Jain Journal 1984 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 40

JANUARY, 1984
Bengal and one stone sculpture from the Northern India." such icons have been reported from the Central India.
Recently, the author of this paper has noticed a masterpiece stone sculpture showing the Adimithuna along with Jina in the Sri Campapur Digambar Jain Siddhaksetra, Nathnagar (Bhagalpur ). It gives all iconographic details which we discussed earlier. (fig. 1) It is carved out in black basalt stone which is locally available in the Rajmahal and Kharagpur Hills. It measures 30.5 x 15.3 centimeters. It is quite in tact. It was discovered from a dried tank at Campanagar (a suburb of Bhagalpur town) in the year 1914 A.D.10 The couple looks like a royal pair because they are heavily decked with beautiful ornaments. They are seated in sukhāsana pose. The ornamanted vṛttabandhajaṭājūta of the couple is quite attractive. Even the babies in their laps and children seated beneath are also provided with ornaments. The Jina is seated in the yoga-mudrā upon a well-decorated and ornamented throne. The trilinear umbrella over his usniṣa styled hair is quite unusual from the iconographic point. The author thinks that it shows some influence of local art.
113
At least two
According to some, such sculpture shows the Jina's parent11 while others try to identify them as Yaksa and Yaksi.12 The author of the present paper agrees with the first view. The seated Jina can be identified with Bhagavan Adinatha and the couple with his parents. We know Bhagavan Adinatha was born in the family of Kulakara Nabhi. He was the first king and the first Tirthankara.13
The Adimithuna, the parents of Bhagavan Adinatha has also been worshipped by the Jaina devotees because they gave birth to the founder of Jainism. The Bhagalpur Adimithuna image can be dated in c. 8th century A.D.
7 Arch. No. 74.3491. (National Museum, New Delhi) Arch. No. 75.3377. (National Museum, New Delhi)
• Roychoudhury, P. C., Bihar District Gazetteer, Bhagalpur, Patna, 1962.
10 Patil, D. R., The Antiquarian Remains in Bihar, Patna, 1963, p. 78.
11 Sharma, B.N., op. cit., p. 30.
12 Ibid., p. 53
13 Kalpasutra, p. 205 ff.