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An Unpublished Medieval Image of Bhagavan Aranatha from Bhagalpur
AJOY KUMAR SINHA
Bhagavan Aranatha, the eighteenth Jaina Tirthankara, is not widely known to the students of the Jaina art. He was born at Hastinapura.2 His father, Sudarsana, was a ksatriya prince of the Lunar Dynasty (Candravamsi). His mother's name was Mitrasena. Bhagavan Aranatha like some other Jaina Tirthankaras became a Cakravarti before becoming a Tirthankara. The sacred tree peculiar to him is Çuta or Mango. His complexion was of golden colour and he was of 20 dhanusa in height. Kumbha and Rakhiya were his chief disciples. His attendants consisted of the Yaksa named Yaksendra and the Yaksini named Dharini Devi. His symbol i.e., lānchana was nandyāvarta(a kind of svastika) or a fish which come under the aştamangalas or eight auspicious symbols. He attained nirvāņa on the Mount Sammeya (Parsvanath Hill, Bihar) at the age of 84,000 years.
Historically the saga of Bhagavan Aranatha can be traced back as early as the Kusana period. The well known Mathura Image Inscription records the dedication of a Nandivarta (Nandyavarta) at the 'Vodva' stūpa.5 The stūpa was built by the gods (devanirmite) due to the best
1 Bhattacharya, B. C., The Jaina Iconography (New Delhi-1984 reprint), pp.
53-54. ? Uttara Purana, p. 285. * Ibid. • Kalpasutra, p. 183. * Epigraphia Indica, vol. II, p. 204, No. 20.
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