Dr Sushil Bhati
Key words- Shiva, Durga, Nana, Pashupatastra, Brahmshira, Brahmastra, Nandipada, Kanishka, Four pronged Tamga
The royal insignia found on
Kanishka’S coin is also known as Kanishka’s Tamga. Kanishka’s tamga have curved bottom with four
prongs at the top. Due to its four prongs it may be called Chaturshool or Quadrant. The Royal
Insignia of Koshano (Kushana) king Kanishka symbolizes both the King and the
dynasty. It was also used as the royal seal. The symbol was first used by Vima
Kadphises, the father of Kanishka, as a royal insignia on his coin. Vima Kadphises
was the worshipper of Shiva and he took the title of Maheshwar i.e. the devotee
of Mahesh (Shiva).
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| The Royal Insignia of Kanishka |
Shaivite Symbols were also used
earlier as Tamga. Nandipada Tamga, symbol representing the foot mark of Ox
Nandi, the vehicle of lord Shiva was used earlier as tamga in North-Western
India. Koshano kings, specially, Vima Kadphises had a shaivite leaning. Thus,
according to some historians the four pronged tamga of Kanishka is a compound
of the foot print of Nandi, vehicle of Shiva and Shiva’s war weapon Trishula
(trident). But then the question arises why instead of three there are four prongs in Kanishka’s tamga?
Beside Trishul, Shiva possesses a
powerful four pronged weapon, known in puranic literature as Pashupatastra,
with which he killed the daityas and with which he will destroy the universe at
the end of the yuga. Pashupatastra is a kind of Brahmashira astra. Brahmashira
astra, in turn, is a kind of Brahmastra. All the Brahmastra are very powerful
and destructive weapons said to be made by Brahma. Brahmashira is four time
powerful than simple Brahmastra. Brahmashira Astra would manifest with four
heads of Brahma at its tip. Apparently Brahmashira astra was a four pronged
arrow. It can be launched in four manners- with a thought, a glance, a word or a
bow. So it suggests that four prongs in
Kaniska’s tamga represent the four prong of Shiva’s weapon Pashupatastra.
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| Kanishka's coin with Shiva and four pronged tamga |
We also have other example of
Pashupatastra being as a motif in piece of art. A seal depicting two armed
goddess, with legend Durggaha in Gupta script, has been discovered from
Rajghat, Varanasi. The goddess is shown with a wreath in left and four pronged
object in right hand. Four pronged object in right hand of Godess Durga represent
the Pashupatastra (Brahmashirsha Astra) as Pashupatastra also belongs to the
Durga, the destructive manifestation of Parvati, the wife of Shiva. As the Shiva and Durga are spouses to each
other, it is some time better to see their concerned religious
beliefs together as a whole. Koshano kings with a shaivite leaning played an
important role in development of Durga worship cult. Thus, depiction of
Pashupatiastra of Shiva-Durga on their coin is quite natural. According to the Rabatak inscription Nana
(Durga) was most revered deity of Kanishka. AS the four pronged Pashupatastra
also belongs to Shiva’s wife Durga there is high probability that four pronged
Tamga represent the Pashupatastara.
A small female figure with lion at
her feet is found from a devkula, dedicated to Vima Kadphises, at Mat in
Mathura. According to V S Aggarwal the statue is supposed to be that of Goddess
Durga. B N Mukherjee considers it to be the statue of Bactrian goddess Nana,
introduced by Koshano kings in India. In Rabatak inscription it has been said
that Kanishka got the kingship with the grace of goddess Nana and other
deities. In fact, Nana and Durga are supposed to be one and the same deity.
Nana and Durga have common attributes. Both are war goddess and depicted as
sitting on the Lion on the coins and other sources. Nana is depicted as sitting
on lion on koshano king Huviska’s coin. A goddess with legend Ommo (Uma,Shiva’s
wife) is shown with Oesho (Shiva) on Koshano coins. Similarly on some other
Koshano coins the name of the goddess with Shiva is given as Nana. Hence Nana
is identical with Uma. As Durga is another name of Uma, Nana and Durga are
identified as one and the same deity. The name of Nana survives in deity that
of Naina Devi whose famous shrine is at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh. Naina
devi temple is considered to be a seat of Durga. It is interesting to note that it is believed
that idol (pindi) of Naina Devi was discovered by a member of Gujar tribe. The
Gujars are identified by Alexander Cunningham as historical Koshanos
(Kushanas), who introduced the goddess Nana in India. In this way name of
Koshanos (Kushanas) is still connected with deity Nana.
The name of Kanak Durga temle of
Vijaywada, Andra Pradesh and the story related to its establishment also
associate the name of Kanishka with the Pashupatastra, in some way. According to Kiratarjuniya, written by Bharvi
in sixth century A D, a combat between Shiva and Arjuna was fought at the
Indrakeeladri hills in present Vijaywada of Andhra Pradesh. Shiva got pleased
with the bravery of Arjuna and gave him Pashupatastra, (Brahmashirsha Astra)
the four pronged arrow. Beside Shiva, Pashupatastra belonged to the Durga, the
destructive manifestation of his wife Parvati. Arjuna also worshipped Durga at
the same place and got her blessings too for his success in upcoming war with
Kauravas. He built there a temple of the goddess Durga, now known as Kanak
Durga. Kanishka is called Kanak (kanik) by Al-biruni (973-1048 A. D.) in his
book Tahqiqe Hind. Thus, the name of the Kanaka Durga temple suggests its
connection with Kanishka. According to Chinese pilgrim Wang Hsuan-tse, who
visited India in seventh century, Kanishka invaded the Satvahana king of modern
Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh. So it is possible that Kanishka visited the
place and renovated the Durga temle at Indrakeeladri hill. The fact that Durga
temple said to be built by Mahabharta hero Arjuna came to be known with the
name of Kanishka seems interesting. It equates the name of kanishka with that
of Arjuna, the receiver of Pashupatastra (Brahmashira astra), the four pronged
arrow, from Shiva.
As per the discussion above, in my
view, Kaniska’s royal insignia is compound of four pronged Pashupatastra and
foot print of Nandi.
References –
1.
Bhaskar
Chattopadhyay, The Age Of The Kushanas- A Numismatic Study, Calcutta, 1967
2.
Bharat
Bhushan, Shiva-The Amazing Archer, Lonavala, 2011
3.
Sree
Padma, Vicissitudes of the Godess: Reconstruction of the Gramadevata , 2013
4.
John
M Rosenfield, The Dynastic Arts Of Kushans
5.
J
A B, van Buitenen (Editor), The Mahabharata, Vol. I , Chicago, 1973
6.
Maggi
Lidchi-Grassi, The Great Golden Sacrifice Of The Mahabharata, NOIDA, 2011
7.
B
N Mukherjee, Nana on Lion: A Study In Kushana Numismatic arts, Asiatic Society,
1969
8.
Umakant
P Shah, Jaina-Rupa-Mandana (Jaina Iconography), New Delhi, 1987
9.
Chidatman
Swami, The Sacred Scriptures of India, Vol. IV, New Delhi,2009,
10.
Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga Yoga: Mythology,
Anatomy and Practice, California, 2009
