Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 371

CHAPTER XIII SOME OTHER ASPECTS OF JAINA ART
The present chapter deals with some other important aspects of Jaina art, namely Ayāgapata, Samavasarana, Astamangala, Nandiśvara-Dvipa, Sammeta-Sikhara and Panca-Meru, Manastambha and Parents of Jinas.
JAINA ĀYAGAPATA An important votive object abundantly procured from the Kankāli Tila, Mathura, is the āyāgapata or the tablet of homage. Curiously, the āyāgapatas were used by the Jainas only in Pre-Kuşāņa and Kuşāņa period at Mathura and it has not been encountered subsequently in Jaina art. A fragment of a tympanum from Mathura (now in the National Museum, Delhi), belonging to Kuşāņa period, interestingly shows a group of devotees approaching towards stūpa, and in front of the stupa there could be seen four oblong solid platforms (Pīthikä or Vedi) crowned by the āyāgapatas which throw significant light on the manner the żyägapatas were worshipped.
The earliest āyagapațas in the State Museum, Lucknow (Acc. Nos. J. 248, J. 253), belong to c. 1st century B.C. and these were set up by the inhabitants of Mathura, in one case by the wife of Sivaghosaka. of the two, one shows sixteen-spoked wheel (Dharmacakra) enclosed by another circle with a band of tilaka-ratnas. The circle is further followed by bigger circle. The other āyāgapata is important because it shows in the centre the figure of a seated Jina with flanking sky-clad monks. The Jina with seven-hooded snake canopy is to be identified with Pārsvanātha. Thus this example becomes the singular instance showing the worship of Jina in the midst of the symbols (triratna, śrīvatsa).
Most of the available ayāgapatas form a class by themselves. The carvings on most of these äyägapatas are exuberant and reflect the zeal and skill of the artists (State Museum, Lucknow, J. 250). The religious character
of these āyāgapatas is evident not only by the available inscriptions, referring to the setting up of the āyāgapatas for the worship of the Arhats, i.e. Jinas, but also by the depiction of the stūpas (Archaeological Museum Mathura. Q. 2; State Museum, Lucknow, J. 255), figures of Tirthankaras (State Museum, Lucknow, J. 250, J. 253; Government Museum, Mathura, Acc. Nos. 47-49), Caitya-Vļkşa, Dharmacakra (State Museum Lucknow, J. 248) and auspicious symbols, including Astamangalas particularly sacred to Jainism (State Museum, Lucknow, J. 249 - Pl. 119).
As suggested by U.P. Shah, the precursor of the ayāgapatas might have been the Pudhavi-Silā-patta (Prthvi-Silā-patta) placed on a small platform at the foot or Vrksa-Caityas, sacred to the sylvan folk-divinities, Yakşas and Nāga. In early reliefs we find devotees worshipping such vedis or altars below the trees. Such vedis were conceived as of high sanctity, being the sacred seat and symbolizing the physical presence of the invisible divinities. These were worshipped by the local people who used to put various offerings, including floral on such vedis. The worship of folk divinities is of hoary antiquity and has survived in many parts of India even now in the forms of Grāma-devatas.
The representations of Jinas and stūpas on the ayāgapatas tend to prove that these slabs perched on the vedis or pithas did not serve merely as arghya-pattas or bali-pattas, where flowers and other offerings were deposited for worshipping the Jinas and stūpas. On the contrary, these representations would suggest that these ayāgapatas were themselves like the image of the Arhat at the deva-nirmita stūpa.
SAMAVASARANA The samavasaraņa literally means assemblage which refers to the congregation hall constructed by gods, where gods, men and animals assemble and take
Jain Education Intemational