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 195

Jaina-Rúpa-Mandana
holding a stick-like object in the right hand and a dog with a chain with the left hand. The sculpture dates from c. 12th century A.D.
182
A Covisi sculpture of Parsvanatha standing, preserved in the Jhansi Museum, shows, on the right end of the pedestal, a small figure of two-armed Sarvanubhuti and on the left end a two-armed Ambikā. The sculpture dates from c. 11th cent. A.D. There is a partly mutilated but finely carved sculpture of Pārsva in kayotsarga mudra, a Caturvimsati-Paṭṭa, from Narwar, in the Shivpuri Museum, M.P. (no. 15), with a small figure of a ganadhara in the centre of the simhasana. The sculpture dates from c. 12th-13th
cent. A.D.
A sculpture of Parsvanatha, with full parikara and figures of eight planets in a row on top of the simhasana and below the cushion on which the Jina sits in padmasana, hails from Jabalpur district and is preserved in the Rani Durgavati Museum, Jabalpur, M.P. The sculpture dates from c. 11th cent. A.D. On the right end of the pedestal is a four-armed Dharanendra yakṣa with a snake-hood over head. His left hands show the snake (?) and the water-pot. The right hands are mutilated. On the corresponding left end of the pedestal is sitting the four-armed yakși Padmavati with three snake-hoods over the crown. Her right up and holds an indistinct object, the right lower hand is in the abhaya mudra. Symbols of the two left hands are mutilated. On the cloth hanging on the centre of the pedestal is the snake cognizance of this Jina.
In the Jardine Museum, Khajuraho, is a sculpture (no. 1668) of Parsva sitting with six more Jina figures. There are about ten sculptures of Parsva at Khajuraho. Five of them show Parsva sitting on coils of the snake. In temples 28 and 5, Khajuraho, are two sculptures of Parsva in a standing posture. On two sides of the Jina are attendant camaradhara female figures with three snake-hoods above each of them. In the Jardine Museum image noted above there is a camaradhara Naga on one side and a Nagi holding an umbrella over the Jina from the other side. No. K.68 in the Khajuraho Museum has fourarmed Dharanendra and Padmavati as the yakṣa and yakşi and has 20 other Jina figures in the parikara. An image of Pärśva in temple 5 is more elaborate and shows on two sides of the sitting Jina two câmaradhara yakṣas and two more figures of camaradhara yakṣa and yakşi near the latter, each having seven snake-hoods. Santidevi figures in the centre of the pedestal. According to Tiwari, No. K.9 in the Khajuraho Museum is a sculpture of Pärśva with 46 other miniature Jina figures in the parikara and figures of 4 planets on the pedestal.333
In the Pañcamatha temple, Singpur, Shahdol district, M.P., is a stone sculpture of standing Pārsva with two câmaradharas near the legs and a canopy of snake-hoods overhead, surmounted by tripleumbrella etc. Coils of the snake are shown at the back of the whole body. The snake cognizance is shown on the pedestal. No yakṣa and yakşi are carved. The sculpture dates from c. middle tenth century A.D. An Eka-Tirthi sculpture of Pärśva standing is preserved at the Collector's bungalow, Shahdol, M.P. The sculpture dates from c. 10th-11th cent. A.D. Here the tail end of Dharanendra's coils is shown on the pedestal to represent the snake cognizance of Pārsvanatha.
At Rajgir in Bihar are some interesting sculptures of Pärsvanatha. A ninth century sculpture of this Jina on Udayagiri, Rajgir, shows the Jina sitting in padmasana on a viśva-padma with typically arranged coils of the snake on his two sides and below the viśva-padma with a central naga-pāśa knot. A beautiful almost circular canopy of finely carved cobra-hoods rises from the back. No other member of the parikara is shown.334 Indian Museum, Arch. Section, Neg. no. 680 shows a photograph of an architectural piece from Rajgir. The Jina sits in padmasana in a niche with an ornamental caitya-arch above, assignable to c. sixth century A.D. Over the arch, in a row, are small figures of three Jinas sitting in padmasana. The Jina figure in the niche has five snake-hoods overhead and below his seat is a dharmacakra flanked by a conch on each side. The Jina in the niche can be identified as Pärśvanatha whereas the conch cognizance flanking the dharmacakra is not prescribed for Pärśva images in any Jaina tradition, the conch is unanimously regarded as the lañchana of Neminatha. This sculpture therefore demonstrates that the cognizances were not yet finally settled up to the sixth century or that this is a case of mistake of the sculptor. Since there is one more such case at Rajgir we have to prefer the first alternative. There is a sculpture of Parsva sitting in padmasana, preserved in the old Jaina temple at Rajgir, illustrated as