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JULY, 1981
A post-Gupta sculpture from the Vaibhara hill, dating from c. seventh-eighth century A.D., representing Adinatha, shows on the pedestal, the dharma-cakra flanked by a bull on either side. The bull is the cognizance of Adinatha who is here further recognised by the hair-locks falling on his shoulders (vide, Jaina Art and Architecture, ed. by A. Ghosh, vol. I, pl. 90). Later we find the two deer flanking the sides of the dharma-cakra while the cognizance is either above the dharma-cakra or below it, on the pedestal.
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Two sculptures from Sira Pahari near Nachna Kuthara in Central India, one of standing Rsabhanatha and the other of sitting Mahavira published as plates 63 and 62 in Jaina Art and Architecture, vol. I, show the cognizance on each of the two ends of the pedestal while the dharmacakra is in the centre as usual. The two sculptures seem to represent a stage of transition from the Kusana to the Gupta style.
Amongst the Rajgir sculptures a very curious specimen is discovered. Here whereas the Tirthankara sitting in padmasana has seven snakehoods overhead-and hence he must be either Parsvanatha or Suparsvanatha, since no other Tirthankara has snake-hoods overhead the lanchana on each side of the dharma-cakra is a conch which is the cognizance of Neminatha according to both the sects. It is therefore obvious that either there was a mistake of the sculptor or the cognizances were still not finalised. The sculpture is a crude specimen of Pala art.
Even though images of not even one of the Twenty-four Tirthankaras are described in the Jaina canonical Anga texts, we are able to obtain an early conception of the Jina-image from the stock description of the Sasvata Jina Pratimas in the Sasvata Caityas also called Siddhāyatanas. Jaina traditions of both the sects refer to the Siddhayatanas. These shrines contain images of Saśvata Jinas. These images are of four Jinas, namely, Candranana, Varisena, Rsabha and Varddhamana. They are called Sāśvata Jinas because in every Utsarpini and Avasarpini age names of these are always repeated and they flourish in any of the fifteen Kar mabhūmis. A long description of then Siddhāyatanas and the Sasvata Jinas is available in the Upanga text called the Jiväjivabhigama Sutra.5 These Siddhāyatanas are found in various heavens and mountain peaks.
▲ Sthananga Sutra, 4, su., 307; Jivajivabhigama Sutra, su., 137, pp. 225f.
5 Jivajivabhigama Sutra, su., 139, pp. 232-33. For Siddhayatanas at various places according to Digambara tradition, see, Harivamsa, 5-6, pp. 70-140.
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