3rd quarter @ Jyeshta - Pashupati bot

The Pallava relief of Arjunan Tapas shows a pot bellied dwarf standing next to austere Arjuna.

This Gana wearing body armor, is an Ayudha Purusha of Shiva's terrible weapon - Paashupata.

The dwarf wears a frowning smiley on his armored paunch and bears Shiva's missile in his hand.

An identical, but much larger version of the exact same weapon is shown in the hands of Shiva - who towers over his missile-man in the monolithic relief.

In stark contrast there is no smiley on the tummy of the other flanking Gana, who holds up a fly-whisk - which is a mere breeze compared to the tempest that is Pashupata.

Riddle of Tala,     Withal C Nadkarni, 
Speaking Tree       Bengaluru      July 15, 2018

Shodashi, the sixteen

Raaga swarupa Pashadhya  
Korodhakara ankushojwala
Mano rupekshu kodanda; Pancha tanmatra sayaka 

holding fast to a whip, which is metaphor for likes and attachments
a goad that is metaphor for dislikes and severance
a sugarcane as unstrung bow of her mind
a clutch of arrow buds as metaphor for five sensory bots 

-  A thousand names of Lalita

Though there are many temples for Dewi, it is in Kanchi that she is idolised with noose, goad, sugarcane and floral arrows -  as described in opening verses of Lalita's thousand names.

She sits without consort, as reigning queen, receiving six ritualistic worships in the course of  a day, to shower grace upon her worshipers.

- Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, Kanchi