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Jaina-Rupa-Mandana elaborate and showing a host of attacking spirits of Kamatha's bidding carved on three sides of the figure of Pärśvanātha (Panorama of Jaina Art, figs. 136, 138, 142, 422; JAA, I, pl. 118A, Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, December, 1970, p. 309, figs. 10, 11, 12). It will be seen that in all these panels in the Ellora Jaina Caves, the figure ultimately sitting near the legs of the Jina and paying him respects with añjali mudrā, identified as the soul of Kamatha reborn as Samvara or Meghamalı, is here accompanied by a female. We might therefore regard this as an innovation by Ellora artists and identify this female as the queen of the demi-god Samvara or Meghamāli. In one of the panels at Ellora we find two smaller figures of females with half-snake and half-human bodies, by the sides of the standing snake-king holding the parasol. They may be some of the other queens of Dharanendra or attendants of the snakequeen. Whereas at Aihole and Badāmi Päršva has a canopy of five hoods of Dharanendra, at Ellora he has a canopy of seven snake-hoods overhead.
Dhaky bas published two beautiful elaborate sculptures of Santara art from south Karnataka, representing the theme of attack on Pärśva.306 Both these stelas are in worship in the temple of Pārsvanatha at Humca (J.I.S.O.A., new series, Vol. IV, pl. XVIII, fig. 9 and pl. XIX, fig. 13). Dhaky has assigned them to the period of Vikrama Sanata c. 787-920 A.D.). In fig. 9 of J.I.S.O.A., op. cit., Päráva sky-clad stands on a double-lotus upheld by two handsome nāgas in human form thus suggesting that the body of Päršva was lifted above the flood waters which had reached upto his neck (or chin). Behind the Jina is Dharanendra spreading his seven hoods over the sage's head to form a canopy sheltering Parśva against the attacking hosts of Kamatha. On the right side of Parśva absorbed in meditation we find a charging bull, a leaping lion, a demon shooting a dart and, above, another demon menacingly balancing a huge boulder aimed at the figure of the sage. To the left of the sage Kamatha's fury has sent a rushing tiger, a maddened elephant, a demon carrying a dagger in his right hand and releasing a venomous serpent with the left, and above him a Kumbhända monster carrying a heavy mace over his shoulder. At the lower end, stand Dharanendra and his consort, on the right and the left respectively of the sage, the consort holding the long handle of the parasol passing behind the coils and hoods of the Näga-king. At the base is depicted Kamatba, sobered after failing to shake Påráva from meditation, remorseful at heart and bowing down asking for forgiveness; his consort on the opposite side, half-knelt, is shown raising her right hand in praise of the great sage.
The other stela, somewhat varying in detail but repeating the same theme, is the work of another craftsman. The closest analogues, iconographically speaking, of these two stelas are carved panels of the Indra-Sabhā cave at Ellora (Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum, op. cit., figs. 10, 12).
An elaborate but different treatment of the theme is found in a c. ninth century sculpture from probably Madhya Pradesh, now preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art, U.S.A. (Museum no. 61.419, stone, 63-1/4 X 26-3/8 inches). It is a well preserved beautiful sculpture.307 The topmost figures, in this image, with their heads mutilated and lost, show heavenly worshippers, gandharva-pair, conchblower, etc. In the centre is the triple umbrella below which is the canopy of seven cobra-hoods of Dharanendra whose long coiled body is shown behind the whole, almost life-size figure of Pärśvanātha standing in the kāyotsarga mudrā.
On the sides of the serpent-hoods are two flying celestial garland-bearers (mālādharas) whose headdresses are similar to and derived from the headdress found on early Gurjara-Pratihara sculptures, both male and female figures, of which a typical specimen of c. late seventh century is seen on the bronze figure of a female chowrie-bearer (camaradharini) from Akot 308 Below the flying garland-bearers (accompanied by their wives) are figures of vyālas standing on hind legs upon elephants, all atop a pilaster on each side.
By the side of this vyāla and elephant motif and the pilaster, females in various attitudes are shown on each side playing musical instruments or singing, or holding a lotus etc. They are Näginis, queens of the snake-king Dharanendra Näga, who is protecting Pärsvanatha from the attacks of Kamatha and his hosts of goblins etc. Near the feet of the Tirthankara are standing two yakşas carrying fly-whisks (camaradhara yakşas), and four more snake-queens. It is likely that all the small figures of Nägin's were not intended to represent queens of Dharanendra but were attendants of the queens.
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