Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 300

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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
No. 42). Two seated images of Munisuvrata are also carved in Barabhuji and Triśula caves. A few other images are found from Mau and Nowgong( M.P.) and Jaisinghapura Jaina Archaeological Museum, Ujjain (two examples, Acc. Nos. 49 and 56), Government Central Museum, Jaipur (Śvetambara, 11th century A.D., standing with kurma lañchana, Pl. 147) and National Museum, Delhi (No. 48. 427, Pañcatirthi of Munisuvrata).
The images of Munisuvrata are found also from Kumbharia (devakulika No. 20 of Parsvanatha temple, A.D. 1179, name of the Jina is mentioned in inscription) and Vimalavasahi (devakulika No. 11, A.D. 1143 and devakulikā No. 31) (Pl. 148). In both the examples of Vimalavasahi the name of Munisuvrata is given in inscription alongwith the figures of Sarvanubhuti and Ambikā.
A very few images are found from south India. The Jina is carved also in the sets of 24 Jinas known from Śravanabelagola, Moodbidri and Venur.
A particular type of stone slabs depicting two incidents from the life of Munisuvrata were carved from about 12th century A.D. These incidents are known as Aśvāvabodha and Samalika or Sakunikā-vihāra-tīrtha. Munisuvrata gave sermon to a horse (Asvavabodha) in case of the former while the latter story pertains to the Śakuni, who as Sudarsana was reminded of her previous birth as Śakuni and the chanting of navakara mantra to her. Sudarsana offered her worship to Munisuvrata in Asvävabodha Tirtha and also caused the construction of 24 Jinalayas there. The Asvavabodha Tirtha for the above reason came to be known also as SakunikaVihara-Tirtha.
In the Mahavira temple at Kumbharia, there is at present a stone slab representing the AsvavabodhaSamalika-Vihara-Tirtha. The panel originally belonged to the Neminatha temple of Kumbharia, where half of this slab (A.D. 1281) is still preserved. A similar pata is also preserved in cell No. 19 of the Lüṇavasahi. The Lūṇavasahi pata was installed in A.D. 1278 by Asapala of Pragvata caste, according to an inscription in cell
No. 18. The pata in the Neminatha temple of Kumbharia also has an inscription on it showing that the Munisuvrata bimba with the Asvavabodha-Samalika-ViharaTīrthoddhāra was installed in A.D. 1281. Such stone slabs (pata) also exist in the Parsvanatha temple at Jalor and the temple in Cambay. NAMINATHA (21" Jina)
The cognizance of Naminatha is blue lotus (nilotpala) while the Sasanadevatäs attending upon the Jina are Bhrkuți and Gandhari (or Camunda or Camundi, according to Digambara works.). The images of Naminatha, found from 11th-12th century A.D., are very few. The Yakṣa and Yakși are rarely carved and in case of figure from Lūnavasahi (cell No. 19, A.D. 1233) they are Sarvanubhuti and Ambika. The seated image in the Barabhuji cave has only the figure of Yakṣi underneath. The other examples are known from Kumbharia (devakulika No. 21 of Parsvanatha temple, A.D. 1179), Vimalavasahi (devakulika No. 45, A.D. 1188, name of Jina in the inscription), Mathurapur (Raidighi, W.B.), Gwalior (Urwahi group, 15th century A.D.), Patna Museum (11th century A.D. with the diminutive figures of 24 Jinas in the parikara), Achalagarh (Mt. Abu) and Śatruñjaya. The image from Achalagarh is being worshipped in a cell in the sabhamandapa of Caumukha temple.
The figures of Naminatha are also depicted in three sets of 24 Jinas from Śravanabelagola, Moodbidri and Venur.
NEMINATHA OR ARISTANEMI (22nd Jina)
Neminatha or Aristanemi, provided with conch as cognizance and Gomedha and Ambika (or Kuşmandi) as Yakṣa-Yakşi, is associated with Balarama and Vasudeva Kṛṣṇa who were his cousin brothers. This relationship is suggestive of mutuality of Brahmanical and Jaina traditions. It may also be underlined here that in sculptures the Yakṣi with Neminatha is always Ambika (shown with lion mount and two sons and a bunch of mangoes), while Yakṣa is never Gomedha (three-faced, six-armed and with man-nara as mount). Instead in