South Deccan Archaeology Research Foundation
Success Story
Two topics successfully investigated by SDARF are presented here as case studies or success stories. One topic has a North-South Connect and pertains to the tradition of Maharishi Patanjali. The second case study examines the evolution of the Nataraja form in Tamil Nadu between the 6th century CE and the contemporary period.
North-South Connect
The Interconnected Patanjali Traditions of North and South India
Until recently, it was thought that the Patanjali who composed the foundational text for Sanskrit grammar (the Mahabhashya) was different than the one who authored the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. There is a strong Patanjali tradition in Tamil Nadu also. This Patanjali was associated with the dance of Siva Nataraja and considered not related to Patanjali the grammarian or the Yogasutrakara. To understand the identity of Patanjali, archaeological surveys were conducted across 73 temples in Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, an integrated approach was used and additional sources, besides the usual ones, such as the Tevaram, the classical Tamil texts and the Sangam literature were perused to understand this tough issue.
It emerged from SDARF’s research that a single Patanjali wrote the Mahabhashya and the Yoga Sutra. Later in life, he appears to have moved South with a few students, stayed & taught his texts at Chidambaram (Tillai). At Chidambaram, he consecrated Siva Nataraja, which was meant to emphasize (to students) the importance of the dance of Siva Nataraja for both grammar & Yogic knowledge. The percussion of the kettle drum & the raised left foot are the “metaphysical sources” for the origin of Sanskrit grammar and its commentary. The complex Yogic pose of Nataraja is self-explanatory. Patanjali himself was regarded as the anklet of the dancing Siva and the recipient of the Lord’s grace, due to which he is supposed to have written this renowned commentary on grammar. Numerous students likely flocked to Chidambaram to study directly from the master. Initially, Patanjali did move around in the Tamil country before settling down in Tillai. In the Pandya region (Madurai), he consecrated another dancing form of Siva within the Velliyambalam. Likewise, a third form of dancing Siva was consecrated at Tiruvarur, the symbolism of which was purely Yogic.
There is clear evidence regarding Patanjali, his identity & activities in Tamil Nadu going back to the 8th century CE. Prior to that, there is textual evidence going back to the Early Sangam period (200 BCE-300 CE) confirming the hypothesis. Further, there is a living tradition of Patanjali in the form of the Purvashikha (wearing a top-knot on the head) Tillai Dikshitas in Chidambaram. These Tillai Dikshitas protected his tradition and they also carefully transmitted his knowledge until about 50 years ago. Patanjali is worshipped daily in Chidambaram as the grammarian, Yoga Sutrakara and the author of a medical text (three texts). A ten-day festival is conducted in his honour annually there.
Confirmation of the Patanjali tradition came from an age-old grammar school in Kerala, which had taught the Mahabhashya, among other grammar text for centuries. Here too, he is worshipped as the author of the three texts & depicted with a stylus and palm leaf in hand. Interestingly, the knowledge tradition of Patanjali was guarded here by Purvashikha Nambudiris. These Nambudiris were the erstwhile cousins of the Purvashikha clans of Tamil Nadu, including the Tillai Dikshitas. The Kerala and Tamil branches of Purvashikhas intermarried until the 9th century CE and this practice ceased thereafter.
Most of the above, barring the Kerala tradition has been documented in a book in detail, including bronze / granite images, inscriptions & information from texts. The book is entitled “The Tradition of the Yogasūtrakāra-Mahābhāṣyakāra Patañjali of Tamil̤akam (Identity of the Yoga-Grammarian Sage Patañjali as Noticed in Tamil Nadu & Kerala)”. The link given below contains only the abstract, Table of contents, etc., and the book can be purchased by e-mailing us (cost INR. 600 + shipping & handling. Shipping within India is free). Click here for more information.
Given the absence of excavations, the validity of the hypothesis would surely be questioned. The renovated archaeologist Prof. A. P. Jamkhedkar (former Chancellor of Deccan College PGRI) directed Dr. Murali K (Director of SDARF) to survey Ter in Osmanabad District, Maharashtra. Ter (ancient name Tagara) was an important trading centre in the past. Ter has been the site of numerous excavations and has a museum set up by the Maharashtra State Archaeology Department. Prof. Jamkhedkar had earlier restored the Uttareshwar Mahadev temple at Ter. After a detailed study, he had dated it to the Kalaccuri period (6th century CE).
