Thread by @_ugra_

Description of Maha Sadashiva in the ancient Hindu text of Manasara Shilpa shastra.

प्रसन्नपचविंशकस्फुटाननं जटाधरं
सुपञ्चसप्ततीक्षणं कपोलकुण्डलाङ्कितम् ।
शतार्धहस्तभूषितं पराभयान्वितं सितं
मुजङ्गभूषणं परं भजे महासदाशिवम् ।।

(1)

https://twitter.com/_ugra_/status/1160936829928951808

Maha Sadashivamurti is depicted as having 25 heads and 50 arms. Maha Sadashivamurti is an expansive expression of Sadashiva who is depicted with 5 heads, each representing 5 aspects of Lord Shiva. Together these 5 aspects are known as Panchabrahmas (2)

Panchabrahmas are

1)Ishana
2)Tatpurusha
3)Aghora
4)Vamadeva
5)Sadyojata

While depicting Maha Sadashiva, each of these 5 Panchabrahmas are substituted with 5 heads each, making the total 25. The tattva behind Panchabrahma is extremely detailed & deserves a thread of its own (3)

Coming back to the iconography of Maha Sadashiva, the Manasara Shilpashastra states that Maha Sadashivamurti should be represented with 25 faces, 75 eyes & 50 arms in total. The heads should be adorned with Jata Makuta(matted hair crown of Lord Shiva) (4)

Maha Sadashiva's ears are adorned with the Kundalas. He is also shown with a number of Sarpalankara (snake ornaments). The hands are positioned in the Abhaya & Varadha positions.

Notice how the 25 heads are arranged in tiers in form of an arithmetical progression. (5)

The topmost tier has only 1 head, the next one below has 3, the next 5 and so on till the last tier which has 9 heads. Only those heads which are on the borders of this triangle of heads are adorned with the Jatamakutas. (6)

This is just one among the many manifestations of Lord Shiva. I've written a post on 25 other forms which can be read on my blog

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