Yogi Sculptures: Complex Āsanas Across the Deccan

Seth Powell

Yogi Sculptures: Complex Āsanas Across the Deccan

2023, Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia: Influence, Entanglement and Confrontation. Edited by Daniela Bevilacqua and Mark Singleton

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Abstract

This chapter aims to broaden our understanding of the visual record of yogis carved upon the temple pillars and walls of several Vijayanagara-era temple sites in the Deccan-including major temple complexes at Hampi, Śrīśailam, Śṛṅgerī, Lepākṣī, and Śravaṇabeḷagola. The yogi sculptures are a key feature of a broader visual program of artistic temple production that spanned across these Vijayanagara temple sites during the 15th and 16th centuries. I argue that the pervasive sculptural presence of yogis performing complex āsanas in the Deccan during this period is a testament to the physical presence of lived yogis in and around these south-Indian temple sites. In several cases, the sculptures of particular āsanas predate and anticipate textual evidence thereof, providing unique insight into "on the ground" yoga traditions. Renditions of certain contortionist postures and those involving physical "props" may also be indicative of a shared performative community of physical culturalists (including yogis, dancers, and gymnasts) who were active at such temples, especially during annual festivals. The assessment of this material record of yoga practice is crucial for our understanding of the historical development and geographical location of physical yoga traditions in precolonial South India.

Figures (29)

Figure 1: Map of temple sites with yogi sculptures in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. to be progenitors. Contemporary Nath sadhana tends to be focused more on daily puja, bhakti, and more contemplative and Tantric ritual practices, rather than on complex systems of dsana, pranayama, mudras, or satkarma—the hallmarks of mediaeval hathayoga praxis. The Vijayanagara temple sculptures of Nath and other Siddha yogis performing highly complex yogic postures thus provide a unique historical account, documented in stone.4

Figure 2: Siddha with long jatd, seated in Figure 2: Siddha with long jata, seated in siddhasana, flanked by the sun and moon. Srigailam.

Figure 4: Yogi with long jatd seated with yogapatta. Tiruvengalanatha temple, Hampi.

Figure 3: Two yogis seated with jata and yogapattas. Vidyasankara temple, Srigeri.

Figure 5: Seated ascetic with aksamala, matted hair, and arm and leg bands. Virtipaksa temple, Hampi. Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia

Figure 7: Squatting (Nath?) Siddha, with singi around neck, Tiruvengalanatha temple, Hampi.

Figure 6: Stylised Siddha seated with elaborat jewellery. Vitthala temple, Hampi.

Figure 8: Squatting Siddha, seated upon a mountain(?). Vidyasankara temple, Srigeri.

Figure 9: Swaying Siddha. Virabhadra temple, Lepaksi.

Figure 15: Yogi practising uddiyana bandha(?), drawing the abdomen inwards. Krsna temple, Hampi. Figure 14: (Nath?) yogi practising nostril- breathing pranayama(?), seated ona tortoise Vidyagankara temple, Srngeri. even the application of hathayogic locks (bandha) and the retention of breath

Figure 16: Seated yogi with leg extended, aksamala water pot, and yogapatta. Mallikajuna temple, Srigailam. Figure 17: Seated yogi in a twist, with yogapatta. Mallikajuna temple, Srigailam.

Figure 18: Matsyendra witl large slit earrings. Hemakuta hill, Hampi. Figure 20: Stylised Matsyendr with yogapatta and staff. Virtipaksa temple, Hampi. Mallikarjuna temple, Srigailam. One of the most ubiquitous and easily recognisable yogic images across the Vijayanagara temple sites is Matsyendra (i.e., Matsyendranatha, Macchanda, etc.), the “Lord of the Fish,” who is indicated in visual form as seated on his fish vehicle (vahana). Matsyendra is a highly important Siddha figure both for the earlier Kaula Saiva tradition which flourished in Kashmir," as well as the later Nath yoga tradition associated with Goraksa (i.e., Goraksanatha, Gorakhnath, etc.). An abundance of Matsyendra sculptures can be found across nearly all Vijayanagara temple sites, giving ample testimony to the popularity of Matsyendra as a great yogic Siddha within the public imaginaire of the Deccan (Figs. 18-20).12

Figure 21: Ascetic performing tapas with tree-like jata, standing on one leg, on the tips of the toes. Tiruvengalanatha temple, Hampi. Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia of time one would have held such a posture, with bodily positions of tapas typically being held for numerous years at a time. The more complex balancing postures we find sculptures of—with legs behind the head, or balancing on the arms—certainly could not be held for such long periods (Figs. 22-24). Here I contend that a more dynamic hathayoga appears to be evoked, with dsanas aimed at the cultivation of the eradication of disease or illness, and manipulation of vital fluids and energies within the body (prana, bindu, kundalini, etc.).18

Figure 22-24: Balancing yogis. Vidyasankara temple, Sringeri. Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia Virtipaksa temple at Hampi (Fig. 26), the Vidyasankara temple at Srngeri (Fig. 25), and the Mallikarjuna prakara at Srigailam (Fig. 27)—likely all carved in the early to mid-16th century. It is quite interesting to note that the placement of the feet is different in each sculpture—suggestive of variant forms of practice. At Hampi the soles of the yogi’s feet are drawn together and the toes are pointed upwards; while at Srisailam the feet are pointed down. Only the sculpture at Srigeri depicts kukkutdsana with the legs folded in padmasana, the way the posture is typically taught in the Sanskrit hathayoga literature.29

Figure 26: Yogi in Figure 27: Yogi in kukkutasana. kukkutdsana. Viripaksa temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Srigailam. Wamni padmasana, the way the posture is typically taught in the Sanskrit hathayoga literature.2

21 See for example, viraficydsana as taught in the Tirumalai Krishnamacarya tradition of Mysore (Powell 2018: 77-79).

Figure 28-30: Yogis in one-armed balancing postures. Tiruvengalanatha temple, Hampi.

Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia

Figure 33: Yogis in complex balancing postures. Posture on left reminiscent of viraficyasana. Tiruvengalanatha temple, Hampi. Figure 31: Yogi in complex balancing posture. Virtipaksa temple, Hampi. Figure 32: Yogi in two-armed balancing posture. Vidyasankara temple, Srigeri.

PIQUre oe Us UIVETLEG VOSLULre Wittl i= shaped rod. “Underground” Virtipaksa temple, Hampi. We find several sculptures of upside-down yogis in inverted postures across the temple sites. Of particular notice with these figures is the use of a material “prop” to assist the balancing act. The yogi is typically balanced upon a staff or T-shaped rod which rests under the chin, or upon which the yogi presses off with one arm. While we do find some important early visual evidence of yogic inversions at Dabhoi in Gujarat in the 13th century,”2 the inverted Vijayanagara yogi sculptures with their innovative use of T- shaped rods appear to be a unique representation—and again is something unaccounted for in the textual record. One figure at the so-called “underground” Virtipaksa temple at Hampi, represents a Siddha-like yogi with flowing unkempt hair inverted with legs- crossed behind the back in a reverse padmasana, balancing atop a T-shaped rod. The staff itself appears to be resting on a pile of stones or skeletal remains, or more likely a smouldering fire—reminiscent of the common ascetic paficagni practice (Fig. 34).

Figure 35: Yogi in inverted posture with T-shaped rod Vitthala temple, Hampi.

Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia There are some depictions of yogic-like figures in acrobatic postures, however, that blur the lines between yoga and acrobatic performance. Atop the hundreds of steps of Vindhyagiri hill at Sravanabelagola, along an unfinished outer prakara we find a depiction of what clearly looks like an ascetic yogi, with a loin cloth, doing a one-armed inversion pressing off a T-shaped rod (Fig. 38), similar in style to what we find at the Vitthala temple at Hampi (Fig. 35) and elsewhere (Figs. 36-37). Just next to this is another figure that is more difficulty to identify, who also appears to be similarly inverted and pressing off of a T-shaped rod. This figure, though, has two lower bodies and two sets of legs, with the inner legs and feet pressing upwards towards the sky (Fig. 39). How are we to read such an image? Is this a semi-divine figure with four legs? Or perhaps (more likely) the sculptor was visually depicting a sense of movement— suggesting that the figure moves across the staff, kicking the leg up, from one side to another. Moreover then, are these figures yogis, or some kind of acrobats? As isolated images on an unfinished prakara, it is quite difficult to say. They do feature similar garb to many of the other Vijayanagara yogi figures, including the loin cloth, leg and arm- bands, a crown of flaming hair, and jewelled necklace.

Figure 39: Yogi/acrobat(?) with two lower bodies in inverted posture with T-shaped rod. Outer prakara, Sravanabelagola. Figure 40: Yogi/acrobat(?) with tour lower bodies in inverted posture with T-shaped rod. Mallikarjuna prakara, Srigailam. Close-up of Fig. 41. Yoga and the Traditional Physical Practices of South Asia

Figure 41: Narrative frieze of the Kiratarjuniya. Mallikarjuna prakdra, Srigailam.

Figure 42: Nath yogi in an inverted posture. Virtipaksa temple, Hampi. Figure 43: Female dancer in karana 57. Nataraja temple, Cidambaram, 13th century. Photograph by Asian Art. Finally, the last and perhaps most intriguing image to discuss is another sort of inversion, a back-bending posture found at the Viriipaksa temple at Hampi (Fig. 42). Within the Virtipaksa’s hundred-pillared mandapa we find a yogic figure turned upside down in what appears quite similar to the more modern trdhvadhanurasana, the “upward bow posture.”23 I have previously argued (Powell 2018: 83-84) that we can safely identify this figure as a Nath yogi, given the familiar accoutrements and garb that we see among other yogic-ascetic sculptures across Vijayanagara: the loin cloth, arm band, flaming jatd hairstyle, and most importantly, the figure’s necklace which bears the sinigi horn, one of the primary insignia of the Naths.”4

Seth Powell

Journal of Yoga Studies, 2018

This article reassesses the history of postural yoga in precolonial India by drawing attention to recently discovered visual material evidence of non-seated postures carved onto the pillars of Vijayanagara temples at Hampi in Karnataka. Based on inscriptional evidence dating to the early 1500s CE, these sculptures represent important and overlooked early visual evidence for the practice of standing postures, inversions, and complex “pretzel-shaped” balancing postures in late-medieval South India. A number of sculptures bear a marked similarity to certain non-seated āsanas featured in more modern postural yoga systems, and might represent some of the earliest evidence of their existence. To contextualize these images and understand their significance within the larger history of yoga, the article begins with a preliminary genealogy of āsana and postural yoga traditions, highlighting a particular shift from seated to non-seated āsanas that is evinced in both the textual and visual-sculptural record. The author suggests that this shift in psychophysical functionality and praxis of yogic āsana may have opened up new anatomical potentials for engaging the body within a yogic context, and that this shift, alongside intermingling with much older traditions of asceticism (tapas), may partially explain the surge in complex non-seated āsanas featured in many yoga texts following the sixteenth century. Drawing upon other archeological sites, textual, epigraphical, and visual materials, the article makes the case that some of the ascetic figures in complex yogic postures sculpted at Hampi are depictions of Nātha yogis performing the techniques of Haṭhayoga.

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