The Majesty Of Lord Pashupatinath

Lord Pashupatinath is a specific manifestation of the multi-roopi Lord Shiva. Housed in an ancient temple of Kathmandu valley, it is a confluence of all five aspects of Him: Lord Sadyojata, Lord Vamadeva, Lord Tatpurusha, Lord Aghora, and Lord Ishana. Indeed, the tall and stately sculpture that you see on this page captures the majesty of Lord Pashupatinath. Almost imposing in its splendour, such a composition comes not only from skill but also from the highest order of shraddha.

Note the pedestal He is standing on. An integral aspect of Indian iconography, the same is a double-tiered one with perfectly symmetrical lotus petals carved on each. It adds to the stature of the Lord as much as the crown that towers on His head. Right beneath the rim of the crown is a line of ringlets and a pair of beauteous eyes, in them an expression of divine omniscience. From the vine-like structures that flank that face to the shringar that graces the torso and limbs of the Lord, each aspect of this sculpture is in keeping with the iconography of the South.

The fine proportions of Lord Pashupatinath’s chaturbhujadhari (four-armed) form are a hallmark of the sculptor’s skill. Zoom in on the lifelike musculature of the limbs and the torso and the ratio that defines them. His legs are overlain with an richly embellished ornate dhoti, sashes descending from either side of His hips on the polished surface of the pedestal.