Rebecca Slater

May 15, 2015

Slot E
I abide by the NA HC
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Shiva as Mahesha: Demolition is the New Creation

Hinduism is one of the worlds oldest known religions; its main concepts center
around samsara-- the cycle of rebirth-- and nirvana. Reaching nirvana-- the union of
ones soul with Brahman, the Supreme Being in Hinduism-- is a Hindus ultimate life
goal, and is only achieved by fulfilling ones duties in life. Rebirth is a central theme in
Hinduism, a theme that resonates most with Shiva, one of the thousands of Hindu gods.
Shiva represents destruction and ultimately reconstruction and is one of the most
popularly worshipped gods in Hinduism. Out of all the works of art in the MET with
Lord Shiva as the subject, the Shiva as Mahesha is the only piece of work to depict Shiva
with four heads, making it unique by its physical structure and symbolic meaning. The
source was created in the 10 century in Tamil Nadu, India. The Shiva as Mahesha
th

demonstrates the eternal truth revival of the Ancient World.

The source, Shiva as Mahesha, embodies what Lord Shiva represents: meaningful
destruction, but also creation. This sculpture of Shiva is currently located in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, on view in Gallery 240 (accession number: 27.79). The
figure was created in the 10 century, though the original artisan(s) is unknown; it is
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composed of granite and is 58 inches in height, 32 inches in width, and 16 inches in

depth. This source depicts Shiva as Mahesha, one of the many manifestations of Shiva,

in which he has four heads: Shiva, Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma (clockwise, respectively,
beginning in the center). Shiva is shown on a lotus flower pedestal-- a common symbol
in Hinduism representing purity-- in lalitasana (Pose of Royal Ease), is covered in mala
beads (Hindu prayer beads), and is wearing earrings, which symbolize duality. Shiva
appears to be holding a linga in his right hand, though there is no factual evidence to
support this claim, and is performing a mudra with his left hand; a mudra is a symbolic
hand gesture used in many South Asian religions-- such as Buddhism and Hinduism-- to
represent various eternal truths. In this piece, Shivas left hand is performing the flowerholding gesture (kataka mudra); this mudra is a gesture in which the hands fingers are
gently curled in, creating a hand position frequently used in sculptures and statues to
allow people to bestow the holy figures with flowers to show honor. It can be inferred
the Shiva as Mahesha was used to worship Lord Shiva-- possibly even used as a shrine-based on the mudra it displays and the spread of Hinduism at the time the source was
created. In Hinduism, Shiva is the destructor of the universe and subsequently the
reconstructor. Shiva is the third god in the Trimurti, which is composed of three Hindu
gods-- Brahma and Vishnu-- whose roles are the creator of the universe and the preserver
of the universe, respectively. Ironically, though Shiva is a destructor, it is believed in that
Brahma and Vishnu were born from Shiva.
This Shiva dates back to the 10th century, during the Chola period. Information
about the Chola dynasty comes from ancient Tamil inscriptions, scriptures, and literature.
The Chola dynasty emerged in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, ca. 860 CE (860-1279 CE).
The Chola dynasty reigned supreme during this time period and location, thus had a
significant influence on a large population in South Asia. Art, literature, and architecture

thrived in Tamil Nadu under the rule of the Chola dynasty. Also during this time was the
spread of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. The rise of the former religions did not
influence the Cholas, however the latter religion became the dynastys primary religion.
Under the Cholas, the Tamil country reached new heights of excellence in art, religion
and literature, says the New World Encyclopedia; besides Shiva as Mahesha, the Chola
period produced many literary and architectural feats, mainly Tamil Saivite poems/hymns
and Hindu temples. The most famous Chola temple is the Brihadeeswarar Temple, a
Hindu temple located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple, created in 1010 CE
by king Raja Raja Chola, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and exemplifies the effect of
Hinduism and the gods significance to the Cholas. Shaivism is a widely followed sect of
Hinduism that venerates Lord Shiva as the Supreme God. There is evidence that points
to the Chola dynasty practicing Shaivism, such as the Brihadeeswarar Temple and even
the Shiva as Mahesha and according to the New World Encyclopedia, Later Cholas also
stood staunchly as Saivites, although they displayed a sense of toleration towards other
sects and religions. The means by which the source came from Tamil Nadu, India to the
MET in New York is unknown, however, the source was donated by the Egleston Fund in
1927.
Revival was an eternal truth prominent in the ancient world, particularly in South
Asia where Hinduism (and Shaivism) spread; as previously mentioned, the samsara-- the
cycle of rebirth-- is one of the main concepts of Hinduism. Sacred texts used by
Shaivites include Hymns of Tamil Shaivite Saints and the Siva Purana. Puranas, sacred
texts in Hinduism, are types of Sanskrit writings that contain Hindu legends and
folklores, originating from various locations and time periods. The Siva Purana is one of

