Ambika on Jaina Art and Literature

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

Page 83

lion mount. She invariably holds ämra-lumbi and child. In few examples, she is also accompanied by her elder son on right. The four-armed figures of Ambikā show pleasing variety which suggest that keeping well within the framework of the Jaina tradition, the artists have introduced several innovatory features to break the monotony and also to keep the figures refreshing. This is why we find Ambikā holding, besides usual āmra-lumbi and child, lotus of different types, lotus-cum-manuscript, goad, noose, triśüla, ghantā, and mirror (?) attributes in her additional two hands. Ambikā also attains the position of a cult-goddess with a parivāra of her own, as is distinctly revealed by some of her cult icons from Mathură, Khajurāho, Deogarh, Patiān-dāi and Singhpur.
Ambikā became four-armed towards mid ninth century A.D., as noticed in case of her possibly the earliest four-armed figure from Deogarh (temple No. 12, A.D. 862). She acquires a very revered position of a cult goddess in Jaina worship which is clearly manifested in one of her ninth century independent images from Mathurā (presently in Govt. Museum, Mathurā, Acc. No. 07). Although a good number of her four-armed figures are obtained from Khajurāho, Deogarh and elsewhere, the rendering of twoarmed Ambikā was always preferred, apparently to show deep faith of the Jainas in tradition. To keep Ambikā, the great Mother, to the expectations of the contemporary people, specially the trader's community, for acquiring material affluence, the Jainas brought in certain changes by way of increase in number of her hands and thereby the attributes. But in doing so they had never compromised with the basic concept of Ambikā and they very carefully retained the basic form by providing her with amra-lumbi and child in hands and lion as mount, and also by the rendering of her elder son on right and the branches of mango tree overhead.
The images of Ambikā are found from Mathurā, Deogarh, Khajurāho, Gyārasapur, Sahdol, Hinglājgarh, Jabalpur, Vidiśā, Gwālior, Maihar, Siron, Thūbaun, Patiān-dãi, Chanderi, Ahār, Dhubelā, Sivapuri, Singhpur, Bhopal and many other places in the region. Of all the places, the figures from Deogarh, Khajuraho and Patian-dāi are of immense importance. A detailed account of the Ambikā images from these places will help us to understand the course of development of her iconography in the region.
Ambikā 69