Yoga Dakshinamurti Shiva

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This wood-statue combines with his Yogamurti form his form in ‘vyakhyana-mudra’, that is, he has been represented not merely as himself engaged in ‘yoga’ but as one ‘daksha’ – master, in ‘yoga’, a perfect demonstrator not only performing ‘yoga’ but also interpreting its pith or mystique. The devotee-group is not manifest but is believed to be attending upon and listening to him. Except that in accordance to the meaning of the term, ‘Dakshina’ is sometimes interpreted as ‘south’, and Dakshinamurti, as the southward facing Master, but in wider Shaivite tradition Dakshinamurti is almost synonymous to ‘Adiguru’ – the ever first Master that Shiva is believed to be irrespective of whatever the field of knowledge : ‘yoga’, dance and music, or philosophy. Jnana-Dakshinamurti Shiva is the Adiguru of every form of Jnana.

In usual Dakshinamurti iconography, besides being represented as engaged in one aspect of jnana – knowledge, or other, as performing a dance, or ‘yoga’, playing on his ‘vina’, or whatever, the normal right hand of his four-armed figure is essentially rendered in ‘vyakhyana-mudra’, that is, as interpreting the pith of what he is engaged in. As would a great master, absorbed he performs a move, say in dance, and with as much absorption he interprets it or teaches its meaning – neither affecting the other. Other usual features of Dakshinamurti iconography, though not without variants, are a rosary, a sheaf of grass, serpent, flames of fire, double-drum, trident among others in other hands, and one held in ‘abhaya’. The Indus Mahayogi form of Shiva is as seated cross-legged, though in later iconography this vision of Yoga Dakshinamurti changed to have his right leg laid suspending over the figure of Apasmara Purusha, the symbol of ignorance, and the left, laid in semi-yoga posture.

For his form of Yoga Dakshinamurti the artist of this statue has chosen Indus Mahayogi form, at least for the seating posture of the image. Here the image of Lord Shiva has been carved seated in exact ‘Padmasana’, not as mere cross-legged. As prescribed, the image’s normal right hand manifests the essential ‘vyakhyana-mudra’. While revealing ‘vyakhyana-mudra’, this hand has been gesticulated into such posture that it also manifests ‘abhaya’. In the upper right hand Yoga Dakshinamurti has been represented as holding his double-drum, in the lower left, his usual trident, and in the upper left, a billowing basket type sheaf of grass. Enormity of snakes, crawling all over his figure, large size prayer-beads on the neck, tiger skin around his groins, jata-juta, crescent and other similar attributes define his Dakshinamurti form. The image has been installed on a high pedestal carved with motifs not usually seen in Shaivite iconography.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.