the puranas and is dedicated to Lord Shiva (also known as Siva); this purana regards
Shiva as the Supreme God. The Siva Purana describes Shiva as a destructor, but also a
creator, and thus represents reconstruction or revival; according to Shaivites, Shiva only
destroys with good intention and never without purpose. In the Siva Purana, there is
textual evidence of Shiva as the ultimate creator: birthing Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu
from both of his ribs. According to the Siva Purana, Rudra-Samhita Section I: Creation,
Chapter 16, Line 36, Siva manifested himself in three ways in the form of Vaikuntha
(Visnu) born from the left limb, in my form (of Brahma) born from the right limb and in
the form of Rudra born of the heart. This source shows Shiva in a light of creation
rather than his normal motif of destruction; it is proof that he is more than a destructor,
but also a creator. Historians W.J. Wilkins comments on Shivas role in Hinduism Hindu
Mythology, Vedic and Puranic: He who destroys, therefore, causes beings to assume
new phases of existencethe Destroyer is really a re-Creator; hence the name Siva, the
Bright or Happy One, is given to him, which would not have been the case had he been
regarded as the destroyer in the ordinary meaning of that term. This proves Shiva was
seen as a god of both destruction and creation, the two motifs combining to represent the
eternal truth: revival. Because the Shiva as Mahesha depicts Shiva specifically with four
heads of Hindu deities and given all priorly mentioned evidence, this source demonstrates
the revival of the Ancient World. It is significant that Shiva is shown with four heads
instead of one because three of the heads are of deities he created, so the statue represents
Shiva as a creator in addition to his normal connotation of destruction.
Although Hinduism is the worlds oldest known religion, many of its eternal
truths are prominent in todays day and age, such as revival. Revival is a common eternal

truth in the twenty first century and evident on television and in videogames. Home and
Gardening Television, HGTV, is a television channel with programs dedicated to shows
about home design and renovation; one of its programs, Dream Home, is a show that
documents a team completely renovating a house. In order to start renovating, the team
first demolishes sections of the house they plan on refurbishing. Home renovation is a
prime example of the eternal truth the Shiva as Mahesha manifests; just as Shiva does,
the team of workers destroy the house with intention. The workers do not demolish the
entire house, but only destroy parts essential for renovation. After the renovations, the
house looks better and more beautiful than it did before the destruction, which ties into
the eternal truth of revival. The show first aired in 1977, but was such a success that it is
still airing today. Another example of revival in the twenty first century is in video
games, specifically shooter video games, where the character you play as has limited
lives and health. An example of one of these types of video games is Shadowgun:
Deadzone. Like many other games of similar genre, the objective of Shadowgun:
Deadzone is to kill as many online players as you can before you lose all your health and
die. Once you die, are respawned with full health after a period of time. Though a bit
crude, respawning in video games is another example of revival in the twenty first
century; you will constantly lose health from other players shooting you (destroying
you if you are subpar at video games) until you die; once you die you will be respawned
(revived) with full health and rejoin the game.
In conclusion, the Shiva as Mahesha represents revival of the Ancient World and
21 century. The source was created in Tamil Nadu, India during a time where
st

Hinduism-- and its sects-- was spreading through South Asia. The statue was created by

the Chola dynasty, a dynasty whose only religion was one the sects of Hinduism:
Shaivism. In Shaivism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God and is worshipped immensely;
he is seen as both a destructor and in the Siva Purana, the sacred text in Shaivism. In the
Siva Purana, Shiva is thought to have created Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, three Hindu
deities. This is especially significant because the Shiva as Mahesha depicts Shiva in one
of his manifestations with four heads, three of which are the gods he created. This proves
the source represents not only destruction, but recreation, and when the two come
together, the source exemplifies revival. This eternal truth is still prominent in todays
society and can be seen in a variety of sources, particularly in home renovations and
shooter video games; both deal with destruction, either of the home or video game
character, and later of reconstruction or respawns; both examples exemplify revival.

Bibliography
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2015).
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(accessed May 15, 2015).
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(accessed May 15, 2015).
Dream Home 2015. http://www.hgtv.com/design/hgtv-dream-home (accessed May
15, 2015).
How to Start. http://www.madfingergames.com/deadzone/game/how (accessed May
15, 2015).
Mudras. http://www.buddhas-online.com/mudras.html (accessed May 15, 2015).
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Shiva. August 24, 2008.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/shiva.shtml (accessed May 15,
2015).
Shiva as Mahesha. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/27.79 (accessed
May 15, 2015).
Siva Purana.
South Asia: South, 5001000 A.D. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?
period=06&region=sss (accessed May 15, 2015).