Uma–Maheshvara
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Uma–Maheshvara () is a form of the divine couple,
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
(Maheshvara) and
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
(Uma), in
Hindu iconography Over the millennia of its development, Hinduism has adopted several iconography, iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based on either the Hindu scriptures, scriptures or cultural traditions ...
. It features the two principle Hindu deities in a benign form. It is one of the
panchavimshatimurti The panchavimshatimurti () is the representation of twenty-five forms of Shiva in Hindu iconography. These forms are described in the Agama (Hinduism), Shaiva Agamas of the southern Shaiva Siddhanta sect of Saivism, Shaivism. The Sritattvanidhi cal ...
(twenty-five forms of Shiva in Hindu iconography), as has been described in the
Agamas Religion *Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts *Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects *Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism Other uses * ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
, particularly in the
Shaiva Siddhanta Shaiva Siddhanta () is a form of Shaivism popular in a pristine form in Tamilnadu and Sri Lanka and in a Tantrayana syncretised form in Vietnam and Indonesia (as Siwa Siddhanta). It propounds a devotional philosophy with the ultimate goal of e ...
tracts of
Southern India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
, and in the ''Silpa'' texts. The Uma–Maheshvara images are found in the sanctum sanctorum of several South Indian temples, on the relief-sculptures of the temple walls, and in museum collections. Images exist as paintings and sculptures made out of various materials that represent the potent symbol of the two deities. This form of the deities also travelled in neighbouring countries. In terms of the Hindu spiritual symbolism, the image represents the power and the significance of
procreation Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. There are two forms of reproduction: asexual and sexual. In asexual reprod ...
.


Spiritual significance

Uma–Maheshvara symbolises the union of the supreme Shiva (Maheshvara), one of the
Hindu Trinity The Trimurti ( /t̪ɾimʊɾt̪iː/) is the triple deity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Typically, the designations are that of ...
, with his consort, the primordial feminine cosmic energy, the supreme goddess Parvati (Uma). Shiva is a manifestation of the ''
Purusha ''Purusha'' (, ʊɾʊʂᵊ ) is a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle.Karl Potter, Presupposit ...
'', while Parvati, as the goddess, represents ''Prakriti''. This divine union of ''Purusha'' and ''Prakriti'', the male and the female forms, results in ''srishti'', or procreation, and maintains the constant cycle of creation and balance. Parvati is an ancient mountain goddess, and is usually featured in the images beside Shiva, her husband. She is a divine deity in her own right in
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
, and at Koh-Ker, a briefly surviving
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
n royal capital. In certain cultures, such as in
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
she is described as the daughter of the Mountain,
Himavat Himavat () is the personification of the Himalayan mountains in Hinduism. He is the guardian deity of the Himalayas, and finds mention in the epic '' Mahabharata'' and other Hindu scriptures. Nomenclature Various Hindu scriptures refer to th ...
. Her story finds a mention in
Kena Upanishad The Kena Upanishad (, ) (also alternatively known as Talavakara Upanishad) is a Vedic Sanskrit text classified as one of the primary or Mukhya Upanishads that is embedded inside the last section of the ''Talavakara Brahmanam'' of the Samaveda.P ...
. It is believed that Sati was reborn as Parvati, after her self-immolation, as the mother goddess who comforted Shiva and maintained the procreative balance of the universe. Shiva, on the other hand, is described by the Vayu Purana as the ''adisarika'' ''bija'', or the ''first seed of creation'', and his urdhva-linga, or the erect phallus, showcases his creative potency. The coming together of the two therefore, foregrounds the biological and spiritual process of creation. As Prof. Kramrisch notes: "Uma–Mahesvara may be seen as wedded divine lovers, exalted in their embrace. They maybe realised in their togetherness as ''Purusa'' and ''Prakriti'', Spirit and Matter, Essence and Subsistence". The image also reflects domestic and familial values.


