Pallavas : Yazhis and Simha - Blog 6
Treasure Hunt Continues!
Behold, the ferocious Simha Yazhis standing guard and protecting Lord Dashinamurti himself. While the serene, all-knowing Lord is seated comfortably dispensing the knowledge of the Universe to everything around him, the Yazhis stand on their hind legs, ready to pounce.
How do you think this elaborate panel was sculptured? Well, I have a story about that and so here it goes.
It was the early 8th Century C.E. The Pallava Empire was at its zenith with the Pallava monarch as the undisputed Emperor of the South. Seated on the Throne of Kanchi with the country acknowledging his power, a thought seized him. Why don’t I make a statement for posterity?
Built during 685 - 705 CE, this was a massive project by Narasimha Varman II
He decided to commission the greatest temple ever dedicated to Lord Shiva and for this, he summoned his thalaimai Shilpi i.e. the royal sculptor.
“All hail the king. Of what service may I be to you, Sire,” the sculptor asked after paying his respects to the king. “I want a great Shiva temple made, the likes of which have never been seen before,” the king remarked excitedly.
The Grand Entrance to step into the Kailasa Natha Temple
“It shall be done, Sire. I shall arrange for the best sculptors, painters, artisans and stonemasons in the land and we shall construct a magnificent Shiva temple to match your great vision and devotion towards the Lord.” This assurance brought childlike pleasure to the king. He excitedly began describing the sculptures he wanted to be made.
The Simha Yali had become associated with stamp of Pallava Architecture
“I want beautiful sculptures of the different forms of Lord Shiva in panels with ganas and an assortment of divine beings surrounding him. Goddess Uma and several other goddesses will accompany him in these images. A great sculpture of Lord Nandi should face the temple. There will also be images of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. The sculpted dwarapalakas who stand guard at the doors will be fierce. There will be a perfectly carved Dharalinga in the garbhagriha. All the stories associated with Lord Shiva will come alive in this temple. The temple tower will be so lofty that it will resemble Mount Kailasa itself!”
Each sub-shrines (58 in all) - supported by the Yali
The excitement was contagious and soon the sculptor joined in. “Sire what if there were Nandi bulls placed before every panel and lions positioned as if guarding Lord Shiva.” This suggestion put the king deep in thought. The sculptor wondered what was going on in the Pallava’s mind. “Lord Shiva deserves a creature better than lions. What if the guardian creature was something stronger than a lion? Something greater than an elephant? Such a creature would truly add splendour to the temple,” the king exclaimed.
The sculptor was hesitant and confused. “Sire does a creature like that exist,” he asked. “If it does not exist then create one,” the king roared. “We are the Pallavas. Kingdoms beyond the great ocean in the east know our name. Leave the lions to protect me. While Lord Nandi has adorned our flag for generations, I shall henceforth adorn my flag with a majestic lion to strike fear in the heart of my enemies. However, the protectors of Lord Shiva need to be worthy of the divine.”
After having declared so, he dismissed the royal sculptor. After putting much thought into it, the sculptor knew what he had to do. He drew inspiration from mythology. The mythical Yazhis were divine protectors of temples and symbols of power. These chimeric creatures were the products of different animals combined to create a new powerful beast.
The Simha Yali is most prominent around the Temple
When he shared the idea with the king, it was approved instantly. Work commenced to create an impressive edifice and the king visited regularly to supervise. Years later when the king saw a handsome panel with Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurty imparting knowledge to rishis and animals, there were the lion-headed beasts called SimhaYazhiss guarding him. There was also elephant headed Yazhis called GajaYazhiss found guarding Lord Shiva in other images. An army of these mythical creatures had been erected to protect every part of the temple.
The king titled Rajasimha was elated to realize that the temple would stand for millennia. As for the lions, they found their place on the Pallava flag.
P.S.--To know more about this powerful king, refer to our upcoming book
Digital Print releasing late Jan 2021 - please continue this journey with us through the launch
