சிந்து சமவெளி நாகரீகத்தில் கிடைத்த பல பொருட்களுக்குப் பிறகு வரலாற்றுக்காலத்தில் கிடைத்த சிவலிங்கங்களில் மிகப் பழமையான லிங்கங்களாகக் கருதப்பெறுபவை மூன்று லிங்கங்கள். இவை அலாஹாபாத்தின் அருகிலுள்ள பீடா, மதுரா மற்றும் ஆந்திரத்திலுள்ள குடிமல்லம் ஆகிய இடங்களிலிருந்து கிடைத்தவை. இவற்றுள் காலத்தால் பழமையானதாகக் கருதப்பெறுவது பீடாவில் கிடைத்த சுடுமண்ணாலான லிங்கம். கிட்டத்தட்ட ஐந்து முகங்களோடு எந்தையின் ஐந்து முகங்களை நினைவுபடுத்துவதைப் போல கிடைத்த இந்த லிங்கத்தின் காலம் பொயுமு இரண்டிலிருந்து பொயு ஒன்று வரையாக நிர்ணயிக்கப்பெற்றிருக்கிறது. c பொயு ஒன்றாகவும் குடிமல்ல லிங்கம் பொயு ஒன்றிலிருந்து இரண்டாகவும் கருதப்பெறுகிறது.
Gudimallam linga(ca. 1st cent BCE),
Ekamukha linga (Mathura),
terracottaPancamukha linga (Bhita, ca. 1st cent. BCE – 2nd Cent. CE)
Gudimallam linga(ca. 1st cent BCE),
Ekamukha linga (Mathura),
terracottaPancamukha linga (Bhita, ca. 1st cent. BCE – 2nd Cent. CE)
Linga-Mathura-Museum
பீடாவில் கிடைத்த சுடுமண்ணாலான லிங்கம்.
Terracotta Panchamukha linga.Bhita, ca. 2nd cent. BCE - 2nd Cent. CE (After Fig. 6.2 Fig. 2.2, Fig. 5.1, Fig.3.1 and 3.2 in: Gayatri, Manola K., Interpreting symbolism of the Linga: Contrasting Freudian analysis with ideas of the Indian Linga Cult.
குடிமல்லம்
Three views of the Bhita lingam: stone. ca. 1st cent. BCE
“The Dhruvaberas in all Siva temples is the Lingasurmounted upon the Yoni or the piṇḍikā (pedestal)...In the praise of Skambha, we meet with the following passages, namely, 'Where Skambha, generating broughtPurāṇapurusha into existence' and 'Skambha in the beginning shed forth that gold (hiraṇya, out of whichHiraṇyagarbha arose) in the midst of the world' and lastly 'He who knows the golden reed standing in the waters is the mysterious Prajāpati.' From the first two of the three passages quoted above, we see that one of the functions of Skambha is to beget Hiraṇyagarbha, or Purāṇapurusha, the god of reproduction. He pours forth his golden seed in begetting Prajāpati. The original of the third passage runs thus: Yo vetasam hiraṇyayam tishṭhantam salile veda sa vai guhyah Prajāpatih.
“...a brief account contributed by Mr. RD Banerji to the Annual of the Director General of Archaeology for 1909-1910. About the linga of Bhita Mr. Banerji writes, 'The top of it is shaped as the bust of a male holding a vase in his left hand, while the right is raised in the abhaya mudrāposture. Below this bust, where the waist of the figure should have been, are four human heads, one at each corner. From the mode of dressing the hair and the large rings worn in the lobes of the ears, it appears that these are the busts of females. They are more or less defaced, but still retain sufficient detail to admit of identification. The upper part of the head of the male is broken, only the portion below the nose being extant. The male figure wears a loth which is thrown over the left shoulder, the folds being shown by a double line running over the breast. The vase held in the left hand resembles to some extent, the ointment vessel found in the figures of Bodhisatvas of the Gandhara school. The left ear of the male figure bears the circular pendants, which may be earrings. In front, immediately below the heads of two females, the phallus is marked by deeply drawn lines. To the upper left of this is the inscription...The lower part of the stone is shaped as a tenon to be fitted in a mortice. The inscription is in a good state of preservation, and with the exception of the last three letters, can be deciphered very easily.' The translation of the inscription is given by Mr. Banerji as follows: 'The linga of the sons of Khajahuti, was dedicated by Nagasiri, the son of Vaseṭhi. May the deity be pleased.' (The text of this inscription reads as follows: Khajahuti putanam l[im]go patiṭhāpito vāseṭhi-putena Nagasirinā piyayta[m] d[e]vatā.). From the description given by Mr. Banerji it is evident that it is a Mukhalinga having five faces corresponding to the īśāna, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vāmadeva andSadyojata aspects of Śiva. In the description of Mukhalingas given...the face representing īśāna should be on the top, while the other four should face the east, south, west and north respectively. The four faces of the four corners which Mr. Banerji believes may be of females are really those of male figures...With the help of the (inscription) characters, Mr. RD Banerji has correctly guessed the age of the Linga to be the first century BCE. The second most ancient Linga is the one discovered …at Gudimallam.”(Gopinatha Rao, TA, 1916, Elements of Hindu iconography, Madras, Law Printing House, 1914 - 1916. - 2 vols,pp.56-57, 63-65).
The inscription on the Bhita linga is remarkable because it attests the use of Brahmi script in ca. 1st cent. BCE. The shape of the linga is remarkable because of the five faces ligatured to the linga, making it apancamukha linga,’linga with 5 faces’. While RD Banerji explains the five faces as related to īśāna, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vāmadeva and Sadyojata aspects of Śiva, an alterntive archaeometallurgical explanation is possible in the context of Harappa Script tradition.
In the context of decipherment of Harappa Script hieroglyphs on Gudimallam linga, it has been noted that the linga was a promulgation of mintwork. It was also shown that the weltanschauung of the civilization was: work is worship. In Harappa Script tradition, kole.l ‘smithy, forge’ is kole.l ‘temple’. Thus, the sons of Khajahuti who installed the Bhita pancamukha linga signify the metalwork with pancaloha ‘alloy of five metals’. This identification of smithy/forge (kole.l) as a temple (kole.l) is exemplified in the Lignayata tradition pronounced by Basava: kāyakave kailāsa, ‘work is heaven, Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva’.
Just as Gudimallam linga signifies mintwork, Bhita linga with panchamukha ‘five faces’ signifies work withpancaloha ‘five metals’. Pancaloha is an alloy of five metals: gold, silver, copper, tin, and zinc.
The passages in the sacred metaphors of Vedic tradition provide the link of Skambha (exemplified bylinga) with hiraṇya, ‘gold’: 1. 'Where Skambha, generating brought Purāṇapurusha into existence'; 2. 'Skambha in the beginning shed forth that gold (hiraṇya, out of which Hiraṇyagarbha arose) in the midst of the world' and 3. Yo vetasam hiraṇyayam tishṭhantam salile veda sa vai guhyah Prajāpatih. Trans. 'He who knows the golden reed standing in the waters is the mysterious Prajāpati.'
The linga of Gudimallam and the linga of Bhita are installed in the āgama tradition of worship in a temple.
