Shivani Kapoor is an independent researcher and a professor at Benaras Hindu University, Mumbai, India, specializing in archaeology and history of Southeast Asia.
In 2015, Ms. Kapoor taught a course on ‘Understanding Southeast Asia in the Light of Marine Archaeology’. Her research focuses on the Pasupata tradition in Cambodia, in particular the development of the iconography of Lakulisa, acknowledged as the founder of this religious tradition, in the Indic sphere and its probable influence on the iconography of the ascetic figures in Cambodian sculptures and reliefs.
greek "askēsis" originally "physical practice, athletic training".
A sage who practices austerity.
In various Indian philosophies from Shaktism to Ayurveda, the concept of Tapas (तपस्), "penance", "ascetism", "austerity", "practice of self denial" is essential.
In Khmer religious philosophy, អនង្គណ angkana is the state of being without defilement, a person without defilement, pure. ព្រះពុទ្ធអរហន្ត The Buddha Arahant is the great blessing of having all defilements removed.
sk पाशुपत Pāśupata
Pashupata Shaivism is one of the oldest major Shaivite Hindu schools, a movement influential in South India from 7th to 14th century, with mainstream current Mahapāśupata believing in Vedic Pāśupata penance, and schismatic Lakula Pasupata. The main aim of this ascetic and social-order-challenging sect was to get rid of all pains through tapasiya (penance) and by channeling Shiva's shakti.
The influence of Pashupata Shaivism was attested by Buddhist pilgrim monk Xuanzang, who traveled to India in the early 7th century. In Cambodia, the Pashupata followers were most respected at the Chenla court in Ishanapura (Sambor Prei Kuk), at Jayavarman II's Mahendraparvata, and later at Angkor Thom. According to Alexis Sanderson, "of Śaivism, Puficarātrika Vaisnavism and Mahāyāna Buddhism, the three Indie religions that flourished among the ruling and priestly elites of the Khmers up to the 14th century, Śaivism was predominant.
