CONNECTIONS?
Is the sphinx of India the same as the sphinx of Egypt and Greece?
At this point of my research I could not answer this question positively or
negatively either way. Could it be concluded from the visual and textual
evidence I have gathered through my research and presented in this website,
that this mythological composite being called purushamriga is identical with or
possibly related to the sphinx known from other parts of the ancient world?
The description is fitting, and so is the definition. Also the functions are almost
similar. And in case we could prove or establish a relationship, would it have
its source in synchronicity, be rooted in an archetypal origin, or would it be
one of derivation? And if the sphinx was a cultural derivation, we would have
to answer the question whether it was derived from one part of the ancient
world to the other, or from a common source.
On the one hand we have found the basic form
of a lion body with a human head. Other remarkable parallels with the
depiction of sphinxes in the ancient art of West Asia and the Mediterranean
area are the pairing of male-female purushamriga, the placement near temple
entrances, their depiction on thrones, as vehicles of deities, and trampling on a warrior.
The representation on animal friezes also reflects the sphinx’s place in
relief and freezes depicting various animals, as found in West Asian and
Mediterranean monuments.
On the other hand we have the specifically
Indian artistic idiom, as
represented by the mane, fangs, elongated human ears with studs or ear
disks, and jewelry. The portrayal of the purushamriga as a rishi or seer
worshipping a Shivalinga or as a musician playing an instrument is also
specifically Indian.
We have also recognized artistic and stylistic influence from Hellenistic
sources. This was probably short-lived, in the north-western and central
Gangetic plain from the 1st century till the 2nd century BCE. Sometimes the
sphinx is here depicted with wings. Although this influence doesn’t seem to
have existed beyond this time and area it does show possibly a certain exchange did
take place. But according to the doctrinal and oral traditions of south India,
the purushamriga is first mentioned in the Yajur Veda, which is dated to a
period long before the time of the Greek influence on Indian art. And its ritual
role continues till today, in the lamp ceremonies in south Indian temples.
This brings us to the
function of the sphinx in India. There are many
similarities in the functions of the purushamriga in India and the sphinx of the
ancient world. The latter is described as a being of secret and sacred
knowledge. In India the purushamriga is said to be a great yogi and depicted
as a rishi or seer. Both the sphinx and the purushamriga guard the entrances of
temples and ward off evil. Both are portrayed as worshipping and as
announcing the epiphany of the deity. Both are also sometimes functioning as
the vehicle of deities. But although the civilizations of Egypt, West Asia and
the Mediterranean see the sphinx as primarily a solar symbol, in the Yajur
Veda it is stated to be dedicated to the Moon.
Are the purushamriga in Indian sculpture and ritual
associated to the sphinxes
of other parts of the ancient world? Are they derived through artistic or
mythological influence? And if so, was the derivation from West to East,
or from East to West. Or is the sphinx a mythological concept that originates from human civilization beyond
our historical horizon? From an as yet un-identified common cultural source?
Or do they derive from the archetypal and mythological sub-conscious of ancient peoples?
The research is at present in too early a stage, with only a fraction of the
material relating to the anthropomorphic lion (sphinx type) in India having been
identified or studied. Only a more complete survey and analysis will enable us
to answer these questions and bring definite conclusions.