Iconography

The several ''Silpa'' texts mention definite rules to create an image of Uma–Maheshwara. The Indian artists, working throughout history, have followed these scriptural injunctions to create the images of the divine couple in diverse media, but mostly in stone and bronze sculptures. Therefore, a pattern is often visible in these sculptural and representational images that exude a certain warmth, youthfulness and beauty of the couple. Historians have noted that apart from Shiva, no other male deity in early Indian iconography have been depicted with their spouses. The Uma–Maheshwara image can also be found in the Shaiva sculptures and coins from
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
, with the earliest depiction of Shiva–Parvati on a gold coin issued by
Huvishka Huvishka ( Kushan: Οοηϸκι, ''Ooēški'', Brahmi: 𑀳𑀼𑀯𑀺𑀱𑁆𑀓; ', '; Kharosthi: 𐨱𐨂𐨬𐨅𐨮𐨿𐨐 ', ') was the emperor of the Kushan Empire from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to ...
, the
Kusana The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan, Eastern Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbe ...
Emperor. Different forms of this iconography have also been found been in the temples, and art forms in the Chamba valley that indicate the growth and spread of Shiva worship in the area. Shiva and Parvati are often represented sitting face to face (the ''sammukha mudra''). They can also be seen in various postures connoting love and desire such as embracing each other in the ''alingana pose''. Shiva in some representations touches and caresses Parvati's breasts (the ''kuca-sparsa pose'') or holds her in his lap (''atikarohana'' form). In the ''cibukothhapana'' pose, Shiva holds Parvati's chin, and looks into her shy gaze. The images are usually shown seated over a throne, and their respective ''vahanas'' (vehicles), Shiva's bull, and Parvati's lion, are shown crouched beneath the throne, with the pendant legs of each deity kept above their respective ''vahanas''. The sculptures are richly decorated, and the couple are shown wearing heavy jewelry, intricately weaved garments, etc. In the South Indian version of the images, Parvati's lion is often substituted with a ''godha'', or an
alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...
, associated with an earlier incarnation of the goddess. The Uma–Maheshvara figures can be classified into different types and sub-types on the basis of their diverse styles and subjects. Besides the poses outlined above, the type of the throne can be also used as a category for classification. On this basis, the images vary depending on where Shiva and Parvati are seated, whether under a tree; on a lotus-grove; on a Shiva linga; on
Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afr ...
, the bull; or on
Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part ...
being carried by
Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...
on his head as in the
Ravananugraha Ravananugraha or Ravananugraha-murti ("form showing favour to Ravana") is a benevolent aspect of the Hindu god Shiva, depicted seated on his abode Mount Kailash with his consort Parvati, while the ''rakshasa''-king (demon-king) Ravana of Lanka at ...
. Images also include Shiva and Parvati with baby Skanda on Parvati's lap; and
Ganga The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...
rushing towards Shiva's matted hair as the divine couple are seated. Images could be further classified depending on the type of mounts shown, the number of hands of Shiva and Parvati, the embellishments of the ''prasthsila'' or the back-slab, the deities around the couple, and differences in the sitting-postures, particularly that of Parvati, etc. In some Uma–Maheshvara images, often Parvati is shown defeating an emaciated Shiva in a game of dice. For many scholars such as N. N. Bhattacharya, this dice-game hints at a egalitarian mechanism of distribution of resources implemented in pre-Vedic societies. Interpretations of the iconography as depicting the female
menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and Mucous membrane, mucosal tissue from the endometrium, inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized ...
have also been done by the scholars.


Present worship

Devotees observe a fast on the day of the ''
Bhadrapada Bhadra or Bhadrapada or Bhādo or Bhadraba ( Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada''; ''Bhādra''; ''Bhādravo''; ''Bhadraba''; ''Bhadô'') is the sixth month ...
Purnima Pūrṇimā () is the word for full moon in Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day ('' Tithi'') in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar fortnights (paksha), and the Moon is aligned exac ...
''. It is dedicated to the divine couple, and is known as the Uma–Maheshvara
Vrata Vrata is a Sanskrit word that means "vow, resolve, devotion", and refers to pious observances such as Fasting#Hinduism, fasting and pilgrimage (Tirtha (Hinduism), Tirtha) found in Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism. It is typically ...
. It originates from a story in the ''
Matsya Purana The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...
'', where
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
incurs Durvasa's wrath for placing a garland, that the sage had gifted, on
Airavata Shachi.html" ;"title="Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi">Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elephant Airavata, Folio from a Jain text, Panch Kalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events in the Life of Jina Rishabhanatha), c. 1670 ...
, instead of putting it around his neck. Durvasa's curse entailed that the
devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...
would lose their dominion. According to tradition, he maintained a fast dedicated to Uma–Maheshvara. People still observe it today for familial bliss, domestic happiness, while young newly-wedded couples do so for purposes of reproduction. A temple dedicated to this form of the couple stands at
Gokarna Gokarna may refer to: Places * Gokarna, Karnataka, a town in Karnataka, India * Gokarna, West Bengal, a village in West Bengal, India * Gokarnamatam, a village in Andhra Pradesh, India * Trincomalee, a city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka also k ...
, drawing several tourists and devotees daily.


References


External links

{{Commonscat, Shiva Parvati Forms of Shiva Hindu iconography Forms of Parvati