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Iconography of 24 Tirthankaras
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Fig. 24 in this book. Part of the pedestal is mutilated but we find an elephant just to the left of the place where the dharmacakra was but is now mutilated. Thus here also the cognizance of Parsva is not seen but instead an elephant is flanking the dharmacakra. There are four planets on each side of the Jina. In eastern India the planets are shown on two sides of the Jina, in central and western India they are generally placed on top or bottom of the pedestal. In temple no. 7 at Vaibharagiri, Rajgir, there is one more sculpture of Parsva of a somewhat later date. The Jina sits under a canopy of seven snakehoods on a simhasana. There is no dharmacakra and no cognizance. On the right end of the pedestal is a female with folded hands and three snake-hoods overhead. On the left end is a male worshipper carrying a garland.335
Large Jaina ruins exist in the village Chatra (Charra) near Purulia in the Manbhum district. Built into the walls of a late Hindu temple are Jaina sculptures of c. 10th-11th centuries, including images of Parents of a Jina, Santinatha, and monumental figures of Parsvanatha and Rṣabhanatha.336 Parasanatha village, Ambikanagar, Kedua, Barkola, Harmashra and Dharapat in Bankura district, West Bengal have several Jaina ruins of temples and sculptures. The village of Parasanatha, northwards after crossing the confluence of Kumari and Kangsvati rivers, is named after the shrine of Jina Parsvanatha. Here are lying fragments of a gigantic sculpture of this Jina. That the Jaina Tirthankara Parsvanatha was greatly venerated by the Jainas of this district is corroborated by the presence of this deity enshrined in temples at Bahulara and Dharapat situated near Vishnupur, now worshipped as Manasi-devi. In Studies in Jaina Art, fig. 38, we have illustrated a sculpture of Pārsvanatha from Bahulara, showing him standing in kayotsarga mudra with miniature figures of four planets on each side. On the pedestal are small figures of Dharanendra and his queen, half human with tails of their lower snake-half tied into a naga-paša knot in the centre. Pārśva has coils of the big snake at the back with a canopy of seven snake-hoods held over his head. 337
Worship of Parsva was also popular in Bihar. Amongst Aluara bronzes in the Patna Museum we have two images of Parsva sitting in the padmasana and two more bronzes representing him in the standing posture (Patna Museum, nos. 6531, 6533, 10678, 10679),338
Worship of Pārsvanatha remained popular in Orissa also. There are several reliefs of Parsva in the Bārābhuji, Navamuni and Triśüla caves at Khandagiri, Orissa. In the Navamuni cave, right wall, is a relief of Parsva sitting in padmasana on a double lotus under a canopy of seven snake-hoods. On two sides are two camaradharas and below the double-lotus, in the centre is a partly defaced figure which looks like a kumbha (water-pot). On the right and left ends of this are figures of Dharanendra and his queen, half-snake and half-human with snake-hoods overhead. Dharanendra has his hands folded in añjali mudra while his queen at the other end (also sitting) carries the long handle of the umbrella held over the Jina. What is especially noteworthy is the crown-like motif on the head of the Jina. It may be a jala or usnişa on the head of Parśva. In cave 7, there is another figure of Pārsva sitting on a double lotus. Below the lotus is a dharmacakra carved like a lotus to the right of which is a figure of Dharanendra sitting with folded hands while to the left is a small rudely carved kukkuta-sarpa. At the left end is the snake-queen sitting with folded hands. In the Bārābhuji cave is a figure of standing Parsva with coils of the snake all along the back of the Jina who has a fine canopy of seven snake-hoods overhead. On two ends near the legs of the Jina are Dharanendra and his queen, both with folded hands and having half-snake and half-human bodies.339
On a wall of the Barabhuji cave is another figure of Parsva sitting in padmasana on a big doublelotus which has a thick long stalk. The stalk seems to have been mistaken for a snake by Tiwari.340 At two ends the two lions standing on their hind legs seem to represent the simhasana. To the right of the lotus stalk is a half-human half-snake figure with folded hands. A little below this relief is a relief of Padmavati, the yakşi of Parśvanatha.
Arun Joshi has published a sculpture of standing Parsva from Khijjinga, Orissa. There are three standing miniature Tirthankaras on each side of Parśva. Snake-hoods are partly mutilated. The sculpture dates from c. 10th cent. A.D. This sculpture is thus a Sapta-Tirthika image of Pārsva.341 There is a sculpture of standing Parsva at Badasahi in Mayurbhanj district. R.P. Mohapatra has published
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