The Pashupati Seal

Why in News?

The 4,500-year-old Pashupati Seal from the Indus Valley Civilization has become the subject of a debate over India’s civilisational continuity after the Union Culture Ministry described it as a symbol of India’s unbroken cultural heritage, while some historians disputed its interpretation as an early form of Shiva.

About the Pashupati Seal 

• The Pashupati Seal was discovered at Mohenjo-daro in the 1920s.
• It was excavated by Ernest Mackay under the leadership of John Marshall.
• The seal (Seal No. 420) belongs to the Mature Harappan Phase and dates to around 2500 BCE.
• It is one of the most famous artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Features of the Seal

• It depicts a central seated figure on a low platform.
• The figure wears a fan-shaped headdress with prominent horns.
• Surrounding the figure are animals:
  • Elephant
  • Tiger
  • Rhinoceros
  • Buffalo
  • Two deer beneath the seat
• An inscription consisting of seven Indus script characters appears at the top of the seal.

The Proto-Shiva Interpretation

• In 1921, John Marshall proposed that the figure represented Proto-Shiva or Pashupati (Lord of Animals).
• Supporters of this interpretation cite:
  • The yogic or meditative posture.
  • Association with animals.
  • Similarities with later Shaivite symbolism.
• This view has often been used to argue for cultural continuity between the Indus Civilization and later Hindu traditions.

The Current Controversy

• The Union Culture Ministry recently described the seal as a symbol of India’s continuous civilisational heritage.
• Historian Audrey Truschke challenged this interpretation, arguing that the seal does not necessarily depict Shiva.
• She suggested that the imagery may instead be related to broader Eurasian or proto-Elamite iconographic traditions associated with a “Lord of Animals” deity.

Counter-Arguments

• Author Amish Tripathi criticized the proto-Elamite interpretation.
• He argued that animals shown on the seal, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, and water buffaloes, were native to the Indian subcontinent rather than ancient Elam (southwestern Iran).
• According to this view, the seal’s iconography reflects a distinctly South Asian cultural context.

Sources: IE & TP