Smeared in white, with good omen in eyes, fingers with grass to the right, with shUla and kapAla in the left hand nice wear (pAduka) in feet, with dangling red matted hair, moon on the head, deer (mR^igam) in the right hand, a vessel for alms in the left, with bulged belly, that God, on bhikshAtana, we pray.
kAla ari : The enemy of kALa(vIra mUrti)
kAla is the dEva who is responsible for death. Taking the kAla as time it can be said kAlari represents the fact that God is beyond the limits of time (mR^ityuJNjayan).
Red in color (sin^dhUram), Three eyed, shoulders like yugas (four shouldered), with hands holding up the sUlam , noose, axe in hands, with frightening teeth, nice face, with the left foot standing up over the chest of kAla (time – death), with cast down red matted hair, to that pashupati(Lord of creatures), kAlAn^taka I prostrate.
purANa of the deity:
Kamari, Destroyer of Desire, Body smeared with ash, moon on the head, ornated by gangA, snakes, axe and deer, Pure, sitting comfortably in vIrAsanam, with the left palm over the right, in the posture of a yOgi, wearing the skin of a tiger, burning the cupid with the fire emerging from the eye in the forehead, to You salutations.
kalyANa su.ndarar : The beautiful (mUrti )in marriage(bhOga mUrti)Red in color (si.ndhUram), Three eyed, shoulders like yugas (four shouldered), wearing necklace and bracelet, Colorful in divine wonderful dress, Shining in the wedding robe, ornated, with enchanting body, salutations to that mUrti who is in marriage posture, with a hand of dEvi in one lotus hand, with axe and deer in hands and ga.ngaand moon on the wound-up hair.
R^ishabha ArUDhar : deity sitting on the Bull(bhOga mUrti)Leaning with braceleted right hand holding a staff, residing on the mount of the Bull, with Graceful eyes, the blessing hands holding axe and deer, with an eye in forehead, blissful, three eyed, the hair wound as crown, with gauri to his left, Doing good to one who worships, to that God,R^ishabhArUDha (salutations).
Images, Slokas from https://shaivam.org/forms-of-lord-shiva/kalari
There are differences between Avatars and Murthams. Avatar means ‘ Coming down, indicating that the Personal God comes down as a Being, human or otherwise. Example, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna as humans and Matsya ( A form of Fish) Varaha,( wild Boar) as animals? These forms are by Sri Vishnu. According to Vedas,Reality is a Principle beyond Names and Forms.However as it is difficult for human mind to concentrate on an abstract principle, Hinduism suggests worship of personal God in tune with one’s dispositions and likes,as a step towards Realisation of Reality.This personal God is endowed with Perfect Attributes humans can think of. Once a person starts the process of concentrating on Personal God, he moves closer to Reality.This worship of Personal God is Saguna Upasna,while concentrating on Brahman, beyond Attributes, is Nirguna Aradhana.And there is a difference between Vishnu Avatars and Archamurthis( idols being worshipped) .And there is a difference between Vishnu’s Avatars and Siva’s Murthams.Siva does not take Avatars.
More to follow in the next article on Siva’s another Five Murthas.
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