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Ekapada refers to a one-footed aspect of the Hindu god Shiva. This aspect is primarily found in South India and Orissa, but also occasionally in Rajasthan and Nepal. The Ekapada is primarily represented in three iconographical forms. In the Ekapada-murti ("one-footed icon") form, he is depicted as one-legged and four-armed. In the Ekapada-Trimurti ("one-footed Trinity") form, he is depicted with the torsos of the deities Vishnu and Brahma, which together with Shiva form the Hindu Trinity (Trimurti) emanating from his sides, waist upwards and with one leg; however, sometimes, besides the central one leg of Shiva, two smaller legs of Vishnu and Brahma emerge from the sides. While some scriptures also call the latter configuration Ekapada-Trimurti, some refer it to as Tripada-Trimurti ("three-footed Trinity"). In Orissa, where Ekapada is considered an aspect of Bhairava—the fearsome aspect of Shiva—the iconography of Ekapada-murti becomes more fierce, with motifs of blood sacrifice. This aspect is called Ekapada Bhairava ("one-footed Bhairava" or "the one-footed fierce one"). The Ekapada form of Shiva originated from the Vedic deity Aja Ekapada or Ajaikapada, a name that Ekapada Bhairava still inherits. Ekapada represents the ''axis mundi'' (cosmic pillar of the universe) and portrays Shiva as the Supreme Lord, from whom Vishnu and Brahma originate. Ekapada is often accompanied by ascetic attendants, whose presence emphasizes his connection to severe penance. ==Iconography== The Agama text ''Amsumadbhedagama'' mentions that Ekapada-Trimurti is similar to the Ekanetra and Ekarudra aspects of Shiva and is one of the ''Vidyeshvara'' aspects. He wears a ''jata-mukuta'' (a headdress formed of piled, matted hair) and white silken garments. He has three eyes and a pacific appearance. He holds a trishula (trident) and a tanka (small hammer) in two of his four arms and gestures in varada mudra (the boon-giving gesture) and abhaya mudra (the gesture of reassurance).〔Rao pp. 398, 402–3〕 Another Agama text, the ''Uttara-Karanagama'', also describes Ekapada-Trimurti as one of the Vidyeshvaras. He stands erect (the ''samabhanga'' posture) on his one leg on a lotus pedestal (''padma pitha''). He has three eyes and four arms and is clear as crystal in color. His back hands carry a trisula or mriga (deer) and a tanka and his four hands gesture in varada mudra and abhaya mudra. He wears ordinary ''kundala'' earrings or pearl ones and the jata-mukuta. From the right and left of his body emerge Brahma and Vishnu respectively. They are shown from the waist up and have one of their legs bent held above the ground. Brahma and Vishnu are both four-armed and hold their front hands folded (in anjali mudra). In his back hands, the four-headed Brahma holds a sruk (a large wooden ladle used to offer ghee in fire-sacrifice) and a kamandalu (water-pot), while Vishnu—who is adorned with a ''kirita-mukuta'' (conical crown)—holds a shankha (conch) and chakra. Ekapada is surrounded by a huge halo, encompassing all his three torsos. A third Agama text, the ''Uttara-Kanikagama'', mentions that the figures of Brahma and Vishnu are proportionally smaller, similar to the size prescribed for female deities.〔Rao pp. 398–9〕 It also associates the one leg of the divinity with the Linga, Shiva's aniconic symbol.〔 The ''Linga Purana'' describes Shiva as "the lord who has one foot, four arms, three eyes and a trident ... who is stationed after creating Vishnu from his left side and four-headed Brahma from his right side."〔 In South Indian temples, the icon may be accompanied by yogis or ascetics worshipping it and by the vahanas of the Trinity: Brahma's hamsa (swan/goose), Vishnu's garuda (eagle-man), and Shiva's Nandi bull.〔Rao pp. 400–1〕 Sometimes, when the legs of Vishnu and Shiva are seen, the icon is called ''Tripada-Trimurti'' ("three-legged trinity") as opposed to the icon when the legs of Vishnu and Shiva are not shown, when it is called ''Ekapada-Trimurti'' ("one-legged trinity"), although the ''Uttara-Karanagama'' refers to the former as ''Ekapada-Trimurti''. When the icon is shown without the torsos of Vishnu and Brahma, it is simply called ''Ekapada-murti'' ("one-legged icon").〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Shaivism )〕 Another variation of Ekapada, called Mahesha-Ekapada, appears in an 8th-century relief in Mahabalipuram, where he is one-legged and four-armed but also has three visible heads plus a head assumed at the back and top, making it a five-headed icon, resembling the five-headed form called ''Mahesha'' or ''Sadashiva''. In Orissa, the iconography of Ekapada is quite different from that in South India. Though he has his characteristic one leg, matted hair and crescent moon headgear, and ascetic attendants, here Ekapada is never depicted with the torsos of Vishnu and Brahma. He may be four-armed or two-armed and is considered a form of Bhairava, the fearsome aspect of Shiva. He sports a short beard and moustache, an open mouth with fangs, and bulging eyes with a wrathful expression. He is ithyphallic (with an erect phallus) and wears a tiger skin around his waist. He wears various ornaments and a long yagnopavita (sacred thread) across his chest. In later images, Ekapada tends to be more terrifying, with a garland of skulls, serpentine ornaments and yagnopavita, and a corpse beneath his foot. Early images depict him with a varada mudra gesture and kamandalu; however, in later ones these are replaced by a damaru and a kapala. His other attributes may be an akshamala (rosary), a trishula, a serpent, a deer. His ascetic attendants may hold a trishula and sometimes he is accompanied by a female attendant and his vahana Nandi.〔Donaldson pp. 153–9〕 The ''Vishwakarma-shilpa'' mentions Ekapada as one of the Rudras and describes his iconography as having 16 arms and holding in his left arms a khatvanga, an arrow, a chakra, a damaru, a mudgara (a mallet-like weapon), an akshamala, and a trisula (trident), with one hand held in varada mudra, and with his right hands holding a bow, a ghanta (bell), a kapala, a kaumudi (crescent moon), a ghata (pot), a parashu (battle-axe), and shakti (power), with one hand in Tarjani mudra (with raised or threatening forefinger symbolizing wrath).〔Rao p. 388〕 However, no representation of a sixteen-armed Ekapada is found. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ekapada」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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