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Iconography of 24 Tirthankaras
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inscription in cell 18 (see Jayantavijaya, Arbuda-prăcīna-Jaina-lekha-sandoha, inscr. no. 297, p. 124). The pata in the Neminatha shrine Kumbharia also has an inscription on it showing that the Munisuvratabimba with the Asvävabodha-Samalikävihāra-tirthoddhara was installed in v.s. 1338. Except the date the rest of the inscription regarding the donor and the monk installing the sculpture is identical in both the inscriptions (see Arbudacala-pradaksina-Jaina-lekha-sandoha, inscr. no. 31). D.R. Bhandarkar first published the sculpture and gave a detailed account of the story of preaching the Aśva (horse) by the Jina, and the story of the śakunika (bird) who was born a princess of Lanka in the next birth and who came to Broach to pay her respects to Munisuvrata whose shrine existed at the port of Bharukaccha.257
A stone slab (pata) of the type at Abu and Kumbharia exists in the Parsvanatha temple at Jalor, as noted by Tiwari. Long ago this writer published a beautiful marble pața depicting the story of Aśvāvabodha and Sakunikä-vihara from a temple in Cambay. This pața as well as the Abu and Kumbharia patas are now being published by U.P. Shah in the C. Sivaramamurti Memorial Volume.
A valuable interesting sculpture in black stone, found from near Agra, is preserved in the Lucknow Museum (no. J.776). In the centre sits Munisuvrata in dhyana mudra on a cushion-like seat. Marks of cakra are seen on the soles of the Jina's feet and on palms of hands: The Jina has an uṣṇīṣa on top of his head. The triple umbrella is shown over the stem of the Caitya-tree. On each side of the Jina is a male fly-whisk bearer and a standing Tirthankara wearing dhoti (lower garment) thus showing that the sculpture belongs to the Svetambara tradition. Over the standing Jina on each side is a male figure standing in kayotsarga mudra on a lotus and wearing a crown and other ornaments. Obviously they are meant to be represented as Jivantasvami images. Whether both such figures are meant to be of Mahavira as Jivantasvāmi meditating in his home before dikșă or one only of Mahavira and the other of Munisuvrata as Jivantasvāmi, we cannot determine. Over the triple umbrella is a miniature figure of a Jina in padmasana placed in a small cell while on his right stands a four-armed Baladeva and on the left a four-armed Väsudeva carrying the mace in his right hand (Fig. 72).
In the lower section is the lion-throne with the dharmacakra in the centre but without the deer flanking it. On the right side of the simhasana is pot-bellied two-armed yakṣa carrying the citron and the bag in his two hands while on the left side of the throne is seated a two-armed Ambika with a child on her lap. Below the dharmacakra is a tortoise, the cognizance of Munisuvrata. An inscription on the lowermost part of the sculpture says that this image of Munisuvrata was installed in samvat 1063=A.D. 1006.
The Caumukha Basti at Karkal in Karnataka, built in 1586-87 with images of Malli, Ara, and Munisuvrata facing each door, is already referred to before. Munisuvrata is installed in Pathaśälä-Basti in Müdabidure. Images of this Jina are also found amongst the different sets of 24 Jinas at Sravana Belagola, Mudabidure and Veņur noted before.
21. TWENTY-FIRST TIRTHANKARA: NAMINĀTHA
Naminatha descended from the Aparajita Vimāna of the Anuttara heavens, according to the Digambaras and from Pranata according to the other sect. Son of king Śrivijaya or Vijaya and queen Vapra (Vappilä-Uttarapurana) ruling in Mithila, Nami was born in the Svati nakṣatra.258
While the Jina was in his mother's womb, his father's enemies bowed down (praṇam) in submission whereat the king gave the name Nami (from nam to bow down) to the newly born would-be Jina.259 He was golden in complexion.
The recognising symbol of this Jina is the blue-lotus. B.C. Bhattacharya260 writes: "The emblem which is associated with this Jina is a blue-lotus or the Aśoka tree, according to the sectarian view of the Digambaras." Unfortunately he has not cited any text in support of the statement. No text known to us prescribes Aśoka-tree as the recognising symbol of Nami (or Nimi)nätha, nor is Aśoka his Caityatree, for Nami obtained kevalajñāna under a Bakula-tree (Mimusops elengi) according to all traditions. Naminatha was followed by 17 ganadharas with Suprabha (Dig.) or Subha (Sve.) as their leader. The chief aryika was Mārgiņi according to the Digambaras and Anila according to the Svetambaras.
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