Uma Mahesvara, 11th century

The figure of Shiva as Maheshvara, the Lord of the Universe, and his wife Parvati as Uma are seated on a mat in variations of the posture of royal ease. This form of the Hindu divine couple joins the opposing male and female aspects of the cosmos to represent the oneness of all things. According to most accounts, the setting is in Shiva’s palace atop Mount Kailasa, which is regarded as the central axis of the cosmos. Shiva’s right earring is carved in the form of a snake, and his left is a circular earplug. His lower right hand extends down in a gesture of charity; a lotus flower is carved on his palm. A string of prayer beads is held aloft in his upper right hand close to the head of the bull Nandi, his mount. His left hand holds a water jug and is draped over Parvati’s shoulder as she leans gently against him. His fourth arm appears in the upper right and once may have held a trident. The deities’ warm embrace reflects legends of their countless years of lovemaking without offspring, demonstrating Shiva’s practice of yoga to control his male energies as a means to attain enlightenment. The image therefore can be understood in terms of spiritual transcendence rather than worldly pleasure. Attendants flank the couple at upper right and lower left. Across the lower frieze, from left to right, are a feline-headed figure holding a drum in his lap; the elephant-headed Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati; a dancer; the emaciated figure of the sage Bhringi; and a feline-headed figure playing cymbals or a drum. The god of war, Skanda (or Karttikeya), the elder son of the divine couple, is often paired with Ganesha but does not appear on this fragment. One of the chief deities of Hinduism, Shiva in Sanskrit means "Auspicious One." He is a god who combines many opposite qualities, and is known as both the destroyer and the restorer of the cosmos, benevolent and wrathful, and a symbol of both asceticism and sensuality. He has three eyes, the third one granting inner vision yet also capable of destruction when turned outward. Here he wears a patterned loincloth, or dhoti, with a jeweled-clasp belt, beaded necklace, and a sacred thread (yajnopavita). A crescent moon is typically part of his headdress, and legend has it that he brought the Ganges River to earth in his hair.

Shiva’s consort is Parvati, the "Daughter of the Mountain." According to legend, her marriage to Shiva was achieved through the connivance of the gods. Shiva was in mourning after the death of his first wife, Sati, and committed to severe ascetic discipline. Kama, the god of love, was directed by the other gods to arouse Shiva’s passion for Parvati by shooting him with a love-producing arrow. Enraged, Shiva incinerated Kama with the fire from his third eye, but the arrow had its intended effect. Despite their union, the couple remained childless, and the legends surrounding the origins of Ganesha and Skanda are quite colorful. The gods wished for Skanda’s birth in order to destroy the demon Taraka, who could be killed only by a son of Shiva. Many accounts say Skanda was conceived from one of Shiva’s seeds that was found and taken by the gods. One account of Ganesha’s birth says that he was modeled by Parvati from dirt off her body so that he could guard the door while she bathed. When Shiva approached and found a stranger, he cut off Ganesha’s head. To appease his wife’s grief, he replaced the head with one from the first creature that he came across — an elephant.