manager. Kshētrapāla is worshipped first in every Siva temple, before commencing the regular service for the day. The Prayōgasāra says: "Whoever performs any ceremony without first worshipping Kshētrapāla, the fruit of that ceremony is without doubt destroyed by Kshētrapāla." His naked form and the name Mahā-Bhairava by which he is addressed during the Sribali ceremony suggests that Kshētrapāla in his essence must be allied to Bhairava.^[1]

All these awe-inspiring forms of the Saiva cult, including others which are mentioned in the Āgamas, but not often met with in South-Indian temples, received special worship from the adherents of the early Saiva sub-sects known as Pāsupatas, Kālāmukhas and Kāpālikas, as well as from the Lingāyatas of later origin.^[2]

Among the attendant ganas of Siva who, like the gods just described, are identified with one or another aspect of Siva himself, may be mentioned Chandesa, Bhringlsa and CHANDESA, Nandlsa. The first is counted as the foremost of the servants of Siva and is hence called in Tamil inscriptions and the Periyapurdnam, Adidasa-Chandesa. 3 The Kasyapa-Silpa tells us that he is made up of the sterner side of Siva's nature and appears in each millennium (yuga) with different names and symbols. In the Krita-yuga he receives the name Prach- anda, is of angry appearance, rides on an elephant and has the jatdmakuta and sixteen arms. In Treta-yuga he is seen smiling, has eight arms and dishevelled braids of hair, and goes by the name Chanda. In the third or Dvapara-yuga he has four hands, the lion vehicle, Jatdmandala, protruding teeth and a fearful face. His weapons then are the tanka, trident, noose and the hook. In the Kali-yuga he has a peaceful appearance and the bull vehicle, has his locks made up in the

1 Mayurabhatija, (p. xxxiv, fig. 13), gives a description of Kshetrapala calling him Mahakala and Bhairava. The Silpasara in describing Vatuka- Bhairava, calls him also Kshetrapala.

2 In the famous temple on the Srisailam Hill (Kurnool district) where the influence of the Lingayata sect was once very great, is a pavilion adjoining the Na.ndi-mandaa. An inscription of the fourteenth century A.D. describes it as the place where the votaries, evidently of the Vlrabhadra form of Siva, offered up their heads in order to propitiate the furious god ; Madras Epigraphical Report for 1914-15, p. 92, paragraph 15.

3 In Epigraphic records the documentary transactions of a Siva temple are stated to be conducted in the name of Chandesa, the supposed manager of the temple. Even now, visitors to a Siva shrine have to report themselves before Chandesa prior to leaving the temple premises and clap their hands as if to show that they are not carrying with them any portion of the temple property. 1 1

1. ↑ 1
2. ↑ 2