Book Title: Arhat Parshva and Dharnendra Nexus
Author(s): M A Dhaky
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Page 98
________________ 898 Arbat Parsva and Dharanendra Nexus tree practising the "exposure to all weathers" austerity when Meghamali attacked him by creating a terrible storm. The serpent-king Dharanendra spreads his hoods above the head of the Jina and his companion Padmavati holds an umbrella over him. On either side of the cobra-hoods are the mälädbara-celestials hovering in the sky and at the top are shown hands beating the dumdubbi-drum. The base in front shows a gana-dwarf holding cakra in his hands. The image can be dated to c. seventh century AD." In a sandstone sarvatobbadrikä image from Vidišă (Vidisha State Museum No. 357/1295), Pārsśvanatha (Plate 8) is seated on the coils of a snake in dhyana-mudră with a seven-hooded canopy over his head. On the face of the simbasana, the dbarmacakra is shown between the two lions and the camara-bearers. Above the serpent-hoods, on either side, celestial beings carrying garlands glide in air and flank the devadumdubbi; the trichatra also is depicted atop the Nagaraja Dharanendra. Stylistically, this image may also be assigned to c. seventh century. Another sarvatobhadrika image (Plate 9), reported from Karaitalai (Jabalpur District), currently in the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum, has on one of its faces a seated Pärŝvanätha with a seven-hooded canopy over his head. Two lions are depicted on the pedestal sitting back to back with a dharmacakra in the centre, flanked by two standing camara-bearers. A part of the plain carpet decorated with a beaded border is shown suspended from the seat. The serpent-canopy is flanked by two flying garland-bearers, the Jina's head below shows closed meditative eyes, elongated ears, combed-back hair with central uşnişa, and the posture of the hands making a triangle with the body are features favouring a date in the sixth-seventh century. 80 In an image reported from Nacanã-Kuthärä (District Panna) (Plate 10) and now preserved in the Tulsi Ashram Sangrahalaya at Ramban in District Satna, Pärsvanatha is shown seated on the coils of a snake in the dhyana-mudra, protected by a sevenhooded canopy over his head. He is flanked by Indra and Upendra, standing in tribhanga-posture, each carrying a camara in his hand. Well-proportioned body, half-closed eyes in trance, and an effulgence of subtle mystical luminescence on the face of the image show the characteristics of the classical art of the Gupta period still continuing, thus suggesting a date not later than the seventh century. A group of Jaina sculptures from Siră Pahārī, a hill near Nacană, Panna District, has an image of Pärsvanatha of about the seventh-eighth century A.D. It stands in the kayotsarga-mudra without any drapery and has a huge serpent coiled behind the whole figure making a canopy of seven hoods over the Jina's head. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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