Akhyanakmanikosha

Author(s): Nemichandrasuri, Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Vasudev S Agarwal
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 78

Sculpture, dress and ornaments etc. in AMKV.
23
known as Surapriya-yaksha, in the same story in Jaina Canonical literature) whose image was to be painted every year and at the end of which the yakṣa killed the painter. This Citrakaradaraka of Kausāmbi paints the yakṣa-statue with pure colours (pavittavannehim-167.9), and due courtsey which pleases the yaksa who grants the young man a boon which enables him to paint a portrait of a person even if he sees only a part of the body of that person. Kings had their own picture-galleries and this young man was later employed as one of the painters for the Citrasabha of king Satānika of Kauśambi. The ground for paintings (wall surfaces etc.) was divided into several sections which were then assigned to different painters who were asked to paint on the sections assigned to them. Caritam, i. e., incidents from the life of a person were sometimes painted on walls (133.101 ff.). Paintings on walls of a Jaina temple are referred to in 114.5-7.
The art of sculpture was also popular. People taken aback or stunned are described looking like figures in paintings or figures of plaster or stone (cittalihiu vva leppayamau vva pähänaghaḍiu vva92.43). Figurines fashioned from stone (päkäṇaghadiyaputtalaya 76.176), plaster-figures of Madana, the God of Love, worshipped in the Kaumudi-Mahotsava (lippamayamayaṇapadima-143.98), figures of elephants etc. fashioned from wood (kilinjamayahatthi-190.84 ), terracotta figures of animals (119.117) and men etc. (ciñcapurisena va maṭṭiyamayanarena-222.18), figurines of cloth, rags etc. (putthayahatthi"297.251), etc. referred to in the AMKV. show the different materials used by artists for figure-work. We hear of jalajantavahaya puitaliya in the step-well of Salibhadra (31.37). Jantapadimas are also known to the Brhatkalpa-Bhasya, 4.4915. The jantamayahatthi of Pradyota for capturing Udayana of Kausambi is referred to in the Avasyaka Curņi, II. p. 161. The AMKV. 15.224 uses the word karimakarivaro in the same context.
Especially noteworthy is the account of a pullaliya (talabhañjikā) of excellent workmanship in a shrine (devaharayam) at Pățaliputra showing three and a half curves of the body (addhuṭṭhabhangaghadiyā) which was so realistic and beautiful that Prince Amaradatta falls in love. His friend finds out that stone-figure was fashioned by a suttahāra (satradhāra, sculptor) of the great city of Soparaya situated in the Kuskanavisaya. The friend goes to Sopäraya, approaches the artist, first performs the courtsey of offering a betel-leaf (tamboladaṇapuvvam) and then asks him whether a certain puttaliya-salabhañji was fashioned after any model (padichandaena ghadiya). To this the artist replies in the affirmative and says that his model was princess Rayaṇamañjari of Ujjain (202-203. vv. 314-352).
There are some interesting details about dress and ornaments, furniture, utensils, weapons etc. It is not possible to discuss them elaborately but a few of them may be noted briefly.
A person finely attired is called ubbhaḍasingaradharo (272.23). Of the various types of cloth and garments especially noteworthy are the white pattaula (47.27) the white dugulla (duküla), the rayaṇa-hambala (rainakambala) from Nepala-visaya (193.10) the savaranga-nivasanu (garment of nine colours) worn by ladies, the jalavalla-suvaraniya (214.611), the cināmsuya (cināmsuka), the pattamsuya (pattāluka), jaddara.", devanga (devänga, cf. devanganivasanadhara, 257.394), devadusa
1. Also cf. अवरो जहा विलिज्जइ अग्गी इव मयणपुत्तलओ | AMKV., 144.113.
2.
Also,
in 358. 127.
3.
The exact significance of this is not known to us. Does it mean a figure of the wood of fan-fafauft tree? or from paste of seeds of tamarind ?
cf. पोत्थकम्मजक्खा विव निचिट्ठा quoted in Pāiasaddamahappavo p. 763.
4.
5. Jaddara is the same as jādara occurring in the Varnakasamuccaya, I, ed. by Dr. B. J. Sandesara. For notes on these textiles, ornaments etc. see, Sandesara and Mehta, Varpakasamuccaya, Vol. II and Prachina Bharatiya Veśabhusha
of Moti Chandra.