Jain Rup Mandan

Author(s): Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications

Page 31

18
Jaina-Rupa-Mandana
According to the Digambara tradition, 92 the sixteen dreams are: (1) Airavata, the elephant of Indra, (2) the best of bulls, (3) the lion, white in colour and with red manes, (4) the goddess Padma (same as Sri noted above), lustrated by elephants and seated on lotuses, (5) pair of garlands of best flowers. (6) the Moon, (7) the Sun, rising from the Uduyacala mountain, (8) pair of full-vases with lotuses placed on their mouths, (9) pair of fishes, (10) celestial lake, (11) agitated ocean, (12) a lofty golden lion-throne, (13) a celestial car (vimāna). (14) a palace of the king of snakes (Nagendra-bhavana), (15) heap of jewels, (16) smokeless fire.
Representations of the sixteen dreams are also popular amongst the Digambaras and are often carved on door-lintels of Jaina temples as for example in the Säntinátha temple and other shrines at Khajuraho.
According to Jaina traditions, mothers of other Salakäpuruşas like the Baladevas, Vasudevas and Cakravartins also see a certain number of dreams at the time of conception.93 According to the Svetāmbara tradition, the Mother of a Vasudeva (Nårāyana or Visnu) sees the following seven dreams: (1), Young lion, (2) Padmã (Sri) seated on a lotus, and being sprinkled with water by two elephants, (3) Sun, (4) a pitcher filled with water and with its mouth adorned with white lotuses, (5) an ocean filled with aquatic animals etc., (6) a heap of jewels, and (7) smokeless fire.94 According to the Digambaras, they are: (1) the Sun, (2) the Moon, (3) Sri, (4) Vimana, (5) Fire, (6) Celestial banner, (7) Die nauc u. jewels.95
The Mother of a Baladeva sees the following four dreams: (1) Elephant with four tusks, (2) bull, (3) Moon, (4) a pond filled with lotuses.96 According to the Digambara tradition they are: (1) Moon, (2) elephant, (3) ocean, (4) Sun.97
The Mother of a Cakravartin sees fourteen dreams like the Mother of a Tirthankara, according to the Svetämbara tradition. According to the other sect, she sees five dreams: (1) Earth, (2) Sumeru mountain, (3) Sun and Moon, (4) lake with swans, and (5) ocean with surging waves.98
Dreams may be auspicious or inauspicious. Mahavira in his itinerary, before attaining Kevalajñāna, saw ten dreams which are described along with their meaning by the Sthānānga Sutra.99
Belief in dreams and their effects is an ancient superstition. It is difficult to say when the section on dreams was introduced in the life of Mahāvira in the Kalpasūtra account. At least the detailed descriptions of each of the fourteen dreams seem to have been added later as shown by Muni Punyavijaya in his critical edition of the Pavitra Kalpa-sätra. It may be noted that the ornament dinara-mäla in the description of Sri in these dreams (Kalpa-sútra, sūtra 37) supports the inference that this section is added later after the dinära coin became popular in India. 100
Belief in dreams is common to all sects. The science of Svapna-Sakuna was very popular in the age of the Puranas and even medical works like the Astāngahşda ya of Vägbhata refer to such dreams in
detail.101
II. Aştamangalas
The Aştamangalas or Eight Auspicious symbols are familiar to both the sects and are known to Jaina worship from ancient times. They are: Svastika, Sri-vatsa, Nandyāvarta, Varddhamanaka (powderflask), Bhadrâsana (a particular type of seat), Kalaša (the full vase), Darpaņa (mirror), and Matsyayugma (pair of fishes), and are often referred to in the Jaina texts, including canonical works, 102 as decorating tops of architraves or ramparts or placed on Caitya-trees, platforms, or painted on walls and so
on. 103
Hemacandra ācārya further notes that eight auspicious symbols were represented on Bali-pattas or offering-stands.104 The offering-stand is a platter with low legs, made of wood or metal, used to hold offering in temple worship. It has eight auspicious signs carved or wrought in high relief. Such stools, often made of wood with silver plate studded all over them, or made of silver or brass, and with reliefs of the eight auspicious symbols or the 14 or 16 auspicious dreams, are even today used for placing offerings in Jaina shrines. Often Jaina ladies prepare such signs with uncooked rice on wooden or metal platters placed in the mandapa in front of the deity. Small sized platters with the asfamangala symbols are often worshipped in the sanctums along with metal images of Tirthankaras.
Hemacandra's reference to Bali-pațțas with marks of the eight auspicious symbols is interesting since