Ambika on Jaina Art and Literature

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

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Ambikā
belonging mainly to the Digambara tradition. Besides the most prolific Jaina site at Ellora, which alone has yielded about 20 independent images, Rajanapur Khinkhini (Murtajāpur) in Akolā district is also credited with yielding some beautiful metal images of Ambika, belonging to 11th-12th century A.D.
We come across three independent and one Jina-samyukta images of Ambikā from Rajanapur Khinkhini, now preserved in the collection of Central Museum, Nagpur. Except for one instance where Ambika is four-armed, the Yakṣi is always shown with two hands. Of the two independent figures of two-armed Ambikās, one is seated on lion while the other stands gracefully in tri-bhanga with her lion mount carved on right. The seated figure (17x7.5 cms.) rests under a mango tree and supports a child with her right hand and holds a fruit in the left, the attributes apparently are here juxtaposed. The modelling is somewhat crude and the entire figure appears in static posture. However, the other figure (14.8x8.6 cms.; Fig. 19) is indeed a beautiful example of two-armed Ambika, standing in tri-bhanga on inverted lotus seat with a diminutive figure of Neminatha overhead. The rhythmic linear movement of body is full of tenderness and life. The ornaments and the coiffure are particularly interesting. The goddess standing under the foliages of mango tree with its creepers on her sides, holds amra-lumbi and matulunga in her hands. However, both of her sons stand on her sides. The son on right, bearing fruit and purse in his hands, rides on the lion mount of his mother. 18 The Jina-samyukta figure of two-armed Ambika, however, bears the traditional attributes, ämralumbi and child. However, in one instance (Fig. 20), the four-armed Ambika from Narsinghpur in M.P. sits in lalita-pose on lion under the shade of a mango tree. The Yakṣi holds in three of her surviving hands goad, noose and child (in lap). The other son, however, sits on her right. Ambika wearing beautiful ornaments and karandamukuta is benign in appearance. Thus the figures from Rajanäpur Khinkhini clearly give an idea as to the imagination of the artists to show her with some freshness by introducing certain changes which are strictly in tune with her traditional features.
Ellora
Ellora in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra occupies a singular position in respect of Indian art history for its long, continuous and quality art activity from the sixth to the 10th century A.D. The site