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

Page 192

Iconography of 24 Tirtharkaras
179 hoods. On his head is a miniature figure which seems to be of a Jina in padmāsana. If this miniature figure is of a Jina (and not of Buddha) then the Nägarāja can be identified as a figure of Dharanendra as the Jainas have done. The sculpture seems to date from c. sixth century A.D. Further exploration on the hill is necessary as this seems to be a promising early Jaina site of about the sixth century A.D.319
Between Kušalagadh and Kälinjara, in the Banswada district, Rajasthan, is a Jaina shrine of Andeśvara-Pārsvanatha on a small hill. Pārsvanātha is so called because of the place-name of Andeśvara. The sculpture dates from c. 12th-13th cent. A.D.320 Between Zalavad Road station and the Zalrapatan town, Rajasthan, is a place known as Nasiyān which has a shrine of Pärávanātha. The inscription on the sculpture shows that it was installed in Samvat 1226 (1169-70 A.D.). This is a Covisi sculpture of Pārsvanātha sitting in the padmāsana. On two ends of the lion-throne are figures of Dharanendra and Padmavati, the yaksa and yaksini of Pārsva.321
In the Bhilvada district, Rajasthan, near a place called Parauli, is a shrine of Cambaleśvara-Pārsvanātha. It is said that the temple was formerly known as Cūleśvara-Pärsvanātha. Situated on a small hill and with beautiful natural surroundings of Aravalli hills around it, the temple belongs to the Digambara sect. The sculpture in the sanctum was installed in Samvat 1007, i.e. A.D. SS0.3??'
In the gūdhamandapa of Mahāvīra shrine, Ośia, are two figures of Pärśva seated on coils of the snake. On the wall of Devakulika no. 1, of this shrine, is a figure of seated Pārsva, of about eleventh century A.D., accompanied by Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā. Tiwari has noted that in the balanaka of Mahāvira shrine, Ośia, is a sculpture of Pārsva seated in padmasana and dated in the Samvat year equivalent to 1031 A.D. On two ends of the pedestal are two-armed yaksa and yakși each with snakehoods overhead. In the Rajputana Museum, Ajmere, is an interesting sculpture of this Jina with four more miniature Jina figures each with three snake-hoods overhead. On side of the central image of Pårsva is a câmaradhara with three snake-hoods overhead. On the pedestal are figures of two-armed Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā. The sculpture is assignable to c. 10th-11th cent. and hails from Bharatpur.323
In Jesalmer, Rajasthan, there is a temple of Pārsvanātha consecrated in A.D. 1416.324 The image is said to have been brought from Lodravā village near Jesalmer. At Lodurva (same as Lodravā) itself there was a gorgeous temple of Pārsvanātha which was destroyed during the upsurge of Ghori in A.D. 1152. A new temple was built for this Jina in A.D. 1615.325
A big stone plaque of Sahasraphana-Pärsvanātha with intertwined coils all around the standing figure of Pārsva, installed in the famous Dharana-vihara temple at Ranakpur, Rajasthan, was published by U.P. Shah in J.I.S.O.A. (old series), Vol. VI (Studies in Jaina Art, fig. 79).
In cell 23 of Parsvanatha temple, Kumbharia, is an image of Pārsva dated in 1179 A.D. A twelfth century sculpture of this Jina in standing posture is preserved in the gūdhamandapa of this shrine. Here Sarvānubhūti and Ambika figure as säsana-devatās but they have been given snake-hoods overhead. In the gūdhamandapa of Neminátha temple, Kumbharia, there is a standing Parsvanatha dated in 1157 A.D. and accompanied by Sarvänubhüti and Ambikä on the ends of the simhasana. In the parikara are some four-armed figures including Vidyadevis like Apraticakra, Vajrassokhala, Sarvästra-Mahäjvälä, Rohini and Vairotyā. This practice of carving miniature figures of Vidyādevis on two sides of the Jina in small niches of the pillars supporting a torana or a simple semi-circular arch seems to have been popular in Western India during eleventh and twelfth centuries as can be seen from various specimens at Kumbharia and Abu. In the Sat-tirthika bronze of Pārsva, dated in v.s. 1008, from Vasantagadh (Akota Bronzes, fig. 63a), the two-armed standing females also seem to be Vairotyä and other Vidyadevis. We also find Apraticakra, Rohiņi, Vajraśpókhala, Vairotyä, etc. on a sculpture of standing Ajitanatha, dated in v.s. 1176 (A.D. 1126), in worship in the Pärávanātha temple, Kumbharia.326 Similar miniature figures are also found on door-frames of cells in these temples.327
In the Devakulikā no. 4, Vimala Vasahi, Abu, is a sculpture of Pärśva dated 1188 A.D. and accompanied by Parśva yaksa and Padmavati yaksi. In cells 25 and 53 of the same shrine there are images of Pārsvanātha. An image of this Jina was installed in cell 1 in Samvat 1389, the image is lost but the parikara and throne etc. with inscription remain (Jayantavijaya, Arbudacala-Prácīna-Jaina-Lekhasamdoha, inscr. no. 25). Similarly, we find that images of Pārsva were installed in cells 11, 39, 44, and 54 in