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offering of As Tirthankaras accept food only in the hands he accepts the sugarcane juice in the hands. He has on his shoulder a sugarcane piece of cloth, given by Indra.
juice:
30. The Swan:
31. Composite figures of the deer:
32. The deer couple:
33. The swan:
34. Ambai, Ambika,
Amba (Amrakushmandini):
This illustration is a replica of a carved figure on a monument at Mathura. This bird, according to poetic convention has got a beak which can separate milk from water.
37. Jin Icon:
Here four deer with only one head are shown. Such composite sculptures and illustrations reflect great creative intelligence and this tradition is very old. This art has been well developed in Rajasthan and Gujarat and many fascinating illustrations of high quality combining elephants, horses, men, women, etc. are drawn. Such illustrations of incidents are seen on wood, cloth and paper.
A beautiful outline of a deer couple. The deer is a herbivorous, innocent, contented, charming animal that deserves mercy as it is always hunted by hunters.
A remarkable figure of a swan swimming in water.
The Yakshini goddess, the choice deity of Neminath Bhagawan, 22nd Tirthankara. In the illustration she is shown as having two arms, looking at the child in the right arm and holding a bunch of mangoes in the left hand. The lion is her carrier. She has adorned herself with ornaments and is sitting in the Bhadrasana.
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Among people other than Jains she is known everywhere as Ambaji and Mataji. She is also known as the goddess of lineage.
It is discovered that before the twelfth century she was installed as the chief goddess of the Jain community because she has been installed as a goddess in the arabesque of any Tirthankara's icon made of stone or any metal before that century.
She is also known as Kushmandi, Kushmandini or Amra-Kushmandini.
35. Lakshmi: Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth is loved by all. She sits on a lotus and she has four arms. She holds lotuses from elephants in the upper two arms and a rosary and a holy pitcher in the lower arms. All people have faith in this goddess. Lakshmiji is also found with two arms, having different objects in the arms and shown in different poses.
Ambika in the sculpture is shown as having one or two sons. She is shown with four arms and her face is either straight or on the side. Mostly a child is in her left arm or on the left side. In the case of all these three goddesses there are variations in the weapons, the carriers and the number of children (One or two). Here all the three goddesses are illustrated following the present popular Kalpa-Sutra style.
36. Sarasvati: She is the goddess of learning and arts famous in India, respected by all philosophers, loved by householders, saints,
and all. She has four arms and the lotus is her seat. She holds the lute.
This is reproduced from a beautiful figure with excellent contorts, of the twelfth-thirteenth century. Sarasvati is also known as Shruta-devi or Shruta-Devta. Poets have introduced her as Sharada and given her innumerable names. Indians worship her much in different ways for learning, intellect, knowledge and memory. There are also figures of Sarasvati with two arms. She is shown either as standing or as sitting. Her carriers are the Swan and the peacock. There are variations in the objects in her hands. She is honoured and worshipped in one way or another by Jain, Hindu and Bauddha culture.
During the present descending cycle of time, during the present age, out of the present 24 Tirthankaras, the first Tirthankara Shri Adishwaraji, the 22nd Tirthankara Shri Neminathaji and the 24th Tirthankara Shri Mahavira Swamiji - all these three left their mortal coils while sitting in the lotus posture and they stayed in the same posture in the location of liberation (siddhashila) in the spiritual region. Except these three Tirthankara Paramatmas, the remaining ones breathed their last in the Sword posture or a Kayotsarga posture and they remained in the same posture after liberation. This is why Jain icons of Tirthankaras are shown as either sitting in lotus posture or in standing posture. In this illustration a Tirthankara is shown sitting in lotus posture, with an expression of external peace and freedom from all attachments in ancient times. Some icons show him in 'semi lotus posture' in north India. Such icons are found in a great number.
38. Jin Temple: This is a symbol of a holy and perfect temple made according to jain architecture for the installation of the abovementioned icons. As the space is limited only a symbol of a small temple is shown.
39. Jain Ascetic:: After Bhagawan Tirthankara the preceptor occupies the holy place. So in this symbol a Jain Muni of great renunciation, having a distinct mission in life and wearing the costume of an ascetic is shown. As they are merciful to the beings they keep in their right hand Muha-Patti (a piece of cloth) and in their left armpit they hold an apparatus made from woollen threads and called Rajo-Harana to save insects on the ground. It is seen in both the illustrations. When they have to sit, they first clean the ground with the soft threads of their cleaning apparatus and remove (if any) the insects on the floor. Then they spread their mat and sit on it. The cleaning apparatus (Ogho) is
Note: 6. The symbols from 37 to 43 are seven fields, seven famous holy places among Jain Murtipujak sect.
Note: 7. The symbol given here is that of a Shvetambar Murtipujak ascetic. Those ascetic-males and females who don't worship the icons wear a mouth piece of cloth. This group includes Sthanakavasi and Terapanthi sects. Again their is a bit of difference. Their rites, dress and routines differ. The ascetic in Digambar sect is in complete nude state. Instead of the woollen cleaning apparatus he keeps a peacockfeather bunch because of the nudism for ascetics in Digambar sect. There is no institution of female ascetics.
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