பொரிக்கதவின் – மதுரைக் காஞ்சி 353/4

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More refence comes from another Sangam work called Nedunalvaadai says that women worshipped with flowers by lighting lamps.

Women who Worship in the Evening Hours

Tender, naive women with bamboo-like
arms, delicate looks, teeth resembling
pearls, white conch-shell bangles on their
tight forearms, and moist, pretty eyes that
matched their beautiful earrings, carried
long, green-stemmed jasmine buds in trays.
The flower buds opened their pretty petals
and blossomed, their spreading fragrance
announcing the arrival of evening time.

They lit the oil-dipped wicks of iron lamps,
pressed their palms together and worshipped,
tossing offerings of rice paddy and flowers, and
celebrated evenings in the prosperous market.

நெடுநல்வாடை வரிகள்

வெள்ளி வள்ளி வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,

மெத்தென் சாயல், முத்து உறழ் முறுவல்,

பூங்குழைக்கு அமர்ந்த ஏந்து எழில் மழைக்கண்,

மடவரல் மகளிர் பிடகைப் பெய்த

செவ்வி அரும்பின் பைங்கால் பித்திகத்து,                                                

அவ்இதழ் அவிழ் பதம் கமழ, பொழுது அறிந்து,

இரும்பு செய் விளக்கின் ஈர்ந்திரி கொளீஇ,

நெல்லும் மலரும் தூஉய், கை தொழுது,

மல்லல் ஆவணம் மாலை அயர        (36 – 44)

***

Image of Agni

Friend of a would be bride says Come on, Let us worship the God in the house with proper Bali/offering for your quick marriage- Akananuru 282

Another Akam poem 369 talks about the painted Gods on the wall of a house.

(Vaidehi Herberts Translation is used; thanks.)

Akanānūru 369, Nakkeerar – What the foster mother said to the heroine’s friend, after the heroine eloped

Look at this, my daughter!  What is the
use of our close relationship?

The pet parrot with red neck band refuses to
drink sweet milk, even when young women
hold it on their forearms
with bright bangles, in the proper manner
uttering praises.  Her friends with beautiful
jewels and peacock nature do not play games
anymore.  The big urn does not have any
flowers, and the goddess image decorated
with pearl strands on the sturdy wall does
not get any offerings.

கண்டிசின் மகளே! கெழீஇ இயைவெனை:

ஒண் தொடி செறித்த முன்கை ஊழ் கொள்பு,

மங்கையர் பல பாராட்ட, செந் தார்க்

கிள்ளையும் தீம் பால் உண்ணா; மயில் இயல்

சேயிழை மகளிர் ஆயமும் அயரா;                        5

தாழியும் மலர் பல அணியா; கேழ் கொளக்

காழ் புனைந்து இயற்றிய வனப்பு அமை நோன் சுவர்ப்

பாவையும் பலி எனப் பெறாஅ; நோய் பொர,

இவை கண்டு, இனைவதன் தலையும், நினைவிலேன்,

கொடியோள் முன்னியது உணரேன், ”தொடியோய்!  அகநானூறு  369

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Akanānūru 282, What the heroine’s friend said to her as the hero listened nearby, or what the heroine said to her friend
……………………………………………………

Let us hold our delicate fingers with
fine joints and give offerings to our
house gods so that the wedding day
will happen soon!

”வல்லே வருக, வரைந்த நாள்!” என,

நல் இறை மெல் விரல் கூப்பி,

இல் உறை கடவுட்கு ஆக்குதும், பலியே! -அகநானூறு 282

***

Picture of  Parvati 

Tirupparankundram Painting of Indra- Ahalya anecdote

A villager’s wife who was wondering about a painting on the wall asked her husband and he explained to her the Ahalya anecdote according to commentators:

The Splendor of Thirupparankundram  Paripaadal verse 19

In auspicious Thirupparankundram with perfect

bamboo and wide boulders,

there is a pavilion in the temple of Murukan,

nephew of Thirumāl, decorated with paintings that

are admired by devotees.  Some try to figure the

positions of the heavenly bodies that cause summer

heat.  Some in love say, ‘This is Rathi.  This is Kāman,

the god of love’.  Some say, ‘This is Indiran as a cat’.

Some say, ‘This is Akalikai who was desired by Indiran’.

Some say, ‘This is her husband Gauthaman, the sage

who left, tricked by Indiran’.  Some say, ‘This rock is

the hapless Akalikai cursed by her angry husband’.

There are some who give food to many monkeys.

There are some who give sugarcane to black-faced

monkeys.  Some play the divine veenai.  Some play

flutes closing the holes with their fingers.  Some play

pālai tunes in even tones on the yāzh.  Some praise

the beauty of rituals.  Some create drum sounds

according to tradition.

மலைச் சிறப்பு 
குரங்கு அருந்து பண்ணியம் கொடுப்போரும்,
கரும்பு கருமுகக் கணக்கு அளிப்போரும்,
தெய்வப் பிரமம் செய்குவோரும், 40

கை வைத்து இமிர்பு குழல் காண்குவோரும்,
யாழின் இளி குரல் சமம் கொள்வோரும்,
வேள்வியின் அழகு இயல் விளம்புவோரும்,
கூர நாண் குரல் கொம்மென ஒலிப்ப,
ஊழ் உற முரசின் ஒலி செய்வோரும்,    45

என்றூழ் உறவரும் இரு சுடர் நேமி
ஒன்றிய சுடர் நிலை உள்படுவோரும்,
“இரதி காமன் இவள் இவன்” எனாஅ,
விரகியர் வினவ வினா இறுப்போரும்,
“இந்திரன் பூசை; இவள் அகலிகை; இவன் 50

சென்ற கவுதமன்; சினன் உறக் கல் உரு
ஒன்றியபடி இது” என்று உரை செய்வோரும்,
இன்ன பல பல எழுத்து நிலை மண்டபம்,
துன்னுநர் சுட்டவும்,  சுட்டு அறிவுறுத்தவும்,
நேர் வரை விரி அறை வியல் இடத்து இழைக்கச் 55

சோபன நிலையது துணி பரங்குன்றத்து
மாஅல் முருகன் மாட மருங்கு.

In addition to these quotes, many religious festivals are reported when Gods’ processions take place. Just two hundred years after the Sangam Age comes the literature of devotional period where we get thousands of examples for image worship.

—subham—

Tags- Image Worship , Sangam Tamil Literature, idols, Pavai dolls, wall paintings, Arca, Patanjali, Mahabhasya, Artha sastra, Indus Valley, Harappa images, Tamil poets, Akanauru, Paripadal , clay figures