Ambika on Jaina Art and Literature

Author(s): Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 50

and child, seated in lap, and riding a lion with the figure of her elder son (nude), standing close to her on right. The goddess seated in lalitāsana in the earliest instance of her independent rendering from Akotā is provided with a beautiful halo, decorated with lotus petals and the figure of Jina Pārsvanātha over her head.2 While in western India, the distinguishing iconographic features of Ambikā, as is apparent from her images from Akotā, were manifested towards the close of sixth century A.D., the other regions did not share all these features atleast until eighth century A.D. As a consequence, āmra-lumbi and lion mount were not shown in the images of Ambikā from Mathurā until the beginning of the eighth century A.D. Both at Mathura and Vārānasi her Mother aspect was emphasized by the rendering of either one or both the sons. We have already observed that as compared to other Yakṣīs like Cakresvarī, Padmavati, and Jvālā-mālini, Ambikā did not experience much icongoraphic development. This is why we do not find much variety in her iconographic forms.
The present study of the evolution of the images of Ambikā is divided into two phases: early (from c. sixth to eighth century A.D.) and later (c. 9th to 16th century A.D.). The obove classification rests on two different stages of the development of her iconography. The independent as well as the figures carved with different Jinas (hereafter called lina-samyukta images) are taken together for the present study. The rendering of Ambika in painting is, however discussed separately.
Early Phase (c. sixth to eighth century A.D.)
Akotā has yielded four independent and 13 Jina-samyukta bronze images of Ambikā, datable between the sixth and eighth centuries A.D. In Jina-samyukta figures, she is represented with Rsabhanātha and Pārsvanātha only. In all the examples, the two-armed Ambika, seated in lalitāsana on a lion, invariably holds an āmra-lumbi in right hand while the left hand supports the younger son, seated in lap. However, her elder son Subhankara (Siddha) stands (nude) close to her on right. In Jina-samyukta figures the rendering of her elder son and lion mount was not very regular.
The earliest independent figure of Ambikā (Fig. 2) from Akotā is • assignable to latter half of the sixth century A.D. Over the head of
Ambikā, there appears the figure of Jina Pārsvanātha with fivehooded snake canopy. The modelling of the figure is excellent,
36 Ambika