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Iconography of 24 Tirtharkaras
181 Klaus Bruhn. There are also some images of Pärśva in Devgadh temples 3, 4, 8, 9, and 12.
Image no. 2874 from Kagarol in Mathura Museum shows Parsva with figures of the usual two-armed yaksa and yakşi on the pedestal. This is a sculpture of Pärśva sitting in padmāsana on coils of the snake Dharanendra holding a canopy of cobra-hoods from the back. On the ends of the pedestal are figures of two-armed Sarvanubhūti and Ambika.
In the State Museum, Bhanpur, M.P., there is a sculpture (Mu, no. 36 of Parśvanátha assignable to c. 10th cent. A.D. obtained from Bujgund, Mandsore district. Surface of the pedestal and parts of attendants are mutilated but it is a beautiful sculpture with artistic representation of the canopy of snake-hoods over Parśva's head. In the same museum there is another sculpture (Mu. no. 290) of this Jina from Hinglajgadh, assignable to c. 9th century A.D. Beautiful coils of snake are shown at the back. Câmaradharas standing cn lotuses on two sides of the Jina are mutilated but beyond them on lotuses sit lay Jaina worshippers. Near the right end of the simhāsana is a two-armed yaksa showing a purse in one hand and having three snake-hoods overhead. On the corresponding left end is a four-armed yaksi with three snake-hoods, carrying a lotus in the right upper hand and showing the abhaya mudră with the right lower one. Symbols of the two left hands are mutilated.
An early interesting sculpture of Pārsvanātha with seven snake-hoods is found at Tumain, district Guna, M.P. Pārsvanatha sits in padmasana on a simhasana and is attended on each side, not by a câmaradhara or a Näga, but by an elephant carrying, in its raised trunk, a lotus-bud with a long stalk. The upper parts of this sculpture are badly mutilated; however, on the left upper end is seen a figure of an elephant. Perhaps there was an elephant on the other side and both the elephants were performing an abhişeka on the Jina. The sculpture is assignable to the seventh century A.D.
The Jaina cave at Udayagiri near Vidisha has on its wall a relief sculpture of Parsvanātha sitting in padmāsana on a simhāsana, with an attendant standing on each side of the Jina. The sculpture is badly worn out and mutilated. An inscription in this cave records its excavation in Gupta Era 106 (reign of Kumāragupta I) along with a figure of Pārsvanātha. At Kahaon in U.P. is a free-standing pillar, a mänastambha, with an inscription dated in G.E. 141, and having a standing figure of Pärsvanātha at base and four Jina figures on top.332
A beautiful sculpture of Pārśva standing is preserved amongst the ruins at Budhi Chanderi (Old Gwalior State negative no. 51/81). On two ends near the simhāsana are small figures of two-armed Sarvänubhūti and Ambikā. The sculpture is assignable to c. 9th century A.D. A Tri-Tirthika sculpture of standing Pārsva, obtained from Bhojpur, Raisen district, and assignable to 10th-11th cent. A.D. is preserved in the Vidisha Museum (no. 349/1287). On the pedestal is the snake cognizance and coils of snake are along the back of the Jina. Near the feet are two devout worshippers who may be the donors of the image. A beautiful Panca-Tirthi of Pärśva standing, with cámaradharas on two sides of the mutilated legs of the Jina, is preserved in the State Museum (no. G.D.P. 81) at Gandharvapuri, Dewas district, M.P. It was obtained from the same place, and dates from c. 11th cent. A.D. A sculpture of Pārsvanatha sitting in padmāsana on a cushion placed on a simhāsana is found at Padhavali (old Gwalior State negative no. 784). The front rim of the cushion-like device shows a twisted design which may be of the snake's body. On two sides of the Jina are standing attendants, the one on the left side is badly mutilated. The attendants are Nāga figures with snake-hoods over head. The figure on the right side, better preserved, shows in his raised left hand an object which is a lotus or a kumbha. All the four small figures of standing Jinas in this sculpture show snake-hoods overhead and thus this is a rare example of Panca-Tirthi of Pārsvanátha with all the five Jina figures representing the same Jina, namely, Pārsvanätha. On the cloth hanging on the centre of the simhāsana is a miniature figure of a ganadhara or an acarya sitting. Such a practice was very popular in mediaeval period in M.P. as can be seen from various sculptures obtained from Shivpuri, Hinglajgadh, etc.
A Caturvimśati-Pațța sculpture of Pārsva sitting in padmāsana on a simhāsana (old Gwalior State negative no. 61/93) preserved in the Archaeological Museum, Gwalior, has on its pedestal a four-armed yakși on the right end and a figure of Ambika yakşi (two-armed) on the left end. In front of the cloth hanging on the centre of the simhasana is a small figure of Kșetrapāla, two-armed and standing and
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