These two lovebirds are Shiva and the Goddess Bhairavi, from an exquisite painting dating from the Mughal Dynasty in India, c. 1630-35. Today’s yoga practices are very anesthetized relative to the ways undertaken by yogis, particularly in the left-handed Tantric tradition. The two figures dwell in the charnel grounds – you can see the smoky fires of the burning bodies and skeletons of the deceased in the foreground. Embracing what was taboo — whether death or orgiastic sex — enabled the yogi to overcome attachment to this mortal coil. Notice Shiva’s halo, showing his holiness — that is in conjunction with his necklace of skulls. The Goddess Bhairavi has revealed herself, turning into a beautiful woman out of the shape of a jackal, an animal common to the graveyards.
Source(s): P 40, _Yoga: the Art of Transformation,” Debra Diamond, ed., et al. Arthur M. Tackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
