The Rise of Mahasena: The Transformation of Skanda-Karttikeya in North India from the Kusana to Gupta Empires

Description

This study argues from textual and material sources that Skanda-Kattikeya’s cult in the north of India during the Ku?a?a and Gupta eras moves from being a broad-based Graha and Mat? tradition to one that advanced the ruler’s prestige and authority. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE THEORIES RELATED to the ORIGINS of SKANDA The Supposed Indus Valley Skanda-Kārttikeya A Deification of Alexander the Great A Vedic Amalgam of Kumāras The Early Textual References to Skanda-Kārttikeya CHAPTER TWO THE EARLY TRadITIONS OF SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA FROM EPIC, MEDICAL AND RITUAL SOURceS Classifying and Dating the Mahābhārata The Account of Skanda’s Birth in the Āraṇyakaparvan The Fierce Skanda: An Inauspicious Beginning and the Appearance of Skanda the Warrior The Fierce Skanda: His Tie to Grahas, Kumāras and Mātṛs Grahas in the Āraṇyakaparvan Grahas in the Āyurvedic Tradition Mātṛs in the Āraṇyakaparvan Kumāras in the Āraṇyakaparvan The worship of Skanda-Kārttikeya and Grahas in the Āraṇyakaparvan and the Skandayāga Skanda the God of Thieves Conclusion to the Fierce Characterization of Skanda-Kārttikeya CHAPTER THREE THE EMERGENce OF THE SENĀPATI: THE NARRATIVE CONVERSION OF THE WARRIOR AND GRAHA The Frame Narratives in the Āraṇyakaparvan: The Hidden Agni The Frame Narratives in the Āraṇyakaparvan: The Rescue of Devasenā The Ritual Taming of the Deity, Part One: The Brahminization of the Deity The Ritual Taming of the Deity, Part Two: The Inauguration of the Senāpati The Familial Theme Part One: The Fatherhood of Agni The Familial Theme Part Two: Skanda’s Mothers and Wife The Familial Theme Part Three: The Fatherhood of Śiva The Distancing of Skanda-deva from Skandagraha in the Suśrutasaṃhitā The Socio-political context of the Āraṇyakaparvan CHAPTER FOUR THE BIRTH OF SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA IN THE ŚALYAPARVAN, ANUŚĀSANAPARVAN AND RĀMĀYAṆA The Śalyaparvan account of Skanda-Kārttikeya’s birth and deeds The Parentage of Skanda in the Śalyaparvan The auspicious Skanda in the Śalyaparvan: The military ascetic Skanda’s birth and deeds in the Anuśāsanaparvan The Parentage of Skanda in the Anuśāsanaparvan Agni’s parentage of Skanda and gold in the Anuśāsanaparvan Furthering the Brahminical Context for Skanda: The Sacrifice in the Anuśāsanaparvan A Second Birth Story for Skanda in the Anuśāsanaparvan Skanda-Kārttikeya in the Rāmāyaṇa Conclusion to the Epic accounts of Skanda CHAPTER FIVE COINS, STATUARY AND SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA: THE EARLIEST DEPICTIONS The Yaudheyas and Their Coinage Yaudheya Class Three Coinage: Obverse Designs Yaudheya Class Three Coinage: Reverse Designs Yaudheya Context and Chronology From Six Heads to One The Worship and Popularity of Brahmaṇyadeva-Kumāra and Ṣaṣṭhī among the Yaudheyas during the Period of Class Three Coinage The Kuṣāṇa-era Mathurā Depictions of Skanda-Kārttikeya Concluding Remarks to the Mathurā Images of Skanda-Kārttikeya CHAPTER SIX SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA ON KUṢĀṆA COINAGE AND GANDHĀRA STATUARY Kuṣāṇa Era Gandhāra Statuary of Skanda-Kārttikeya The Mahāsena Coin of Huviṣka The Skanda-Kumāra with Viśākha coin type of Huviṣka The Skanda-Kumāra with Viśākha and Mahāsena coins of Huviṣka The Rise of Mahāsena Skanda-Kārttikeya and Mars in Kuṣāṇa Era Material Conclusion to the Kuṣāṇa Period Depictions of Skanda-Kārttikeya CHAPTER SEVEN DEVELOPMENTS IN SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA’S CULT BETWEEN THE EMPIRES Yaudheya Coins: The Class Six Issues The Class Six Coinage: The Impact of Kuṣāṇa Design The Context of the Yaudheyas and the ‘Popularity’ of Skanda-Kārttikeya at the Time of the Class Six Issues The Context of the Yaudheyas During the Class Six Period The Spread of Mahāsena in South Asia: Skanda in the Ikṣvāku Kingdom NāgārjunakoṇḊa: Geography, Background and Cultural Influences Cultural Influences at NāgārjunakoṇḊa: The Sātavāhanas Cultural Influences at NāgārjunakoṇḊa: The Western Kṣatrapas Cultural Influences at NāgārjunakoṇḊa: Trade The Evidence for Devotion to Skanda Recovered from NāgārjunakoṇḊa Inscriptions related to Skanda Statuary of Skanda from NāgārjunakoṇḊa Other Potential Images of Skanda from NāgārjunakoṇḊa Temples of Skanda and Śiva Concluding Remarks on Skanda-Kārttikeya’s Cult at NāgārjunakoṇḊa CHAPTER EIGHT THE KUMĀRASAṂBHAVA AND PURĀṆIC ACCOUNTS OF SKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA The Kumārasaṃbhava Cantos 1-8, The Story of Śiva and Pārvatī Cantos 9-17, The Birth and Deeds of Skanda The Early Skandapurāṇa The Account of Skanda’s Birth and Deeds in the Early Skandapurāṇa The Relationship Between the Mahābhārata and the Early Skandapurāṇa The Early Skandapurāṇa and the Kumārasaṃbhava The Vāyupurāṇa The Birth of Skanda in the Vāyupurāṇa Concluding Remarks to the Post-Epic Accounts of Skanda-Kārttikeya CHAPTER NINE THE MATERIAL CULTURE OFSKANDA-KĀRTTIKEYA IN THE GUPTA EMPIRE Gupta era Statuary of Skanda: Statues from the Eastern Empire Gupta era Statuary of Skanda: Statues from the Western Empire and Cave Shrines Gupta Era Terracottas of Skanda Numismatic Representations of Skanda in the Gupta Era Inscriptions Related to Skanda from the Gupta Era The Relative Popularity of Skanda During the Gupta Era CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX PLATES