 Ziba
Ziba (or, Zeeba, Zipak) origins are recorded in the Skandha Purana.
Once Lord Shiva created a demon called Jalandhara from the blaze of his third
eye. The demon soon coveted the attentions of Parvati, the Great God's
consort . He persuaded Rahu to approach her
for him.
When Shiva found out, he again caused his 3rd eye to blaze thus creating Ziba,
whose role was to devour Rahu.
When Rahu begged Shiva for mercy, the God called off Ziba. But Ziba,
now with no prey to feed upon, began to devour his own body until only his head
and hands were left. (We can see his hands pointing to his "non-body.")
He was then appointed Shiva's door-keeper.
The face and hands of Ziba remind us of the consequences of desire and
hunger, but now he is also the guardian of practitioners.
Yalli
Ziba is a form of Yalli
(corruption of Skt. vyala, fierce monster). These are architectural or
decorative animal-mask motifs. They feature mainly as stone carvings like the
ones at the famous Hindu temples of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, South
India.
They usually have the stylized body of a lion and the head of some other
beast, most often an elephant (gaja-vyala.) Other common examples are: the
lion-headed (simha-vyala,) horse- (ashva-vyala,) human- (nir-vyala) and the
dog-headed (shvana-vyala) ones. They are related to the hippogryphs and
sphinxes of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and symbolize the world-emperor (Skt. chakravartin,) whose strength derives from divine power.
Another monstrous creature is the Shabara, a hybrid of a lion, horse and
ram.)
Their counterparts in European design are some of the fantastic animals used
as mediaeval heraldic devices, eg. the griffon.
Mukha
Mukha means face or mask or even maw.
A mukha is an architectural or decorative motif that is placed above openings as
a form of protection. It is also known as makara vakstra, and is often the
central feature in the elaborate cloth door hanging known as a toran.
A particular type is known as the Face of Glory or Kirtimukha.
It is a demonic mask of great ferocity with protruding eyeballs, stout horns,
and a gaping maw with prominent fangs or canine teeth. Kirtimukhas often
appear above gates, dormer windows, archways and so on. They often have garlands or festoons issuing from
the mouth.
It is also referred to as Simha-mukha (lion-mask) in
literature, and the stylized lion's face can be traced to the Persian lion-faces
which appear for the first time in India on Mauryan (eg. Ashoka) pillar
capitals. It is referred to as Grasamukha in western India, Rahumukha in eastern
India, and as Kala in the Southeast Asian countries.
It may be related to the Mask of Medusa as it was used in Greek
and Roman architecture. Gorgon heads with their terrific faces were carved on
gates and walls of forts, palaces, and temples to ward off enemies and other
dangers. Similar decorative devices were also used by the Scythians, the Chinese, and appear all over the
world. In Britain, for example, there is the
Green Man mask hiding in corners of Gothic cathedrals.
The Kirtimukha is generally considered symbolic of the destructive power of
Shiva Mahabhairav (very wrathful) -- destroyer of demons. It is seen
by Hindus as symbolic of the glory of divine power which generates creation but
is also the source of destruction. For Buddhists it is a symbol of
Impermanence -- the face of the demon grasping the Wheel of Samsara.
However, alone, it is an auspicious mark of the activity of Dharma Protection.
Some see in the Kirtimukha, the eclipse demon
Rahu who had no body according to Indian mythology. Eclipses are
almost never considered good omens and often are interpreted as portents of
disaster. Considering the ancient homeopathic principle that we can treat
"like with like" then we can understand why Kirtimukhas are believed
to ward off evil, especially such forces of destruction as fire and
earthquake.
V. S. Agrawala says that kirti denotes an excavated
chamber, and so Kirtimukha signifies its façade. ~ Rajaram
Hegde on-line. Not available, Feb. 2005.
Kirtimukha often appears as a subtle motif in the embroideries,
and traditional Tibetan Buddhist hangings and banners that decorate shrine rooms
and temples. For some, they still serve in a magical capacity to ward off
evil, for others they are only an auspicious motif. Most people do not
even realize the mask is there.
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ] [Mysterious
Beasts]
[ Display of Forms ] [ Mysterious Places ]
| 