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Himala-Vasahi)
The second ceiling in front of this cell contains a remarkable relief of many-armed Nộsimha (Man-Lion ) tearing asunder the belley of Hiranyakashyapa caught between his legs. The whole sculpture carved in bold relief in the centre of a sixteen-petalled open lotus is a beautiful specimen of art noteworthy for its typical composition (figure 17).
According to Hindu mythology, as available from the Mahābhārata, the demon Hiranyakashyapa had obtained a boon from Brahmā that he would not be killed by gods, demons, human beings or animals, nor would he die either inside or outside a structure, neither by day nor by night, from no weapon or instrument, neither on earth, nor in the sky and so on. Obviously he wanted to eliminate cleverly. all chances of death. The demon had a very pious son called Prahlada, a great devotee of Vishņu, whom the father tortured for being a worshipper of the god. The god Vişhņu ultimately rescued his devotee and killed the demon without disturbing the boon granted by Brahmā, by assuming a half-human Man-Lion form and killed him on the doorstep of the palace, at the time of twilight, holding him tight between his legs (thus above the ground and not in the sky), tearing his belley with the sharp lion-finger-nails.
(37) Cell 47, first ceiling contains a representation of the birth-rites of a Jina, performed by 56 Dik-Kumārīs of Jaina mythology. In the centre, in a circle, the Jina is sitting on a throne. In a concentric band round this are shown the Dik-Kumāris (Quarter-maidens ) carrying waterjars, incense-burners, fans, mirrors etc. They are supposed to perform the duties of a nurse to the lying-in Mother and the newly born Jina. In the third band are different scenes-at one place, the Lord, with his mother, placed on a throne, is being annointed; on another throne, the Jina is being bathed with waters by these goddesses. On the
