Jain Rup Mandan

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

Page 86

Kulakaras and Salākāpurusas
73
jewel, etc., and conquered the Māgadha-tirtha in the east of Jambūdvipa, the Varadama in the south, the Prabhāsa in the west, and the goddess Sindhu, the Veyaddha mountain and the Timisa-cave (guhā). Crossing the river Sindhu by the carma-jewel, he conquered the Simhalas, Barbara, Anga, Cilaya, Javanadiva, Arabaka, Romaka, Alasanda, the mlecchas known as Pikkhura, Kalamuha and Jonaka, the mlecchas residing on the south of the Vaitādhya, and in the south-west the region upto the Sindhusāgara and finally the most beautiful Kaccha. Then, marching through the Timisaguha, Bharata ordered his general to open its southern gate. Then, crossing the rivers Unmagnajala and Nimagnajalā, he defeated the rich, arrogant and powerful Cilayas known as Avāda, dwelling in the northern half of the Bharata land. Next, he conquered Culla (kşudra) Himavanta mt. and proceeded to Rsabhakūta mt. where with his kāgani (käkini) jewel, Bharata inscribed his name as the first universal monarch. When he went to the north of the Veyaddha (Vaitadhya) mountain, Nami and Vinami, the two overlords of the Vidyadharas, offered him the gift of a stri-ratna (woman-jewel), Subhadra by name.29 Next, Bharata conquered the river Gangā along with the cave Khandaprapata on its western bank, where, opening the northern gate of the cave, he obtained the nine nidhis or treasures, namely, Naisarpa, Panduka, Pilizcilu, Sarvaratna, Mahapadma, Kala, Mahakala, Mänavaka and Sankha.30
Thus attended by the fourteen jewels, the Cakravarti returned to his capital Vinītā where his coronation as a universal monarch was performed with due pomp and splendour.
According to both the sects, every universal monarch obtains ratnas or jewels amongst human beings and amongst symbols, weapons or animals. They are: Cakra (disc), Danda (staff), Asi (sword), Chatra (umbrella), Carma (hides), Mani (diamond), Käkini (cowrie), Aśva (the horse), Gaja (the elephant), the Commander-in-Chief, the Home Minister, the Architect (Varddhaki), the Priest and lastly the Queen.31
As already noted, Cakravartins have a golden complexion, and the mark of the Srivatsa symbol, formed of hair, adorns their chests.32
Representations of Cakravartins as separate sculptures32a are difficult to obtain. Hitherto only four such sculptures of Bharata, the first Cakravartin, could be obtained. Of these, one from a small shrine in Devgadh is illustrated here in Fig. 156. On his two sides are shown his fourteen ratnas. Another sculpture, illustrated in Fig. 160 is from temple no. 2 at Devgadh, showing Bharata in kayotsarga mudra. The ratnas are distributed on his two sides and on the pedestal. The third sculpture belongs to the Svetāmbara tradition. It is preserved in one of the cells in the compound of the main Adinātha shrine on the mount Satrunjaya (see Fig. 47). Bharata is here represented as standing in meditation in the kāyotsarga posture. On one side of Bharata stands a male with a sword in hand, on another side is another male figure carrying a noli (money-bag) with two hands. Possibly he is a donor. The image is inscribed in the year 1391 v.s. and helps us to identify the sculpture as representing Bharata. Two small cakras are shown just near the fingers of both the hands of Bharata, and a cakra is shown in the centre of the pedestal suggesting that Bharata is a Cakravartin. There is one more sculpture at Devgadh.
But representations of the march of a Cakravarti are not unknown on Jaina temple walls. Usually they are on exterior walls of the main shrine, in the part reserved as Nara-thara. A battle scene between Bharata and Bahubali is available in the front ceiling of the Rangamandapa of the Vimalavasahi at Abu, as also in a ceiling of Santinātha temple at Kumbharia.
Ratnas or jewels of a Cakravarti are usually represented in miniature paintings of the Samgrahani sutra. For representations in miniatures of Bharata's conquests, see for example Brown, op. cit., fig. 129.
The Jaina traditional accounts of the conquest of a Cakravarti are of special value for students of ancient geography. The oldest accounts of these are reminiscent of some old traditions. The Timisa guhā for example is interesting. The Prabhāsa-tirtha is well known, but Varadāma tirtha should be located.
Nine Vasudevas
Jaina mythology describes lives of nine Vasudevas or Naravanas who are also called Ardha-Cakrins as they ruled over three parts of the earth and enjoyed half the power of the Cakravartins. Belief in