Ishana (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: ईशान,
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Īśāna), is a
Hindu god
Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati.
The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...
. He is often considered to be one of the forms of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
destroyer god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
,
and is also often counted among the eleven
Rudras
Rudras refer to the forms of the god Rudra, whose traditions have since been associated with Shiva. They make up eleven of the thirty-three gods in the Vedic pantheon.Hopkins pp. 172-3 They are at times identified with the storm deities referred ...
.
In
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
some schools of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
and
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
he is the ''
dikapala'' of the northeast direction. In the
Vastu Shastra
''Vastu shastra'' ( hi, वास्तु शास्त्र, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Indian system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, groun ...
, the north-eastern corner of a plot of land is referred to as "Ishana". Ishana also shares qualities with
Samhara Bhairava and is therefore a part of the
Ashta Bhairava
Ashta Bhairavas ("Eight Bhairavas") are eight manifestations of the Hindu god Bhairava, a ferocious aspect of the god Shiva. They guard and control the eight directions. Each Bhairava has seven sub Bhairavas under him. All of the Bhairavas are rule ...
.
Iconography
Ishana is described as having three eyes, a tranquil appearance and white complexion, dressed with a white cloth and a tiger's skin.
On his head, a ''jata-
makuta'' which has on top of it the crescent moon must be placed.
He may be seated on a white bull, or simply in the ''
padmasana'' though being seated on the bull is preferred.
If he is represented with only two arms, his hands must carry a trident and a
kapala
A kapala (Sanskrit for "skull") is a skull cup used as a ritual implement (bowl) in both Hindu Tantra and Buddhist Tantra (Vajrayana). Especially in Tibet, they are often carved or elaborately mounted with precious metals and jewels.
Etymol ...
or one of the hands (the left one generally) might be in the ''
varadamudra
Varadamudra is a mudra, and it indicates a gesture by the hand and symbolizes dispensing of boons. For varadamudra, the right hand is used. It is held out, with palm uppermost and the fingers pointing downwards. Varadamudra and abhayamudra are ...
''; if, however, he has four hands, the two front ones should be sculptured as playing upon a
veena
The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...
and the others are to be held in the ''varada'' and ''
abhaya''
mudra
A mudra (; sa, मुद्रा, , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ,) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers.
As wel ...
s.
Gopinatha Rao suggests that description might be incorrect, as the veena must be held only by the hands of the front pair of arms, which are also the very hands that are necessarily to be in the ''varada'' and ''abhaya'' poses.
When represented in Lingam form along with the other Panchabrahmas, his face, uncarved, would face upward.
One verse of the Linga Purana describes Ishana as having three feet, seven hands, four horns and two heads
while in one verse of the Shiva Purana, he is described as "resembling pure crystal".
Hinduism
Vedas
An early mention of Ishana is in one of the Pañchabrahma Mantrāṇī found in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (TA 10.21.1)
of the
Krishna Yajurveda
The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
(c.1200 BCE):
:
:
Translation by Sabharathnam Sivacharyar:
:"Lord Ishana—the Supreme Lord and Revealer of little knowledge through lord Ishvara and spiritual disciplines, the nourisher and controller of all living beings, the Directing Lord of northeast, He who is the guided by main direct authority of the Vidyeshvaras, who directs Brahma, Vishnu and others—may He who is vidyeshwara present Himself in this Sivalinga. By such benign presence, let there occur absolute purity and auspiciousness in Shiva. Om"
Ishana is also mentioned in the
Vajasneyi Madyandina Samhita of the
Shukla Yajurveda
The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
(VS 27.35), which the
Shiva Purana
The ''Shiva Purana'' is one of eighteen major texts of the ''Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part of the Shaivism literature corpus. It primarily revolves around the Hindu god Shiva and goddess Parvati, but references and reve ...
calls the "Ishana Mantra",
though the Purana calls a different verse from the same Samhita which also mentions Ishana (VS 39.8) the "Ishana Mantra" as well.
Puranas
Several Puranas mention Ishana; a few of them are detailed here:
Shiva Purana
In the Shiva Purana, Ishana is described as a form or aspect of Shiva. The Purana states that Ishana bestows knowledge and riches on those with intelligence, while curbing evil-doers. Ishana is declared to be the form of Shiva presiding over the ear, speech, sound and ether as well as the "individual soul, the enjoyer of
Prakriti".
