Scholar, Serpent, Yogin, and Devotee: The Many Faces of Patañjali in Indian Traditions

Gudrun Bühnemann, Ph.D., University of Vienna, is a professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She has published extensively on South Asian iconography and ritual.

• List of FiguresA Note on the Transliteration of Sanskrit and Tamil WordsIntroduction1 Patañjali: Author(s), Works, and Contemporary Relevance1.1 Works Ascribed to Authors Named Patañjali1.2 The “Unified” Patañjali1.3 On the Contemporary Relevance of the Figure of Patañjali2 Legendary Accounts of Patañjali2.1 Introduction2.2 Legends in the Tradition of the Naṭarāja Temple in Cidambaram2.3 Legends in the Tradition of the Mīnākṣī Sundareśvara Temple in Madurai2.4 Legendary Material in Rāmabhadra Dīkṣita’s Patañjalicarita2.5 Legends Principally about Patañjali as Grammarian2.6 Legends Concerning Patañjali’s Foster Parents2.7 Legends Explaining the Etymology of the Name Patañjali2.8 Conclusion3 Sites, Shrines, and Temples Associated with Patañjali3.1 The Grammarian3.2 The Philosopher of Yoga3.3 The Tamil Siddha and Practitioner of Yoga4 The Predominantly Two-Armed Iconography of Patañjali in the Tradition of the Naṭarāja Temple in Cidambaram and Beyond4.1 Sculptures4.2 Paintings4.3 Summary and Conclusion5 Four-Armed Representations of Patañjali in the Tradition of Yoga Authority Tirumalai Krishnamacharya5.1 Krishnamacharya and the Iconography of Ananta (Ādiśeṣa)5.2 A Widely Recited Verse in Praise of Ādiśeṣa/Patañjali5.3 Visual Representations of the Four-Armed Patañjali6 Mostly Anonymous Representations of Patañjali as a Two-Armed Meditating Sage6.1 Engravings in Birlā Temples in North India6.2 Representations in Tamil Siddha Traditions and Beyond7 Selected Contemporary Paintings of Patañjali as a Two-Armed Figure7.1 Ajithan Puthumana7.2 Norman E. Sjoman7.3 Pieter Weltevrede7.4 Kalathi Adiyen Aadi Nandhi8 EpilogueAppendix: Variations in Transcriptions of Tamil Place and Temple NamesBibliographical ReferencesGeneral Index