Jain Rup Mandan

SR No.: 001961
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 466
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Art
File Size: 27 MB

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Jaina-Rupa-Mandana Buddha on one and the same sculpture had become a favourite theme with the artists of Gandbara and elsewhere. Attempts to represent the Kalyāņakas in sculptures after the fashion of the Buddhists are not known in Jainism where one sculpture usually represents one idea. But in ceilings at Abu and Kunbharia we have beautiful big long panels depicting all the main events in the lives of Tirthankaras like Mahāvira, Parśvanátha, Santinātha, Rşabha, Neminātha and others.96 In paintings, scrolls, amongst book-illustrations, murals or frescoes and wooden book-covers of palm-leaf manuscripts, the practice of depicting scenes from the lives of Tirthankaras is very old.97 The famous Mathura relief showing Bhagava Nemeso on a throne might have been part of some Jaina mythological story on stone. The partly mutilated relief from Mathura, preserved in the Lucknow Museum and depicting the dance of Nilāñjană and renunciation and monkhood of Rşabha (Fig. 18) suggests the popularity of such stone reliefs with the Jainas as well in c. first century B.C. since Fig. 18 dates from first century B.C. It seems that representations of the kalyanaka scenes were not unknown to Jainism in the Kuşāņa period. Sites associated with the events of the kalyanakas were regarded holy as can be seen from the Acāranga Niryukti.98
The Digambara sect also believes in the celebration of five kalvinakas, namely, Garbhävatarana, Janma, Tapa (diksā), kevala-jñana, and mokṣa (nirvana) kalyanakas. The ati$thasar oddhāra refers to the ritual regarding each of these in the Pratișthāvidhi of a Jina image.99
(B) SASVATA JINAS AND THE VIHARAMĀŅA JINAS
We have referred to the Sasvata-Jina-Pratimas in the Siddhayatanas or Sasvata-Caityas mentioned in Jaina canonical works. According to texts like the Pravacanasāroddhāra (11th cent. A.D.) these Sasvata-Jina-Pratimās represent four Tirtha karas, namely, Vrşabhasena, Candrānana, Värişeņa, and Varddhamāna. 100 They are called Saśvata Jinas because in every Utsarpini or Avasarpini era names of these four Tirtharkaras are always repeated and they flourish in any of the fifteen karmabhumis. Belief in Śāśvata Jinas and Siddhayatanas is fairly old as a long description of these is available in the upāöga canonical text called the Jivājivabhigama sutra.101 These Siddhayatanas are found in various heavens and on several mountain peaks. The Nandisvara-dvipa, for example, is reported to have fifty-two such Siddhayatanas. 102
Since Tirthankaras are born in the 2 continents there are even at present Tirthankaras amongst them. They are therefore called Viharamāņa or contemporary Tirthankaras living at present. In this age there are twenty such Viharamana Jinas, four in the different Vijayas of the Mahavideha kşetra of Jambūdvipa, eight in the Dhátaki khanda, and the remaining in the half Puşkarävarta-dvipa. According to the Svetāmbara tradition, their names are as follows: 1. Simandhara, 2. Yugandhara, 3. Sri Bāhujina, 4. Subảhu. The above four in the Jambüdvipa. 5. Sujāta swami, 103 6. Svayamprabha, 7. Rşabhanátha, 8. Anantavirya, 9. Suraprabha, 10. Visala, 11. Vajradhara, 12. Candrānana, in the Dhătaki khanda, 13. Candrabahu, 14. Bhujanga, 15. Isvara, 16. Namiprabha, 17. Värişena or Virasena, 18. Mahābhadra, 19. Candrayaśā, 20. Ajitavirya, in the Ardha-Puškaravarta-dvipa. 104
This is the minimum number of Viharamana Jinas while sometimes there flourish a greater number in the different kşetras, the maximum possible number being 170 Jinas. Patas of 170 Jinas have been referred to above. A Pata of 20 Viharamana Jinas in a shrine on mount Girnar is also referred to before. The Jagatcintamani-caityavandana stotra amongst the Pratikramana sūtras of the Svetambara Jainas pays homage to the 20 as well as the 170 Jinas. 105
The conception of Viharamāna Jinas is known to the Digambara sect also, though it is not so popular as amongst the Svetāmbaras. Amongst both the sects, earlier representations of Viharamāna Jinas are not known, but the conception of Viharamāna Jinas is certainly pretty old. The Vasudevahindi, for example, refers to Simandhara at present living in the Apara-videha-kşetra. 106 Simandhara seems to be the most popular Viharamāna Jina with both the sects and images and temples dedicated to his worship are available (Fig. 175) though none of them are earlier than the mediaeval period. No cognizances of these Jinas are known in the Svetambara tradition. The Digambara tradition's list of Viharamāna Jinas is as under: 107