The Purana also asserts that the "Ishana Mantra" should be recited when fixing
Lingam
A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
s to pedestals,
when wearing ''
rudraksha
''Rudraksha'' (IAST: ') refers to a stonefruit, the dried stones of which are used as prayer beads by Hindus (especially Shaivas), as well as by Buddhists and Sikhs. When they are ripe, ''rudraksha'' stones are covered by an inedible blue out ...
'' beads on the head
or (only for some) when wearing
sacred ash.
Linga Purana
One verse of the
Linga Purana
The ''Linga Purana'' (लिङ्गपुराण, IAST: ) is one of the eighteen '' Mahapuranas'', and a ''Shaivism'' text of Hinduism. The text's title ''Linga'' refers to the iconographical symbol for Shiva.
The author(s) and date of the ...
describes Ishana as "the omnipresent lord of all". In another verse, one who makes the idol of Ishana is said to be "honoured in the world of Vishnu."
In one verse, he is said to hold an axe while in another, he is described as wielding a trident. Ishana described as being stationed in every being as the organ of speech.
The Purana mentions Ishana as one of the deities present at
Daksha's sacrifice who was attacked by
Virabhadra
Virabhadra (), also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self- ...
. He is also described as having attended the
svayamvara
Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...
of Parvati to Shiva.
Brahmavaivarta Purana
The Brahmavaivarta Purana states that Ishana was born out of the left eye of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. He is described as wearing tiger's skin, adorned with a crescent crown on his head, possessing three eyes and holding a trident, patissa (sword) and club. He became the leader of the Dikpalas.
Pañchabrahma
The Pañchabrahmas are five specific aspects of Shiva collectively taken together.
These aspects include
Sadyojata,
Vamadeva In Hinduism, Vamadeva ( sa, वामदेव) is the preserving aspect of the God Shiva, one of six aspects of the universe he embodies, as well as the name of an ancient rishi. On a five-faced Shivalingam, Vamadeva appears on the right hand side. ...
,
Aghora, Tatpurusha, and Ishana.
Each of these aspects are glorified in their own mantra in the Pañchabrahma Mantrani present in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (TA 10.17-21).
These aspects of Shiva are often depicted in
five-faced Lingams which Stella Kramrisch states are physical equivalents of the five Pañchabrahma Mantrani, with each face of the five-faced lingams corresponding to one of the Mantras and representing a particular manifestation of Shiva.
As one of the Panchabrahmas, Ishana is the source of spontaneous grace directed to all beings and to all worlds.
Vastu Shastra
According to
Vastu Shastra
''Vastu shastra'' ( hi, वास्तु शास्त्र, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Indian system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, groun ...
, it is auspicious for homes and offices to be situated in the northeast. North is the direction wealth resides, associated with
Kubera
Kubera ( sa, कुबेर, translit=Kuberā) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (' ...
, while East is the direction where knowledge resides, associated with
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
. For this reason, Ishana symbolizes the culmination of both knowledge and wealth.
Buddhism and Shinto
He is a chief among the gods of
Paranirmitavaśavarti, the sixth heaven of the
Kāmadhātu.
According to the
Ainōshō, there is a theory that this deity is synonymous with
Pāpīyas as well as the
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
deity
Izanagi
Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally known as
, is the creator deity (''kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can b ...
. The
Jinnō Shōtōki
is a Japanese historical book written by Kitabatake Chikafusa. The work sought both to clarify the genesis and potential consequences of a contemporary crisis in Japanese politics, and to dispel or at least ameliorate the prevailing disorder. ...
also states that there is a theory that the names of Japan's primordial creator gods
Izanagi
Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally known as
, is the creator deity (''kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can b ...
and
Izanami
, formally known as , is the creator deity of both creation and death in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto mother goddess. She and her brother-husband Izanagi are the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifest ...
are the same as the Sanskrit names Īśāna and Īśānī.
Īśānī is Īśāna's consort. According to the
Secret Storehouse Records
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controvers ...
(祕藏記) she is flesh white in color and wields a
spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
.
References
*
{{HinduMythology
Buddhist gods
Lokapala
Indian masculine given names
Hindu gods