Pashupati (Sanskrit: पशुपति, IAST: Paśupati) is a Hindu deity and an incarnation of Shiva as the "Lord of the animals". Pashupati is mainly worshipped in Nepal and India. Pashupati is also the national deity of Nepal.
Paśupati or Pashupatinatha, means "Lord of the animals". It was an epithet of Rudra in the Vedic period[1] and is one of the epithets of Shiva.[2]
Historyedit
The Pashupati seal, surrounded by animals; circa 2350-2000 BCE. It is preserved in National Museum, New Delhi
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.[3]
The five faces of Pashupatinath represent various incarnations of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Varuna), Vamdeva (also known as Uma Maheswara), Tatpurusha, Aghor and Ishana. They face West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively, representing Hinduism's five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether.[4]
The Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as:
Sadyojata, Vamdeva, Tatpurusha & Aghora are the four faces, The fifth is Ishana, unknowable even to the seers.[4]
Although Nepal is a secular state, its population is predominantly Hindu. Pashupatinath is revered as a national deity.[5] 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.[citation needed]
Indiaedit
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 Pashupatinath is its primary deity. Its main attraction is a unique Shiva Linga displaying eight faces of Shiva. The shrine has four doors, representing the cardinal directions.[6]
Pashupata Shaivismedit
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".[7]
Śarmā, Rāmakaraṇa (1996). Śivasahasranāmāṣṭakam : eight collections of hymns containing one thousand and eight names of Śiva. Delhi: Nag Publishers. ISBN9788170813507. OCLC 36990863. 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.
Zimmer, Heinrich (1972). Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN978-0-691-01778-5.
January 01, 1970
pashupati, sanskrit, पश, पत, iast, paśupati, hindu, deity, incarnation, shiva, lord, animals, mainly, worshipped, nepal, india, also, national, deity, nepal, lord, animalslingam, image, mandsaur, temple, indiaaffiliationshaivismregionindian, subcontinent, cont. Pashupati Sanskrit पश पत IAST Pasupati is a Hindu deity and an incarnation of Shiva as the Lord of the animals Pashupati is mainly worshipped in Nepal and India Pashupati is also the national deity of Nepal PashupatiLord of the AnimalsLingam image of Pashupati in the Mandsaur temple IndiaAffiliationShaivismRegionIndian subcontinent Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 The Deity 4 By country 4 1 Nepal 4 2 India 5 Pashupata Shaivism 6 See also 7 References 8 SourcesEtymology editPasupati or Pashupatinatha means Lord of the animals It was an epithet of Rudra in the Vedic period 1 and is one of the epithets of Shiva 2 History edit nbsp The Pashupati seal surrounded by animals circa 2350 2000 BCE It is preserved in National Museum New Delhi 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 3 The Deity editPashupatinath is an avatar of Shiva one of the Hindu Trinity He is the male counterpart of Shakti The five faces of Pashupatinath represent various incarnations of Shiva Sadyojata also known as Varuna Vamdeva also known as Uma Maheswara Tatpurusha Aghor and Ishana They face West North East South and Zenith respectively representing Hinduism s five primary elements namely earth water air light and ether 4 The Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as Sadyojata Vamdeva Tatpurusha amp Aghora are the four faces The fifth is Ishana unknowable even to the seers 4 By country editNepal edit Main article Hinduism in Nepal nbsp Pashupatinath Temple Nepal Although Nepal is a secular state its population is predominantly Hindu Pashupatinath is revered as a national deity 5 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 citation needed India edit 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 Pashupatinath is its primary deity Its main attraction is a unique Shiva Linga displaying eight faces of Shiva The shrine has four doors representing the cardinal directions 6 Pashupata Shaivism editPashupata 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 7 See also editPotnia Theron Religion of the Indus Valley CivilizationReferences edit Kramrisch p 479 Sarma 1996 p 291 Marshall Sir John 1931 Mohenjo Daro and the Indus Civilization Vol i 1931 a b Encyclopaedia of Saivism Swami P Anand Swami Parmeshwaranand Publisher Sarup amp Sons ISBN 8176254274 ISBN 9788176254274 page 206 Nepal Culture Smart The Essential Guide to Customs amp Culture p 148 Kuperard Pashupatinath Temple website Archived 2013 05 30 at the Wayback Machine Hinduism An Alphabetical Guide p 923 Roshen Dalal Penguin UKSources editFlood Gavin 1996 An Introduction to Hinduism Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 43878 0 Flood Gavin ed 2003 The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism Malden Massachusetts Blackwell ISBN 1 4051 3251 5 Kramrisch Stella 1981 The Presence of Siva Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 01930 4 Michaels Axel 2004 Hinduism Past and Present Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 08953 1 Possehl Gregory 2003 The Indus Civilization A Contemporary Perspective AltaMira Press ISBN 978 0 7591 0172 2 Sarma Ramakaraṇa 1996 Sivasahasranamaṣṭakam eight collections of hymns containing one thousand and eight names of Siva Delhi Nag Publishers ISBN 9788170813507 OCLC 36990863 Includes Sivasahasranamakoṣa a dictionary of names This work compares eight versions of the Sivasahasranamastotra 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 Zimmer Heinrich 1972 Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press ISBN 978 0 691 01778 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pashupati amp oldid 1221031506, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
