Page 47 - Christies Alsdorf Collection Part 1 Sept 24 2020 NYC

SHIVA VICTOR THREE FORTS
AS
OF
(TRI-PURA-VIJAYA): CA. 1050

DR. VIDYA DEHEJIA
Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian and South Asian Art, Columbia University

What three forts did Shiva destroy? And why is this for the families of the chieftains and officials who gifted
slated as one of Shiva’s great feats in a hymn known as bronzes to temples. An inscription on a temple along
Dasha-Puranam or “Ten Myths,” composed by the 7th the Kaveri river tells us of that Parantaka’s queen
century nayanmar saint Appar? We learn that three great dedicated such an image and made provisions for its
demonic forces threatened the stability of the world appropriate worship:
from their three forts, one of gold, a second of silver,
In the year twenty of Parantaka, queen Kokkilanadigal, who
and a third of iron. These forts were set up variously, in
the sky, in mid-air, and on earth in such a manner that installed the processional image of the Lord who Burned the
Three Forts [Tripura-dahanam] in the temple at Tiru-turutti,
in order to destroy all three forts, it was necessary to use
only one single arrow. And Shiva did this. Appar sang gifted paddy to make food offerings to this Beauteous Lord of
the Three Worlds [Tripura-Sundarar], and gold to burn a
thus of this dramatic feat:
perpetual lamp in front of him.
When the three citadels, unmoored, Poonturutti temple inscription
flew about wrecking destruction
in heaven and on earth, The queen described her image as “Handsome One
Oppressed by their assault, of the Three Worlds;” in case there should be any
the frightened gods, led by Ari [Vishnu] himself doubt on the exact form of her image, she clarified
sought his protection. that the dedication was a metal processional image of
Then, moved by compassion, the gracious savior the “Lord who Burned the Three Forts.” Clearly, she
kindled his deadly arrow with fire, was motivated by the desire for an exemplary deity
shot fire from the snake that was his bowstring, who would serve as an archetypal model for victorious
bent his mountain-bow to its fullest, warfare and the defeat of Chola enemies.
and reduced the citadels to ashes …
This tall, slender, but grounded bronze of Shiva, cast
Appar [trans. Indira Peterson]
in the mid-eleventh century, would have held the bow
During the first century and a half of Chola rule, prior and arrow in his front hands; these were routinely cast
to the emergence of emperor Rajaraja, when war was a separately and placed in Shiva’s hands, and are generally
constant and recurring fact of life, Shiva’s manifestation missing today in all but a few images still in worship
as Victor of Three Forts held special significance. The in temples. Shiva stands gracefully poised, resting his
third Chola monarch, Parantaka, ruled for all of fifty weight on his right foot, while his left leg is lightly bent
years, but his eldest son was killed in action on the at the knee and placed on the back of the dwarf demon
battlefield in the year AD 949. Chola control over a Mushalagan, who holds a serpent in one hand and looks
vulnerable kingdom, centered in the Kaveri river delta, out helplessly at the viewer. In an unusual strategy, the
was far from assured. During this perilous period, Shiva’s artist placed a lotus below Shiva’s right foot so that the
warrior-like manifestation as Victor of Three Forts, image would look appropriately balanced. Shiva and the
holding a bow in his upraised left hand and an arrow little demonic figure were cast together on an oval plate
in his lowered right hand, proved to be an inspiration that was then inserted into a rectangular pedestal.

45