ELEPHANTA CAVES PART 7 - YOGISHWARA or LAKULISHA - SHIVA

ELEPHANTA CAVES PART 7 - YOGISHWARA or LAKULISHA - SHIVA - GHARAPURI -

GHARAPURI - ELEPHANTA CAVES 7

SHIVA the PARAM YOGI – Ascetic.

YOGISHWARA or LAKULISHA (the propounder of PASHUPATHA sect).

yogishwara or Lakulisha

LORD SHIVA the ascetic in KAILASHA in Padmasana. The yogic pose on a Lotus. He is called MAHAYOGI or AADIYOGI or YOGINATH. The closed eyes of SHIVA as a mendicant deep in meditation signify the withdrawal of the self from the world. As a yogi SHIVA is perfection personified and does not require any additional source of energy. He is unaware of the happening in the world.

The three headed PARAMYOGI statue, on the left of the Northern entrance has been a matter of debate as to whether the statue is SHIVA the YOGI or SHIVA as LAKULISHA. The image holds important links in the sculptural program of ELEPHANTA in the yogic practice of the PASHUPATHA CULT, as LAKULISHA was the founder teacher of this sect and known to be the 28^th and last form of SHIVA. There is no doubt that, the Early KALACHURI’s who were supposed to have built the ELEPHANTA caves, were followers of LAKULISHA – PASHUPATHA sect of SHAIVISM.

YOGINATH or LAKULISHA

The death of Sati led him to dance the RUDRA TANDAVA with SATI’s (His 1^st wife) charred body on his shoulder. MAHAVISHNU cut the body of SATI into 51 pieces and scattered them across the world and prevented the world from destruction. These 51 places became the SHAKTHI sthal.

The LORD’s shoka (grief) led him into the state of withdrawal and penance. His eyes had to be opened and he had to be brought back to the world as a house holder. Hence PARVATHI (His 2^nd wife, SATI reincarnation) wins him through penance, unlike SATI who wins him through love.

In the panel, The YOGI sits on a pedestal of lotus in a meditative pose. The lotus is held by two NAGA’s in the lower part of the panel, which shows them up to their bust. The hands and legs of SHIVA are totally vandalized. The head gear is elaborately designed with the nimbus behind. A similar figure on the northern side is also equally damaged. Comparison with a similar sculpture in Dumar Lena in Ellora shows that the sculpture would have definitely held a club, in all probability in its left hand.

On the panel you can see SURYA or the SUN riding on a horse (head missing).Below him is MAHA VISHNU riding the anthropomorphic form of Garuda his mount, to his right seems to be the figure of LAKSHMI, Indra without ‘Airavat’ his elephant, to the left side of the panel. Brahma riding a swan on the right hand side of the panel. The upper portion of the panel consists of the celestial Nymphs Apsara’s , & Deva’s the Gods, revering MAHADEVA as a YOGI.

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