The Uttareshwar Mahadev temple has an exquisitely carved wooden door jamb, which contains images of Sadasiva, flanked by Lakulisha on his left and by Patanjali on his right. There are other fly-whisk bearers and devotees depicted, as can be seen in the photo alongside. Patanjali is seen below the Nagaraja (snake) hood. There are two Purvashikha disciples adjacent to him, one of whom sports a Yoga Patta. Patanjali being depicted on the important trade route to Dakshinapatha, with his Purvashikha students to a degree confirms the hypothesis of his Southward migration. Subsequently, Faculty from Deccan College in the course of their surveys came across a 4th century CE image of Patanjali in a non-sectarian context, in costal Maharashtra. Later, they discovered numerous images across Maharashtra & in Andhra, Telangana, etc. This bears out the influence of Patanjali in the early period in the South Deccan & his migration from the North.
It can now be said with a degree of certainty that there was a single Patanjali who authored the Mahabhashya & the Yoga Sutra. He moved South with a few Purvashikha students, established three centres where he lived, taught his texts & enshrined the dancing forms of Siva. These being Nataraja in Chidambaram, Tyagaraja in Tiruvarur and Sabhapathi in Madurai. It appears that due to the incursions of the Greeks in Northern India and the perception that other tribes from Central Asia might subsequently overrun the North, Maharishi Patanjali took his texts and some of his Purvashikha students and moved Southward. The surviving traditions of Patanjali in the South are those of the Tillai Dikshitas and the Nambudiris of Kerala, among others. Dr. T. P. Mahadevan has published extensively on the Purvashikha communities of Tamilakam & their migration. SDARF’s subsequent research uncovered the connection between Patanajli & the Purvashikha traditions of Tamil Nadu & Kerala.
Nataraja Evolution
Evolution of the Chidambaram Nataraja from the 6th Century CE to the Present
As mentioned above, it is quite likely that Patanjali consecrated the dancing form of Siva Nataraja in Chidambaram in the late 2nd century BCE. There was a strong tradition of dance and music in Tamilakam during the Sangam period and hence Nataraja and the dancing forms of Siva consecrated by Patanjali would have resonated with the people of the Tamil land. Nataraja has great symbolism, as the Maheshwara Sutras (the source of Sanskrit grammar) are said to have emanated from Siva percussing his kettle drum, while the commentary (the Mahabhashya) is said to have emerged from the tinkling of the Lord’s ankelt bells as he danced. This kind of symbolism is far beyond the realm of scientific perception. However, there is sufficient material on the ground which suggests that Patanjali drew inspiration from Lord Siva, especially his dancing forms while teaching (and while composing) the Mahabhashya & the Yoga Sutra. Thus, the images of Siva Nataraja, which were consecrated by Patanjali in Chidambaram and a couple other places have a raised foot and complex Yogic poses. Nataraja or the dancing form of Siva is well recognized, but neither the origin, the evolution of the image, nor the ancient history of its home, i.e., Chidambaram (or Tillai, Tamil Nadu) is understood. This despite numerous attempts to research these topics and the Magnum Opus on Nataraja by the great art historian Dr. C. Sivaramamurti. He informs us about Nataraja images decorating temples walls across the Sub-Continent, South-East and Central Asia. However, Nataraja worship seems to have been confined to select places, i.e., Tamil Nadu, South-East Asia and Gauda Country (Bengal). The forms of Nataraja, their evolution, worship in Chidambaram and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu have been researched by SDARF using a simultaneous study of the Agamas, Shilpa Shastras and by analysis of various Nataraja images (iconography).
