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 Absence of the Caitya-tree and other members of the parikara as well as of the yakșa and yakşi may be noted. This elaborate sculpture dates from c. seventh century A.D. or earlier.
In the sanctum of the Badami Jaina cave (cave no. IV) is another beautiful elaborately carved sculpture with Mahāvira sitting in ardha-padmāsana in the centre, and resting against a big cushion behind which is the back-seat with a horizontal bar resting on two dwarf pillars. Lions standing on hind legs are attached to these pillars while the bar has makara-ends. The Jina has a plain halo and sits under a triple umbrella and a Caitya-tree. On two sides of the tree are flying mälädhara (garland-bearing) couples. The simhasana shows, besides the two lions at the ends, a lion in the centre, facing us. The central lion is the cognizance of Mahavira. Behind the back-rest stand two male cámaradharas. The sculpture dates from c. late sixth century A.D. and is an early iconographic specimen from Karnataka. Representation of the lion cognizance in the centre instead of the usual dharmacakra in north India is typical of all sculptures of Mahavira in the different areas of South India but there are a few exceptions which cannot be explained satisfactorily at present. One such case is fig. 235 in Panorama of Jaina Art, South India, showing seated Pārsvanātha with chowrie-bearers, Calukya, 11th century, from Candini The Jina sits on a cushion with lotus petal design, placed on a simhāsana having all five lions in different compartments. The Jina has a canopy of seven snake-hoods and represents Pārsvanatha. But in the centre of the simhâsana is the lion cognizance. It is just possible that the sculpture of Pārsva is placed on a simhāsana which once had on it a sculpture of Mahāvira. Another such case is of a sculpture of Parsvanātha, Calukya, from Humcha in Shimoga district. illustrated as fig. 248 in Panorama of Jaina Art, South India. A third case is of fig. 285 in the same book illustrating rock-cut seated Pārsvanātha, with princely attendant and his consort, Kakatiya, from Hanamkonda, A.P., which shows a central lion on the simhasana. In this case there is no question of replacement of another sculpture on a pedestal of Mahāvira. So this is one of the exceptional cases. Of course in most cases the lion in the centre would indicate that the Jina above is Mahāvīra. Of this type is a very important Jaina bronze in the Brooklyn Museum, published as fig. 10, Paper no. 26, Aspects of Jaina Art and Architecture, pp. 269ff. This is a late Pallava bronze with inscription on three sides of the simhasana with three lions in three compartments. The bronze dates from late 8th or early 9th century A.D. In the same paper, fig. 33, U.P. Shah has published a bronze image of Mahāvīra with a Kannada inscription, from the collection of Shri Bijoy Sinh Nabar, Calcutta. The image shows four-armed yaksa and yaksini of Mahavira. The bronze dates from c. 10th century A.D. Fig. 61 in the same paper is another bronze of Mahāvira from south Karnataka, now preserved in Musee Guimet, Paris. The yaksa and yakşi in this case are two-armed Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā. On one side of Mahavira (seated in the centre) stands Pārsvanātha with seven hoods above head while on the left stands Bahubali in the kāyotsarga mudrā.
In C. Sivaramamurti's Panorama of Jaina Art, referred to above, we find several sculptures and rockcut figures of Mahavira with the lion in the centre of the simhāsana, instead of the dharmacakra. In this book fig. 73 shows two rock-cut figures of Mahävira with a separately carved figure of two-armed Sarvānubhūti on the right side, and Ambikā with lion vehicle on the extreme left. These reliefs from Vallimalai, Chittoor district, A.P., date from c. 9th-10th century A.D. Sivaramamurti's figures 74, 75 illustrate rock-cut sculptures of Mahavira at Kalugumalai, Tamil Nadu. They are of c. 8th-9th century, Pandyan style. Fig. 95 in the same book illustrates an early relief from Chera territory, Chitharal, Kerala, dating from c. 7th-8th century A.D. and fig. 181 is of seated Mahāvīra from Hemavati, c. 9th century A.D., Nolamba style.
In a ceiling of the Pancakūta Basti, Kambadahalli, Mandya district, Karnataka, is an elaborately carved sculpture of Mahavira sitting in ardha-padmasana with seated figures of two-armed Sarvānubhūti and Ambikä on the right and the left side respectively of the simhasana. Full parikara is shown. The whole relief is in the centre of the ceiling and on all sides of this relief are figures of the eight Dikpalas in separate compartments. The whole ceiling panel dates from c. 10th cent. A.D. (Fig. 49 in this book).
Figure 442 of Sivaramamurti, op. cit., illustrates a Tri-Tirthi bronze of Mahāvira from Hunchalige in Gulbarga district, and fig. 484 a bronze Caturvimsati-Pasta, c. 12th cent. A.D., from Yadwad in