Jain Journal 1994 07

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

Page 16

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tirthankara image identified with Aristanemi who is flanked by Balarama and Vasudeva makes its appearance at the Kusana and post-Kuṣāna period.2
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JAIN JOURNAL VOL XXIX, NO 1, JULY 1994
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As to the tirthankara images belonging to the Gupta age, Mathura owns a group sculpture of 5 tirthankaras, i.e. Rsabha, Śantinātha, Aristanemi, Pārsva and Mahavira, that is called "pañcendra" in the Kahaum inscription of the later days. Beside this, individual images of Rsabha, Aristanemi and Parsva are discovered from Mathurā.22 In East India, an image of Aristanemi is discovered from Vaibharagiri,2 images of Padmaprabha, Parsva and Mahavira are found from Sonbhandar cave," ,24 and images of Rsabha and Candraprabha are found at Causa.25 In Central India, an inscription of the Gupta year 106 referring to the making of a figure of Parsva is located in one of the Udaigiri caves near Vidisā.26 Images of Rsabha, Pārsva and Mahavira are unearthed from Sira Pahari.27 A dhoti clad image of Rsabha and an image of Jivantasvāmi are discovered from West India.28
The above data are collected from the Jaina Art and Architecture, v.1, which is at hand, with a view to finding when tirthankara images began to appear, and to what extent the names of tirthankaras were known in the archaeological sources in the Agamic period, that is 6/5th century B.C. 5th century A.D.29 We can generalize the following facts from the above data :
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21. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., pp. 65-66 22. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., pp. 108-113 23. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p.122 24. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p.123 25. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p.125 26. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p.128 27. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p. 130
It is said that the image of Rsabha at Sira Pahari is accompanied by the Tanchana of a bull and that of Mahavira there by the lanchana of a lion. 28. A. Ghosh, ed.: Ibid., p.134
U.P.Shah,: "A Unique Jaina Image of Jivantasvami" and "An Old Jaina Image from Khed-brahmā (North Gujarat)"
29. Although the data offered here are not exhaustive, it is hoped to be sufficient for the present purpose. Prof. Bruhn notices that the Jaina image traditions show certain peculiar formulae as follows: Rṣabha-Pārsva-Others in North India (up to c.a. 1000 A.D.); Pārsva-Bahubali-Others in Early Deccan (postcanonical); Pārsva-Others in Southern India (post-canonical). K. Bruhn : "The Identification of Jina Images" in Berliner Indologische Studien, Band 1, 1985, pp. 152-53