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CHAPTER VIII
JINAS OR TIRTHANKARAS
The nucleus of Jaina pantheon, and so also the visual manifestation, centred around the 24 Jinas or the Tirthankaras who were venerated as the devadhideva, the Supreme Deity. As a consequence, the Jina images outnumber the images of all other Jaina deities. The Jina images denote bhava worship and not the dravya worship (physical or idol worship). Jina worship is regarded mainly a worship not of the God or a deity but of a human being who has attained perfection and freedom from all bondage. The passionless Jinas or arhats are vitarägas and therefore neither they favour nor frown upon anybody. Because of this only Jinas were represented always in the postures of meditation while Buddha, in due course of time, was represented with such gestures as the abhaya-mudra, the varadamudră etc. Moreover, none of the Jinas was ever credited with performance of miracles even at the time of their upasargas (hindrances caused by evil spirits during their penance) while the case was reverse with Buddha. Thus it is apparent that the Jainas by strictly adhering to the dhyāna (seated cross-legged) and the kayotsarga (standing erect in attitude of dismissing body) mudras in respect of the Jinas have shown their unceasing respect for yogic postures of transcendental meditation and bodily abandonment. However, to cater to the needs and aspirations of the worshippers for material world the Yakṣas and Yakṣis were associated with each of the 24 Jinas as Śāsanadevatās.
Historically, the list of all the 24 Jinas as per available texts was finalized by the beginning of the Christian era. The earliest list occurs in the Samavāyānga Sūtra (Sūtra 157), Bhagavati Sūtra, Kalpasūtra (2.184 203) and Paumacariyam (1.1-7). The representation of the Jinas in art started in c. 3rd century B.C. The Kalpasūtra describes at length only the lives of Rṣabhanatha, Neminatha, Pärsvanatha and Mahāvīra
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who were the most popular of all the Jinas in literature and art. As a natural corollary, the Yakṣas and Yakṣis of these Jinas enjoyed a very favoured position. Ajitanatha, Sambhavanatha, Supārsvanatha. Candraprabha, Śantinatha and Munisuvrata happened to be the next favoured Jinas. The figures of the remaining Jinas are comparatively fewer in number.
Of all the Jinas, the iconographic features of Parsvanatha were finalised first. The seven-hooded snake canopy was associated with Parsvanatha in c. first century B.C. Thereafter in c. first century A.D., Rṣabhanatha was endowed with flowing hair-locks, as is evident from the sculptures procured from Mathura and Chausa (Pl. 122). Balarama and Krsna joined Neminatha as his cousins in Kuṣaṇa period as is borne out by the Neminatha sculptures from Kankali-Tilä, Mathura. During the Kuṣaṇa period (1st-2nd century A.D.) the images of Sambhavanatha, Munisuvrata and Mahavira were also carved but they are identified on the basis of the pedestal inscriptions, bearing their respective names (Pl. 120). The Kuṣaṇa Jina figures signify the early stage of representation. They exhibit stiffness and muscular treatment of the body. The rendering of the distinguishing cognizances, YakṣaYakṣi pairs and the aṣṭapratiharyas (eight chief accompanying attributes- aśoka tree, devadundubhi, scattering of flowers by gods, triple umbrella, fly-whisk, lion-throne, divine music and halo: Paimacariya, 2.3536 and Pratisthäsäroddhara, 1.76-77) with the Jinas which marks a significant development in Jina iconography, started as early as in the Gupta period. Thus Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) was a milestone in the development of Jina images. The Neminatha and Mahāvīra images respectively from Rajgir (Vaibhara hill, Bihar) and Varanasi (now in the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi, Acc. No. 161) are the earliest
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