Tripura Samhara is an interesting episode in the lore of Siva, vividly narrated in ancient Indian epics and puranas. As Tripurari or Tripura Samhari or Tripura Dahana murti, Siva destroyed three mighty brothers with one arrow.
According to tradition, the demon brother chieftains—namely Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha and Vidyunmali—were sons of Tarakasura who was killed by Kartikeya. The Tripura brothers had built impregnable cities of their own. They could move anywhere along with the entire cities. The Padma Purana has a detailed narration and says that the brothers were troubling all divinities. They were undefeated by anyone as they had a boon that they could only be killed by Siva, that too when the three brothers met (which happened once in a 1,000 years) and with a single arrow. All Gods went to Siva and requested him to fight these brothers to save the divine world. Subsequently every God transferred their strength to Siva. Vishwakarma made an almighty chariot. Brahma was the charioteer while the four Vedas became reins of the horses. The Sun and Moon Gods became the front wheels of the chariot and the Ashwini Devatas became the back wheels, while the Gandharvas became the spokes. Surya gave his seven horses. Agni, Yama and Soma became the head of the arrow, while the Mandara hill became the bow. And Vishnu poured his energy into the bow and arrow.
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The Bhagavata Purana too has an interesting narrative. The elements of the ratha are symbolically associated: the chariot as Dharma, charioteer as Jnana and so forth. The Mahabharata’s Shalya Parva has a beautiful narration of the Tripurantaka episode. Duryodhana recalls the Tripurantaka episode and compares Shalya to Brahma and Karna to Siva.
Indian artists have vividly delineated the theme, with Siva in alidha posture having a large bow and standing on the ratha, and Brahma as the charioteer. The chariot is pulled by seven horses. Gauri would also be seen on the chariot. The Tripurasuras are usually depicted using an architectural motif such as multiple shrines or three circles indicating the individual cities. Artists would adjust the theme according to availability of the space. Siva would be depicted with two or more arms, and shooting an arrow towards these cities. Usually, the bow and arrow are seen in the hands. Sometimes, a sword, shield, serpent and axe would also be shown.
In one of the early sculptures from the Badami Chalukya period from Pattadakal, an eight-armed Siva is depicted as standing in the ratha driven by Brahma (early 8th century). In the sculpture that is presently preserved in the Badami ASI Museum, Siva’s consort Gauri is also depicted as seated in the chariot driven by tiny horses. Siva has a bow, shield, sword, serpent and other attributes and is engaged in shooting the arrow. Tripuras—the three cities—are shown side by side in the form of a shrine. Siva’s arrow touches the three cities as if symbolically depicting their destruction. A similar example can be seen on a pillar of the Kashi Vishweshwara Temple in Pattadakal.
A good number of Tripura Samhara sculptures and paintings are also found in the monuments of the Pallava, Rashtrakuta, Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagara periods. The Tripurantaka image at the Ellora Kailasanatha (Rashtrakuta, 8th century CE) follows the Pattadakal tradition, with Siva standing on the chariot, while Gauri and Brahma are depicted as seated. The Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur (Chola, early 11th century CE) has a beautiful narrative of the episode painted on the outer wall of the garbhagriha. The narration is impressive in its delineation. Siva is depicted as vigorously standing in alidha posture and shooting an arrow towards the brothers.
Tripura Samhara narrations are imaginatively depicted in Hoysala temples. The Keshava temple in Nuggehalli and Lakshmi Narayana temple in Hosaholalu (13th century CE) have depictions where Siva is shown in the ratha with the Tripurasura brothers in entwined circles indicating individual cities. There is also another interesting example from the Mallikarjuna temple in Mandya district’s Basaralu where Siva is shooting an arrow at three cities shown in architectural form. There is no depiction of the ratha, Brahma or horses. A rhythmically standing posture and triple-storied cities are artistically composed within the vertical space of the wall. An exact replica of the same figure may also be found on the wall of Sri Vidyashankara Temple in Sringeri.
The maharangamantapa ceiling of Hampi’s Virupaksha Temple (early 16th century) has a Tripurantaka scene where Siva is in a ratha shooting an arrow at the brothers depicted in three entwined circles. The chariot, seven horses, the Sun and Moon as wheels, and Brahma as charioteer along with celestial figures are depicted in this narrative. In this painting, Gauri is absent; instead the artist has used a Naga figure. The theme follows the descriptions found in Kumaravyasa Bharata (Karnataka Bharata Kathamanjari, early 16th century CE). The Vijayanagara artists developed their own style that became a precedent for the Mysore and Thanjavur paintings.
A rare depiction of the theme painted on an oblong space can be found on the inner canopy of the Shanteshwara Mutt at Amminabhavi (19th century CE) near Dharwad. Triple circles with demon figures along with Siva and Brahma in a chariot are painted. The Sun and Moon are portrayed as wheels of the ratha.
The Tripurantaka theme was a favourite of Indian artists in pre-modern periods and they have depicted this episode—in sculptures, temple murals and later as individual paintings—with great realism and imagination.
RH Kulkarni
Professor, Dept of Art History, College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath
(rhkulkarniarthistory@gmail.com)