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U.P. Shah gave an extensive study of the silāpața and its relationship to the caitya-vrkṣa or tree shrine, an important and very early form of nature worship in India. According to T.V.G. Sastri who discovered the ancient Jaina site of Vaddamānu in Andhra Pradesh in south India, the caitya-vrkșa [is] “no doubt we find similar motifs in the Buddhist centres like Bharut, Sānchi and Amarāvati. At Vaddamānu, it was displayed as a most important motif while it was casually shown in the Buddhist art.” 5 In developing the tradition that their religious leaders attained enlightenment beneath trees, thus incorporating the ancient and popular tree-cults, Jainism and Buddhism became stronger in their opposition to the ritual-bound Brahmans. The Aupapātika Sūtra refers to Mahāvīra having visited a tree shrine which was decorated with așsamangala. In later Jaina literature caityavrkșas occurring within a samavasaraņa are described as having Jina images (caityas) placed beneath them on four sides."
Ja
42
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A
VATNOJL.
WALAUPUN
SAMAN
Fig. Ib. Detail of ägapața of Sihanadika
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