Proto-Shiva

Then even nothing was not, nor existence.

There was no air then, nor heavens beyond it.

Who covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping?

Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?...

But, after all, who knows, and who can say,

Whence it all came, and how creation happened?

The gods themselves are later than creation,

So who knows truly, whence it has arisen?

-                   Rig Veda

The proto-Shiva seal found in Harappa was treated as one of the proofs that Hinduism had its roots in Indus Valley. Analysis of the seal has led to various contradictory theories about the origins of religion.

The body of the figure shown in the seal is naked, except for many bangles and what appear to be necklaces. He wears a peculiar headdress consisting of horns and a plant like object between them. This pattern was found in five seals and in one of them he is surrounded by an elephant, tiger, rhinoceros and a buffalo while beneath his stool are two deer’s which is also found in the representations of Buddha teaching his first sermon in the Deer Park in Varanasi.

The name proto-Siva was given by Sir John Marshall who led excavations that led to the discovery of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa in 1920s. Marshall thought that the protuberances on the sides were the second and third faces and Shiva is often depicted with three faces and is also known as Pashupati (The Lord of Beasts). From this Marshall concluded that Shaivism has a history of five thousand years making it the longest living faith in the world.

While Marshall identified the image as Siva, others have suggested that it is Agni. This was countered by others who thought that the horns on the head-dress are suggestive of the trident and fertility aspect of Shiva. Other interpretations include:

• Figure depicted on the seal is neither three faced, nor human but is a combination of various animals 
• Since the Indus religion was centered on the Mother Goddess cult, the figure on the seal is female.
• The figure is not Siva, but divine bull-man

While the head-dress, animals and other symbols depicted on the seal have been interpreted in various ways, the yogic posture has never been carefully examined. Is there a possibility that Yoga was known and practiced by the people of Indus Valley civilization?

The person on the seal is seated with his legs drawn close to the body with two heels touching, which A L Basham calls, “a posture quite impossible for the average westerner”. This posture has been identified as Mulabandhasana, which is difficult even for people who practice Yoga. The same posture has been depicted on all five proto-Siva seals found disproving the theory that it was the work of an imaginative artist. Besides this other seals have been found with figures in other yoga postures suggesting that people in the Indus valley were the practitioners of Yoga.

Perhaps, the animals tame or otherwise arose in importance that a deity of animals was needed and hence Pashupati. The sect of Shaivs/Pashupati has been lost and found across the steady stream of history. It has been in conflict with Vedic Puranism, Brahminism and Bhagvat/Vaishnav sects and sometimes merged, sometimes adopted according to them. The ancient god survived death, survived time.