Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 306

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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
attendants, lion-throne, the hovering Mālädhra angels and the drum-beater suggestive of some of the aştamahāprätihäryas, invariate features of the arhat images. On the contrary, the images in the kāyotsarga- mudră show no prātihärya with Parsvanätba. This may be suggestive of the fact that Pärsvanatha had yet not attained Jinahood. The seated figure of Pārsvanātha in one case is surprisingly joined by the figures of Sarvāhņa Yakṣa and Ambika Yakși. The rendering of Sarvāhņa and Ambikā in the present instance reminds us of their invariable renderings with Pārsvanätha at the Svetāmbara Jaina sites of western India.
Parsvanatha figures at Ellora, seated or standing, have invariably been provided with seven-hooded snake canopy. The largest number of figures (12 figures) are carved in cave 32. In caves 30, 31, 33 and 34 there are five, two, ten and two figures respectively.
The Parśvanātha images from Ellora are specially significant for elaborate rendering in the parikara), of the upsargas or tirade of tormentations inflicted on Pārsvanātha by the evil spirit Sambara (or Meghamāli). The earliest example showing the upsargas of Pārsvanātha are found at Badami and Aihole (c.A.D. 600) wherein the figures of Sambara is shown attacking Pārsvanatha with a boulder or with some weapon. However, Padmavati, in both the instances, holds a long obliquely held parasol and is joined by the figure of Dharanendra, both standing on the right flank of Pārsvanātha. Close to the figure of Pārsvanātha with five-hooded snake canopy sits on the left a figure of Sambara bowing in humility with folded hands. The most elaborate representations of such scenes of onslaught of Sambara to dissuade Pārsvanātha from his tapas are met with at Ellora. Barring a few examples known from Mālādevi temple at Gyaraspur (Vidisha, M.P., 8th century A.D.), Indian Museum, Kolkata (provenance probably Bihar, c. 7th century A.D.) and Hurca (Parsvanātha Basti, Shimoga, Karnataka - two examples, 11th-12h century, Pl. 158), such elaborate representations are rarely encountered. In the rendering
of the upsarga at Ellora we find three, four, five, six, seven or eight figures of Sambara, each one engaged in the act of causing different inflictions to Pärsvanatha. In about twenty images, all standing in the käyotsargamudrā, the upasarga scenes are carved; this is the highest number for such images at a site. Surprisingly, the Pārsvanātha images belonging to the Svetāmbara tradition do not show any of the upasargas. Instead, in the ceilings of the Sāntinātha and Mahāvīra temples at Kumbharia (11h century A.D.), we come across the detailed renderings pertaining to the enmities of Kamatha (Meghamāli or Sambara) and Marubhūti (Pärsvanātha in previous existence). The ceilings of these temples also contain the detailed renderings of the five principal events from the life of Pärsvanatha.
The earliest literary reference to the upsargas of Pārsvanātha is found in the Pärsväbhyudayakavya (4.4548) of Jinasena (before A.D. 784) wherein only two upsargas posed by the devil Kamatha are described; they are the apsarases or the beautiful damsels and the hurling of huge boulders at Pärsvanātha. Another work, the Uttarapurāņa (73.136.40) of Gunabhadra (c. mid 9th century A.D.) deals with the life of Pärávanātha in detail; but that pertains mainly to the enmity of Marubhuti and Kamatha in their previous existences. As to the upsargas of Sambara during the course of tapas of Pärsvanātha, it merely mentions that the devil Sambara had caused different upsargas continuously for seven days.
The detailed account of the different upasargas of Sambara (or Meghamăli) to Pärsvanätha is found perhaps for the first time in the Pāsaņāhacariu (A.D. 1077, 14.430) of Padmakirtti and Trişastiśalākāpuruşacaritra which furnish how Sambara himself took different forms and used fatal weapons such as thunderbolt, arrow, spear, mudgara, axe, etc. to shake Pārsvanātha from his tapas. He also made abortive attempts through ferocious animals, namely Särdala-tiger, lion, monkey, dog, bear, snake, boar, buffalo, elephant, ox etc. to dissuade Pārsvanātha. He also caused upsargas by the horrendous
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