Pashupati (, ,) is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva, in his benign aspect as the five-faced herdsman of all creatures.
Etymology
Paśupati means "lord of the animals".
indicates animal as well as a
Shaivism.
It was an epithet of
Rudra in the
Vedic period and is one of the epithets of Shiva.
History
The earliest claimed evidence of Pashupati comes from the Indus Valley civilization (3300 BCE to 1300 BCE), where the
Pashupati seal has been said to represent a proto-Shiva figure.
Literature
Vedas
Pashupati was generally applied as an epithet of Rudra in the
Samhita and the
Brahmana. In the
Atharvaveda, Rudra is described to be the lord of the bipeds and the quadrupeds, including creatures that inhabited the earth, woods, the waters, and the skies. His lordship over cattle and other beasts denoted both a benevolent and destructive role; he slew animals that incurred his wrath, but was also kind to those who propitiated him, blessing them with health and prosperity.
Nepala Mahatmya
Markandeya narrates the origin of Pashupati to the sage
Jaimini. Accompanied by his consort
Parvati, Shiva visited the Śleṣmātaka forest upon the banks of the
Bagmati River in the form of a deer, while she assumed the form of a doe.
Brahma,
Vishnu, and
Indra, confounded by his absence, scoured the
Trailokya in search of him. When they finally discovered Shiva in the
Himalayas, they were surprised to find him bearing one horn, three eyes, surrounded by his consort and a flock of deer. After they venerated him, they realised that he did not wish to return to his divine form. The deities attempted to subdue Shiva by holding his horn, which broke upon their touch into four parts as he leapt across the riverbanks. When the deities begged Shiva to return to his abode and his place in the universe, he told them that he would reside in the forest for all time in the form of the deer, and would henceforth be known as Pashupati. He stated that the four horns would be consecrated as four
lingams across the region. He declared that those who worshipped him in this aspect would never be born as animals, and would be blessed with good virtues.
Iconography
The five faces of Pashupati represent the five forms of Shiva:
Sadyojata (also known as Varuna),
Vamadeva (also known as Uma Maheshvara),
Tatpurusha,
Bhairava, and
Ishana. They face the west, north, east, south and zenith respectively, representing the
Pancha Bhuta (five basic elements) of the Hindu cosmos, namely earth, water, air, light and ether.
The Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as:
By country
Nepal
Although Nepal is a secular state, its population is predominantly Hindu. Pashupatinath is revered as a national deity. The Pashupatinath Temple, located at the bank of the river
Bagmati, is considered one of the most sacred places in Nepal. In mythology it is said that Pashupatinath started living in Nepal in the form of a deer because he was enchanted by the beauty of
Kathmandu Valley.
India
A Pashupatinath temple is sited on the banks of the
Shivana river in
Mandsaur,
Madhya Pradesh,
India. It is one of the most important shrines of Mandsaur, and Shiva in the form of Pashupati is its primary deity.
Pashupata Shaivism
Pashupata Shaivism is one of the oldest Shaivite sects that derives its name from
Pashupati. The sect upholds Pashupati "as the supreme deity, the lord of all souls, and the cause of all existence".
See also
Sources
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Includes Śivasahasranāmakoṣa, a dictionary of names. This work compares eight versions of the Śivasahasranāmāstotra. The preface and introduction (in English) by Ram Karan Sharma provide an analysis of how the eight versions compare with one another. The text of the eight versions is given in Sanskrit.
Further reading
