________________
130
Jaina-Rupa-Mandana head of the Jina is lost but the elephant cognizance on the pedestal helps us to identify the Jina as Ajitanātha. A small sitting Tirthaokara figure is shown on each side of the Jina. The sculpture dates from c. late sixth or early seventh century A.D.
At Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, in the open air museum adjacent to the Adinātha temple there are about four sculptures of Ajitanätha. One of them, no K.22, shows the Jina standing in kayotsarga mudrā. No yaksa and yakşi figure on the sculpture. The elephant cognizance is shown below the dharmacakra. The head of the Jina is lost. The sculpture dates from c. 12th cent. A.D. No. K.43 in the same museum, assignable to c. 11th century A.D., has the yakşa-yaksi pair. Symbols of the yaksā on the left end are hidden under plaster while the yakşi on the corresponding right end holds the sword in her extant right hand. If a guess be allowed, the missing hand might have held the shield. The Jina is sitting in the padmāsana dhyāna mudrā. The sculpture is a Tri-Tirthika image with a small figure of standing Jina over the head of camaradhara on each side. No. K.59, damaged on one corner, was perhaps a Caturvimšati-Pasta, with Ajitanātha sitting in padmāsana. No yakşa-yakși pair. No. K.66 also shows the Jina in sitting posture without the yakşa-yakşi pair, with the elephant cognizance shown on the left of the dharmacakra. There are in all seven Jina figures on this sculpture, including the main figure of Ajitanātha in padmasana.
M.N.P. Tiwari has published a paper entitled A Unique Tri-Tirthika Jina Image from Deogarh' on a sculpture, from Temple no. 1, Devgadh, in which are represented two Jinas on its front and the third one on its left side face. All the three Jinas stand in the kāyot sarga pose on simhasana over which hang ends of covering carpets with cognizances of the Jinas shown on them. The two frontal Jinas are Ajitanātha and Sambhavanātha with their elephant and horse lañchana respectively. At the right extremity of the image, beside the figure of Ajitanātha, stands a four-armed Sarasvati depicted in the same size as the standing Jina. Such a representation with Sarasvati is rare which makes this a unique image.61
Bruhn's Fig. No. 144, from Wall section XII, Devgadh, is a beautiful sculpture of Ajitanätha sitting in the padmasana on a cushion placed on a simhāsana. The figure of the elephant cognizance is shown just below the wavy lines of an end of a carpet placed on the simhasana below the cushion-seat. The elephant is shown just above the dharmacakra in the centre of the simhāsana. On the right end of the simhāsana is a two-armed standing sasana-yaksa Sarvānubhūti with a purse in left hand and the raised right hand seems to be in the abhaya mudra. Symbols in the hands of the standing two-armed yaksi on the corresponding left end are not clear.
A Tri-Tirthika image of standing Ajitanātha from Temple no. 21, Devgadh, is illustrated by Bruhn in his book as figs. 202, 202A, and 203. The sculpture dates from c. 10th cent. A.D. No yakşa-yaksi are shown. M.N.P. Tiwari has referred to an image of Ajitanatha in Temple 29, Devgadh, having fourarmed Säsana yakşa-yakşi pair and with figures of málādharas and kumbhadharas shown near the cámaradharas.
From Bihar, besides the sculptures from Rajgir, we find a bronze image of standing Ajitanätha with the elephant cognizance on the simhasana. The bronze, obtained in the Aluara hoard in Manbhum district, dates from c. 11th cent. A.D., and is now preserved in the Patna Museum (Patna Museum No. 10697).
In the Orissa State Museum at Bhuvaneśvara is an Ajitanātha scpluture from Charampa. In the Nayamuni. Bárábhuji and Trisula caves at Khanda giri, Orissa, are obtained sculptures of the second Tirthankara Ajitanātha. From Palma in Manbhum district also comes a sculpture of Ajitanātha (JAA, Vol. II, plate 158B). The Jina stands within a shrine fronted by a trefoil arch and surmounted by a śikhara with āmalaka on top. This image is of colossal size (now preserved in the Patna Museum) and shows the elephant lañchana of the Jina in the centre of the pedestal, just below the double-lotus on which the Jina stands. Twelve miniature figures of Tirthankaras are shown on each side of the Jina.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Shivpuri Museum has an interesting collection of Jaina sculptures, mainly from Narwar. A sculpture represents Ajitanatha standing in the käyotsarga posture under a triple umbrella. The Museum also has some Dvi-Tirthika images, in which two Tirtharkaras are represented as standing by the side of each other, represented on one slab. One such sculpture shows Ajitanatha and Sam bhavanátha grouped together. At Padhavali are two separate sculptures of Tirthankaras standing
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
