Pashupati Seal- Horned Gods

 Pashupati Seal – Horned Headdress

The finding of the ancient Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro sites has provided a different outlook on the ancient history of this town. The well planned urban spaces together with the town plans, are said to be amazing. Observing the relics discovered at the site has provided important perceptions on the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC). One of great importance is the `Pashupati Seal’. This well-known seal is said to be the carving of a man having horned headdress.

He has been a subject of celebrated conjecture. Many have been speculating on whether he was a man in a horned headdress or a horned god of devotion. Was this idol a predecessor to the Hindu Shiva? Nonetheless, the Pashupati Seal is not considered to be completely unique. Identical icons have been traced to several cultures of the world.

Seals – Trade Mechanisms

The seal has been engraved on a chip of steatite which is a soft stone, resistant to decay and soft for carving. With the discovery of the significant number of the seals, it has led. Some of the scholar with the opinion that seals cutting had been one of the leading industries of Harappan settlements. The work of art of these seals portrays a representation of the religious character and the kind of culture as well as the social life of the people of that age.

The pictographic inscription seen on the Pashupati seal is of great importance since they give some insight into the language used by the people of that age. It could probably be that seals were utilised as a part of trade mechanisms. Indication of religious belief and practices of the people is also gathered from these seals.

Ancient Depictions

The Pashupati Seal is considered to be one of the ancient depictions of the Hindu god Shiva. Pashupati means `lord of animals, and it is one of the epithets of Shiva or probably Rudra. These are connected with asceticism, yoga and linga and regarded as the lord of animals. The seal had been discovered in 1928-29, Block 1, Southern area of the DK-G vicinity of Mohenjo-Daro.

It had been located at a depth of 3.9 meters beneath the surface. The excavation had been carried out by Ernest J. H. Mackay at Mohenjo-Daro. He had dated the seal to the Intermediate 1 Period presently considered to be around 2350-2000 BCE. According to his report of 1937-38, he had numbered the Pashupati Seal as 420, providing it with its alternate name.

Pashupati Seal Initial Report & Analysis

Archaeologist, John Marshall had provided an initial report and analysis of the iconography of the Pashupati Seal. He had served as the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India and had headed the excavations of the Indus Valley sites. He perceived the central figure as a male deity with three faces and probably a fourth one facing the back. The figure is seen seated in yogic position on a throne with bangles on both arms along with the headdress. Images of five symbols of the Indus script are seen on both the sides of the headdress.

This is made up of two outward extended curved horns of buffalo style together with two upward jutting points. Towards the centre of the headdress, a sole branch having three pipal leaves is seen. Seven bangles on the left arm and six on the right are seen where the hands have been placed on the knees. The heels are positioned together beneath the groin while the feet are seen projecting away from the edge of the throne. Carvings at the feet of the throne are similar to those of the hoof of a bovine, seen on the bull and the unicorn seals. On the back of the seal, a grooved and perforated boss is seen.

Legend & Art – Strength & Beauty

These animals have stirred plenty of legend and art with their strength and beauty. Horns could be connected with power and virility since the finest bulls tend to have the biggest and the most splendid horns. In truth, powdered horns of animals have been prescribed and consumed in some area of Asian societies, illegally.

The Indus Valley unicorn seals may have been examples of the ancient myths with regards to strange and supernatural horned animals. The horned idol on the Pashupati Seal could be interpreted as Bada Dev or Mahadev, the main idol of several tribal societies. It is observed that the meditating yogi is heavily decorated with jewellery and his arms are totally covered with bangles. These were the features which the dokra craft utilised in the tribes of Chhattisgarh.

Pashupati Seal, Utilised as Modern Identity Cards

Several seals have been found from the sites generally made of steatite and some of agate, chert, copper, terracotta and faience. These depicted beautiful images of animals like unicorn bull, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, bison, buffalo goat and much more. The main intention of the same could be commercial. They were also utilised as amulets worn by the person or probably as modern identity cards. The standard size of the Pashupati Seal was 2 x 2 square inches.