Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 135

MAY, 1911.)
JAINA ICONOGRAPHY
· 125
JAINA ICONOGRAPHY.
BY D. R. BHANDARKAR, M.A.; POONA. (Continued from Archeological Survey Report for 1905-06, p. 149).
II.-Samavasarana. W HILE much is known and has been written about Brühmaņic and Buddhist iconography,
that of the Jaina sest is practically ignored. In fact, Dr. Burgess is the only antiquarian that has studied and written about Jaina mythology and, to a certain extent, about Jains iconography, but great ignorance prevails as regards these matters amongst scholars and antiquarians in general. This is, indeed, to be pitied as materials for their study exist in abundance. In the Archeological Annual for 1905-06 I wrote a paper on the Sakunikd-Vihara, and I propose here to describe the Samarasarana, which is my second contribution to the study of Jaina iconography.
Vague ideas have hereupto existed as to what a Simavasarana is, and it has not unoften been confounded with the Sameta-bikhara even by antiquarians who ought to have known better. I too was practically ignorant, three years ago, of the object and characteristics of this Jains sculpture until I was enlightened on this point by Fravartaka Mabaraja Muni Sri-Kântivijayajf when I was on Mount Abů. This subject arose, as we were together going over the corridor cells of Vimala Sa's temple and came up to a scnlpture (Fig. 1.) in a side chamber in the south-west corner, which but for him would not have been known to me as that of a Samapaaraa. He very kindly explained to me its principal features, and promised to send me a short manuscript dealing with it and a small picture thereof contained in an old work in his thandár (Fig. IL.). These were received last year. The work calls itself Samatasarana-slavana at the end, and is given in the manuscript with an avachari or gloss.
The name of the author of the work, which is in verses, appears te be Dharmaghosha-sûri from what the commentator has said in his Glossary on verse 10. But more detailed information is furnished by the author himseli in verse 1. If we carefully notice the double entendre obviously intended, we find that Vidyananda and Dharmakirti are mentioned as papils of Dêvêndra. Now, Dêrèndra is the forty-fifth pontiff in the Tapågachchha pa!! dvali. He died in V. S. 1327 and his appointed 8CceSsor, Vidyfnanda-suri, thirteen days after him. Dharmakirti, therefore, received the sûripada under the name Dharmagh Osba. Shortly before this manuscript was received, I had occasion to glance over the pages of Hêmachandra's Trishashi-saldká-purusha-charitra published by the Šri-Jaina-dharma-prasaraka-sabha of Bhâvnagar. On pages 83 ff. and 45 ff. of the first and second parvane, I lighted upon two splendid descriptions of the amavasaraņa of the first and second Tirthamkaras given by that renowned Jaina monk and author. But I shall hero give the whole of the text of, and commentary on, the Samarasarana-stavana and supplement each one of its verses by such lines as may bear on the point from the account of Adinatha's Samavasarana only contained in the first parvan of the Trishashni-saldká-purusha-charitra. भों भह प्रणम्य।
थुणिमो केवलिवल्यं वरविज्जाधम्मकित्सित्यं ॥
देविंदनवपवाय तिथवरं समवसरणत्यं ॥१॥ भौं । जिनं प्रणम्ब, व युणिमो स्तुमः । के तीर्थकर । केवलिनो भवस्था बस्वस केवल्यवस्थः तं । वराः प्रधाना विद्यानन्दधर्मकीर्तिकपा अर्था यस्य स वरवियानन्दधर्मकीर्चः । भयवा किमय स्नुमः । वर्षियानंदधर्मकीर्त्यर्थे । पुनः कथंभूतं । देवेन्द्रनतं वत्पर तीर्थकरपदवीरूपं तत्र तिष्ठतीत देवेन्द्रमतपदस्थःतासमवसरणे तितषि समवसरणस्था अथवा समवसरणे भास्था स्थितिर्वस्व स समवसरणस्थःसं तथा ॥१॥
(V.1.) For the highest lore, delight, piety, and fame, we praise the Tirthamkara, who has attained to the condition of képalin, who bas reached the position which is respected by the Indras of the gods, and who has consequently) occupied a samavasurara.
106. A Gubrinot, Enai do kibliography Jaina, Paris 1906, pp. 381 ft. • 4, 8. R. for 1905-06, p. 141 f.
• Ind. Ant., YOL XI, p. 255.