Five-Faced Lingam (Pancamukhalinga)

In the complex Hindu pantheon, deities possess various manifestations, or aspects, to express their diverse powers. This five-faced stone lingam, or stylized phallus, illustrates in sculptural form the various aspects of the Hindu god Shiva as the absolute totality who creates, defines, and encompasses the universe. Each of the four faces surrounding the central shaft is identified with a name and bears its own unique attributes.

The primary image (to the left in the illustration) is the youthful Tatpurusa. He is associated with the element of air and wears large, heavy earrings and a strand of large beads around his neck. His hairstyle is that of an ascetic: thick, matted locks fall to the sides in great coils and are adorned with a diadem. To the right is the elegant feminine image of Vamadeva, the beautiful goddess associated with water. Sometimes she is called Uma, a name for Shiva’s spouse. Opposite Vamadeva-Uma is Aghora, or Bhairava, the demonic form of Shiva, who is associated with fire. The grimacing skull that adorns his hair represents Shiva’s horrific aspect as an ascetic who wanders cremation grounds. The fourth face, which has been defaced, depicts Sajyojata, the manifestation of Shiva associated with earth. The fifth aspect of Shiva, called Isana, is represented by the curved summit of the phallus itself. Associated with ether, or space, it represents Shiva as creator, the source of all aspects of existence.