Nataraja, Brihadeeshwara temple, Thanjavur
Chidambaram appears to be the place where Nataraja worship originated and subsequently spread to other places in the Tamil Country. Unlike commonly perceived, the Ananda Tandava, the dance of Siva Nataraja in Chidambram is not vigorous. It is a mellow, peaceful dance, as indicated by the locks (of hair) descending down the neck and the left foot just raised (low). The worship at Chidambaram is Vedic & follows Patanjali Maharishi’s Puja Sutra. A Nataraja image from the Bhaskareshwarar temple, near Thanjavur, depicts many of the attributes and the form of the Chidambaram Nataraja in the calm Ananda Tandva pose. Worship of the above (tranquil) form is said to lead to oneness with Siva or Sivasayuja. As opposed to this Shanta Nataraja, is the energetic form with whirling locks and the left foot raised high; this form confers worldly and other gains (see the Brihadeeshwara temple image). The grounded form, as depicted by the Kailasanatha (Tirupattur) image and the Pudukkottai Museum image were supposed to aid the ruler in statecraft, especially bringing the downfall of the enemy. The Pallavas, Early Pandyas and Cholas revered Chidambaram and so as to not eclipse Chidambaram, created either incomplete tranquil forms or the grounded forms and initiated Agamic Nataraja worship across the Tamil Country by the 7th-8th century CE. The incomplete forms and Agamic worship elsewhere, differentiated the worship of Nataraja elsewhere from Chidambaram. Cholas later on single handedly popularized the energetic form that we are all familiar with. In this manner Nataraja worship went beyond Chidambaram.
Grounded Nataraja Form, Government Museum, Pudukkottai
The spread of Nataraja worship beyond Chidambaram has been examined above. The next question that arose was about the form of Nataraja. By reviewing the Tamil Saiva Canon (the Tevaram), it was concluded that the form of Nataraja has remained more or less unchanged since the 6th century CE in Chidambaram. This was subsequently confirmed by reviewing a Sanskrit text from Chidambaram. The obvious conclusion is that the Chidambaram temple has been in place since about the 5th century CE or earlier and the form of Nataraja has been quite consistent through the ages, from the 6th century CE until the present.
Douglas Barrett of the British Museum had done extensive study of Nataraja forms and their evolution, and dated the Nataraja of Chidambaram to the 13th century CE. This becomes difficult to reconcile, as Nataraja worship had spread beyond Chidambaram prior to the 7th-8th century itself. A detailed study of the Chidambaram Nataraja was made by SDARF, using visual observation, taking inputs of the Tillai priests and also by study of similar images and inscriptions. It was concluded that the Chidambaram Nataraja was either late Pallava or from the Pallava-Chola transition period. The latest date for the Tillai image would be early Chola. To know more about this topic, read the research publication here.
It might appear that the origin of Nataraja is solely restricted to the Tamil country. However, as pointed out above and in the the North-South success story, Nataraja was likely installed by Patanjali in the 2nd century BCE in Chidambaram. Studies regarding the consecration of Nataraja in Chidambaram and the form of Nataraja in the 2nd century BCE and its evolution until the 6th century CE are proposed projects to be conducted by SDARF. This would require surveys not only in Chidambaram, but elsewhere in Tamil Nadu. Further review of the texts of Chidambaram and iconographic & epigraphic studies pan-India would need to be conducted. Essentially an integrated approach would be employed to understand the origin of the Nataraja of Chidambaram and its evolution until the 6th century CE.
Chidambaram type Nataraja from the Bhaskareshwarar temple, Ulur, Thanjavur District
Detail of Chidambaram type Nataraja from the Bhaskareshwarar temple, Ulur, Thanjavur District
There is one more pan-India connection that Dr. R. Nagaswamy, the great Indologist and iconographer tells us about. In the mediaeval period, Chidambaram attracted series of priests from Gauda Desa (Bengal), where too Nataraja worship was not uncommon. Some of them stayed back and became the court priests of the Cholas. Nataraja worship is also seen in South-East Asia and was likely taken there by branches of the Pallavas that ruled there, or due to the influence of the Cholas and their extensive trade relationships with South-East Asia.
Detail of Chidambaram type Nataraja from the Bhaskareshwarar temple, Ulur, Thanjavur District