Title
Shiva as Lord of Music, c. 1000. Creator: Unknown.
Caption
Shiva as Lord of Music, c. 1000. After he created the world, Shiva manifested himself in a variety of ways, each of which emphasized a different aspect of his all-encompassing, complex personality. As Lord of Music, he is serene and beneficent. He holds a stringed instrument called the vina, which is missing in this example, but the fingers of his lowered hands are in the position of playing it. His other two attributes in this form are the axe and the rearing antelope, which references knowledge of the Vedic texts, which are the foundational books of the Hindu religion. Music was considered to be an essential component of sacred learning, and its rhythms reflect the structures of the ongoing creation of the universe.
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19G04_380
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
64,4Mb (2,7Mb) / 12,9in x 19,4in / 3859 x 5832 (300dpi)