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34
Arbat Pārsva and Dharanendra Nexus
than Kamatha, the soul of the younger brother of Pārśva in his previous existence as Marubhūti. The snake couple, half burnt, died immediately after prince Pārsva chanted before them the Namaskāra-mangala and were reborn as Dharanendra (Indra of the Nāgakumāra class of Bhavanavāsī gods) and his queen (called Padmavati in medieval texts). In the Pāsanābacariya (3, p. 167), Devabhadrācārya speaks of only one snake, and he was reborn as Dharanendra after death. The Digambara texts speak of a pair of snakes. However, in the Pāsanābacariü, 13.11. pp. 111-12, Padmakirti speaks of only a single snake saved by Pārsva.
Both sects agree in stipulating cobra as the dbvaja or lañchana of Pārsvanātha and generally represent five or seven snake-hoods as a canopy over the Jina's head. In the images of Pārsvanātha the snake cognizance is shown on the pedestal and often the coils of the snake's body are shown behind the body of Pārsva either standing or sitting in meditation. The snake-hoods as well as the coils suggest Nāgendra Dharana protecting the body of Pārsvanātha.
It may be recalled that Supārsvanātha, the seventh Tirtharkara, is also said to have a canopy of snake, but having either one, three, or nine hoods over his head. But no known account explains the presence of cobra-hoods over Supārsvanātha's head. The difference in the number of hoods help differentiating the images of Pārśva from those of Supārsva. But no canonical allusion in this matter is known. Amongst the earliest known images, all known heads of sculptures with snakehoods are identified as Pārsva because of seven snake-hoods shown. This would show that the late medieval written tradition and modern belief that the stupa of Kankāli Țilā was of Supārsva seems unreliable. In all likelihood that was the stūpa of Pārsvanātha.
However, as I have shown in the Jaina Rupa-Mandana, the reliefs of Pārsva at Aihole and Bādāmī show five snake hoods and not seven. Technically speaking, all Jina figures with snake-hoods overhead, with coils of a snake behind the body and below the seat of the Jina (as in a sculpture at Rājgir), should certainly be identified as representing Pārsvanātha on account of the legend of Dharaṇendra protecting Pārsvanātha from rains etc. during Kamatha's attacks.
Another way of differentiating images of Pārsva from those of Supārsva is to take help of the cognizance wherever it is shown, because the cognizance of Supārsva is the symbol Svastika and not the snake. This further lends doubt about the original association of snake with Supārsva.
The much corroded early bronze of Pārsva from Causā hoard (now in Patna Museum)23 seems hardly later than the first century A.D. This figure has seven snake
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