Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain, Others
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 294

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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
Another Pañca-tirthi image installed in Samvat 1485 (A.D. 1328) is also in worship in the Neminātha temple, Radhanpur. All these figures have the name of the Jina in pedestal inscription.
SĪTALANATHA (10th Jina) The cognizance of Sitalanätha is érīvatsa while the Yakşa-Yakși associated with him are Brahma or Brahmā and Asokā (or Mānavi in Digambara tradition). The independent figures of Sitalanātha are very few and are found from 10h century A.D. only. The Yaksa and Yakşi are rarely carved with the Jina, which in case of western Indian Svetāmbara images are Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā. The images of Sitalanātha are found mainly from Aranga (M.P.), Tripuri (now in Indian Museum, Kolkata), Gwalior, National Museum, Delhi (Acc. No. 48.4/46) Kumbharia (śāntinātha and Pārsvanātha temples), Vimalavasahi, Candravati, Satruñjaya, and Bārabhuji cave. The image in Bärabhuji cave (12h century A.D.) has both the śrīvatsa lāñchana and the figure of Yakṣī. In case of the figures from Kumbharia, the name of the Jina is given in the inscription. These figures are datable lu 12th century AD. A Panca-tīrthi image of Śītalanātha (A.D. 1460) is preserved in cell No. 593/4 at Satrunjaya. The figure in the National Museum is a metal image (A.D. 1485) showing srivatsa cognizance on simhāsana alongwith the figures of YakşaYakși and Navagrahas.
In south India Śītalanātha is mostly represented in the group of 24 Jinas known from Sravanabelagola (standing figure with Brahma Yaksa and Mānavi Yakşi), Moodbidri and Venur. According to Jinaprabhasūri (14th century A.D.), Sītalanātha was worshipped in a shrine in the Prayāgatirtha (Allahabad). The Jainas of Vidisha today regard Vidisha as the old Bhadilapur, the birth place of Sītalanātha where they have a shrine dedicated. to this Jina.
ŚREYĀNSANĀTHA (11th Jina)
The cognizance of Sreyāmsanātha is rhinoceros (Khadgi) but T. N. Ramchandran has noted three different traditions about the cognizance of the Jina,
according to which, besides rhinoceros, deer and garuda are also prescribed. The Yakşa-Yakși of þreyāmsanātha are Isvara (or Yaksarāja) and Manavi (or Gauri - according to Digambara texts). Isvara Yaksa and Gaurī Yakşi at once remind us of the transformation of two principal Brahmanical deities Siva and Gaurī. Besides the image in Bārabhuji cave where the Yakşi is carved underneath, the figures of Yaksa and Yakși are usually conspicuous by their absence.
The figures of Sreyamsanātha are carved from about 10th century A.D., the examples of which from north India are found mainly from Khandagiri (Bārabhuji and Triśūla caves), Pakbira (Purulia, West Bengal), Indore Museum, Narwar (M.P.), Kumbharia (devakulikā No. 11, of Pārsvanātha temple, A.D. 1202 and sāntinātha temple – A.D. 1081) and Sahet-Mahet (Gonda, U.P., now in State Museum, Lucknow - J. 856) and Satrunjaya (Kharataravasahi - A.D. 1512). Excepting the figures from Svetāmbara sites of western India where the name of the Jina is inscribed, all other figures show the rhinoceros cognizance. It is surprising that at the prolific sites like Deogadh and Khajuraho, the image of Sreyamsanātha was not carved.
Sreyāmsanātha could be seen in the set of 24 Jina images at Sravanabelagola, Moodbidri and Venur.
VĀSUPUJYA (12th Jina) The cognizance of Vāsupujya is buffalo and the Yaksa and Yakși are Kumāra (or Şanmukha, apparently Kärttikeya of Brahmanical tradition, according to Tiloyapannatti) and Candrā (or Candā or Gāndhārī, according to Digambara texts). The earliest figures of Vasupujya are found from 10h century A.D. which show both the cognizance as well as the Yakșa and Yakṣi which are either Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā (in case of western India) or without any distinguishing features. The independent images are procured mainly from Shahdol (M.P., with cognizance and Yaksa-Yakși and 23 small Jina figures in the parikara), Khandagiri (Bārabhuji and Triśūla caves), Patan (Pārsvanātha temple, Gujarat, A.D. 1299, giving the name of the Jina in
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