Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 349

Other Jaina Gods and Goddesses
327
A non-pareil figure of Sarasvati from Deogadh, carved on the exterior wall of temple No. 1 (late 11th century A.D.) shows the goddess in the tritirthi Jina image. Sarasvati, occupying the left extremity of the tritirthi, is shown equal in size to the Jina figures, which may, however, be interpreted that as Srutadevatā, personifying Jina Vāņi, she is given a status as honourable as that of the Jinas. The four-armed goddess, standing in tribhanga with peacock mount, shows the varada-mudrā, rosary, lotus and manuscript.
Khajuraho has yielded eight figures of Sarasvati wherein except for one instance, she is always four- armed. The figures, datable between c. 950-1100 A.D. depict her in lalita-mudra and as holding manuscript, vīna (either in one or two hands), lotus (usually in two hands) and also the varada-mudra (or water-vessel or rosary). However, the vāhana, swan, is carved only in one instance (northern adhisthāna of the Pārsvanātha temple). The six-armed Sarasvati carved on the southern adhisthana of the Pārsvanātha temple shows her with lotus and manuscript in upper pair of hands, while the middle pair of hands are engaged in playing on vīņā. The remaining two hands, however, show the varadamudrā and water-vessel. The presence of female câmara- bearers, adorers, hovering Mālādharas and, above all small Jina figure overhead, signify that she was accorded an important position at the site.
A few sculptures from different places in Karnataka have some indications as to the power aspect of Sarasvati. Three such examples, datable to 11th - 12th century A.D. are known from the Pancakūta-bastī, Humcha (Shimoga district- Pl. 212), Santinātha-basti, Jinanāthapura and Adinātha temple, Halebid (Hassan). Sarasvatī, seated in dhyāna-mudră without vāhana, in all the instances shows abhayāksa, goad, noose and manuscript.
The Svetāmbara Jaina temples in Western India have also yielded sufficient number of figures of Sarasvati coming as they do mainly from Osian, Kumbharia, Mt. Abu and Taranga. The figures on the
Mahāvīra temple at Osian (close of eighth century A.D.) show the goddess both with two and four arms and riding either a peacock or a swan. The two-armed goddess holds lotus and manuscript, while the fourarmed goddess (mukhamandapa on west) shows sruk, lotus and manuscript. The figures from the Vimalavasahi_(latter half of 12th century A.D.) and the Lūņavasahi (13th century A.D.) and the Ajitanatha temple at Taranga are particularly interesting since they exhibit the goddess with two, four, six, eight and even sixteen arms, thus distinctly suggesting her power aspect by way of increase in number of hands.
Besides the usual four-armed figures of Sarasvati with swan as mount and the varada (or the abhayamudra), lotus, manuscript (sometime sruk or viņa replacing lotus or manuscript) and fruit (or a watervessel) in hands, Vimala-vasahi has one such manohari figure which deserves special attention. This figure, carved in the southern bay ceiling, depicts Sarasvati as seated in lalitāsana on a bhadrapītha and holding varadakşa, spiral lotus, manuscript and water-vessel. She is accompanied by two male figures, standing close to her with folded hands. These figures bear inscriptions, according to which the bearded figure to her right is Sütradhāra Loyana while the figure to left with a measuring rod is Sūtradhāra Kelā. The first seems to be the chief architect of the rangamandapa while the other was possibly the chief sculptor. The present figure apparently suggests that Sarasvati here has been visualized as the presiding goddess of fine-arts also.
The figures in Lūņa-vasahi show the goddess with four and six hands and riding a swan. An interesting point in this regard is the collective rendering of eight Sarasvati figures on each of the four pillars of the navacauki. The four-armed Sarasvati in these instances shows the varada-mudră (or varadākṣa), long-stalked lotus (or manuscript), manuscript (or vīņa) and watervessel.
The most exquisite of all the known figures of Sarasvati is the two marble images of Svetāmbara
Pl.
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