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Iconography of 24 Tirthankaras
191 Nos. J.14, J.16, J.22, J.31, J.53 and J.66 from Mathura in the State Museum, Lucknow, are also images of this Jina, called Vardhamana in the inscriptions on them, and date roughly in the Kuşāņa period. In the inscription on J.2 noted above the Jina is called Mahavira. Figure 78 illustruted in this book is no. 5.16 in the Lucknow Museum. Of the images and fragments of images of Mahavira discovered from Mathura of the Scythian period, one is dated in the year 50 (?) (Luders List, no. 50), another in the year 20 (Luders list, no. 28), a third in the year 5 of Kaniska (ibid., no. 18), a fourth in the year 29, while one more gives the year 22 (ibid., no. 31).387
A dated specimen of Mahåvira image of the early Gupta period, preserved in the Lucknow Museum, is published by R.D. Bannerji in his Age of the Imperial Guptas. It shows the Jina seated in dhyāna mudrā on a lion-throne having two lions standing near its ends and a dharmacakra placed on a small platform in the middle. On both sides of the Wheel of Law are devotees with folded hands. The inscription shows that it was dedicated at Mathura, in the Gupta year 113, by a Jaina lady named Samadhyā.388 There is neither a recognizing symbol nor a yakşa pair on the pedestal of this sculpture of early Gupta period (433 A.D.).
In Chhabi Vol. I, U.P. Shah published a beautiful sculpture preserved in the Bharata Kala Bhavana, Varanasi (no. 161). The Jina sits on a high pedestal in front of which is spread a big part of a large double lotus suggesting that the Jina sits on the viśva-padma. The motif can also be interpreted as a carpet or an embroidered cloth spread over the seat. There is a standing camaradhara on each side of the Jina and a mălădhara on each side of the halo. On the lower end of the pedestal in the centre is a dharmacakra fanked by two lions. Near the end of the pedestal on each side is a small seated Jina figure. This is thus a Tri-Tirthika image of Mahävira, assignable to c. sixth century A.D. The image is said to have been found in Varanasi.
Two Jivantasvām images of Mahavira, assignable to sixth century A.D. obtained from Akota near Baroda (Vadodara), published in Akota Bronzes, pp. 26-28, are illustrated as Figs. 29, 30 in this book. Of these fig. 30 can be assigned to c. 500 A.D. Many later images of Jivantasvāmi-Mahavira are found from places like Osia, Jodhpur, Sirohi, etc. which have been referred to and discussed in Chapter 2 above. A beautiful seventh century sculpture of Mahavira in padmāsana is being worshipped as Jivantasvāmi in the sanctum of the Jaina temple at Nândia, Rajasthan.
A relief sculpture of Mahavira standing is seen among the group of rock carvings at Dhank, Saurashtra, Gujarat. The lion cognizance of Mahavira is carved in the centre of the simhasana represented by two more lions at the two ends of the seat. The Jina sits in padmasana and is attended by two standing câmaradharas on two sides. Over the head of the Jina is a triple-umbrella with branches of the Caitya-tree carved on its sides. Below the figure of the lion cognizance is a dharmacakra with its rim facing us, very much weather-worn and not easily recognisable. The relief dates from c. seventh century A.D.
All the Jainas in India take pride in calling themselves followers of Mahāvira. He is popular throughout India. Temples and images of Mahavira are found all over India wherever Jainism has spread and survived.
A relief sculpture of Mahavira in the sanctum of the Jaina Cave at Aihole is noteworthy. It shows the Jina seated in ardha-padmasana in front of a big cushion placed against an architectural device of a horizontal cross-bar supported by two pilasters and having makara-motif at the ends of the bar. There is a câmaradhara on each side behind the figure of Mahavira. There is one more male figure on each side standing with both the hands folded in adoration. The pedestal shows three lions, two at the ends suggesting that this is a simhāsana and one in the centre. On the right side of the throne is a bust of a female (?) with folded hands and five snake-hoods overhead while on the left is another bust with one snake-hood overhead. There is a simple prabhāvali behind the head of the Jina and a tripleumbrella above. The sculpture is interesting as an old specimen from Karnataka and shows an early stage in the iconography of Tirthankara sculptures. The attendant figures with snake-hoods cannot be identified, but they seem to be Näga attendants mentioned in early Jaina texts and referred to before. The sculpture certainly represents Mahavira because of the lion cognizance in the centre of the pedestal.
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