Jain Journal 1986 10

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

Page 37

An Unpublished AstaMangala
Patta at
Bhagalpur
AJOY KUMAR SINHA
The aṣṭa-mangala-paṭṭa holds an important place in the Jaina pantheon. Small platters of these asta-mangalas, be it in silver or in bronze, are dedicated in the Jain temples and worshipped along with other Jain metal images in the sanctum.1 According to the Jaina philosophy, the bhāva worship2 (mental attitude) has been mentioned as a best way for attainment of emancipation. The idol-worship was, however, introduced later on for the lay-worshippers who could not perform the worship without it. Due to this reason we find references of symbolic worship, such as of trees, rivers, aṣṭa-mangalas, vṛkṣas, nāgas, mukundas etc. in the early Jaina canons. For instance, the famous caitya of Purnabhadra1 situated inside the glorious city of Campa (present Champanagar, a suburb of Bhagalpur), had no structural shrine and here possibly the tree itself with sila-paṭṭa is the yakṣāyatana. The tradition of this symbolic worship is still continued in the Jaina religion, but in the form of asta-mangalas in general.
Before going into description of the Bhagalpur silver aṣṭa-mangala patta, it will be better to know its antiquity and traditions in brief. The Aupapātika-sutra,5 an important and ancient Svetambara canonical text, refers to the asta-mangalas as svastika, śrīvatsa, nandyāvarta, vardhamānaka, pūrṇa-ghata, darpaṇa and matsya. These are often referred to in Jaina texts, including canonical works, as decorating tops of architraves or ramparts, or placed on caitya-trees and platforms or painted on walls and so on. Hemacandra also notes that the eight auspicious symbols were represented on bali-paṭṭas or offering slabs." The Digambara tradi
1 Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art (Benaras-1955), pp. 109-112.
Upadhyaya, A. N. (ed), Brhatkathakosa of Harisena (931A.D.), p. xxxvii
Jain, J. C., Life in Ancient India as depicted in Jain Canons, (Bombay-1964).
Thakur. U., Studies in Jainism and Buddhism in Mithila (Benaras-1964), p. 101. Ghosh, A. (ed), Jaina Art and Architecture, vol. III, (New Delhi-1975), p. 489. • Adi-Purana, Parva 22 verses 143, 185, 219, etc.
5
7 Trisasti Salaka Purusa Caritra I, p. 190 and note 238.
2
3
4