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Devàdhideva Tirtharkara
83 Thus the list of twenty-four Tirthankaras was either already evolved or was in the process of being evolved in the age of the Mathura sculptures in the first three centuries of the Christian Era.
As noted above, lives of only four Jinas-Rşabha, Nemi, Päráva and Mahāvira-are described in detail in the Kalpa-sutra. These probably formed the theme of the original text. A glance at the stock treatment, the summary treatment of the lives of the remaining Tirthankaras lends doubt to their antiquity and would suggest their later addition in the Kalpa-sutra. The absence of images of about eighteen Tirthankaras at the Kankali Tila, Mathura, cannot be advanced as an argument in favour of later introduction of these names in the list of 24 Tirthankaras as it is a negative evidence but it would suggest that at least these eighteen Jinas were perhaps less popular in Jaina image-worship of the Kusana period, at Mathura. They could have been relatively later additions in the list. One can say with confidence that at least before the time of the Mathura Council (Mathuri Vacana) in the early part of the fourth century A.D., belief in the twenty-four Tirthankaras was firmly established. 25
Images of different Tirthankaras are generally identified with the help of lañchanas or cognizances usually carved below their seats, on top of the simhasana and sometimes on the lower end of the pedestal. Both the Digambara and the Svetāmbara sects give lists of such recognising syin bus. However they are not obtained in any early texts. None of the Agamas (canonical texts), not even the Kalpasütra which gives lives of the twenty-four Jinas, nor even the Niryuktis, nor the Bhasias and the Cürnis give a list of these cognizances. Only the Avaśyaka Niryuk ti at one place refers to the fact that Rşabha was so called because he had the sign of a sabha (bull) on his urus (thighs).26 But it gives no lañchanas of other Jinas. And this Niryukti, as available today, is not regarded earlier than the second or third century A.D. The Vasudevahindi, assigned to c. fifth century A.D., which gives lives of several Tirthankaras (namely, Rsabha, Santi, Kunthu, Ara and others), makes no mention of their cognizances or their attendant Yaksas and Yaksinis. Amongst the Digambaras, carlier works like the Varängacarita of Jatāsimhanandi (c. sixth cent. A.D.), or the Adipurana and the Uttarapurana of Jinasena (c. 750-840 A.D.) and his pupil Gunabhadra (c. 830 A.D.) respectively, or the Padmacarita of Ravişena (676 A.D.), or the Harivamsa of Jinasena (783 A.D.) do not give lists of lånchanas. The Tiloyapannatti does give a list, but the text, as it is available today, seems to have later interpolations as is evident from the fact that it refers to Balacandra Saiddhantika at one place. Hence the evidence of the Tiloyapanpatti is to be treated with caution, even though A.N. Upadhye, the editor of the text, assigned the present text to c. sixth century A.D.
Cognizances are not mentioned in the ancient lists of atiśayas (supernatural elements and beings) attending upon and accompanying a Tirthankara. The canonical list of thirty-four atisayas (mainly supernatural qualities of a Jina includes some which are later separately described as aşa-maha-prátiharyas, i.e., eight chief accompanying attendants, including the Aśoka tree, the deva-dundubhi (celestial drum), the heavens scattering flowers (symbolised in art by flying garland-bearers), the triple-umbrella, the fly-whisks, the lion-)seat, the divya-ellivani (supernatural or celestial voice or music and the bhamandala, radiating lustre or aura behind the head." The earliest known text describing the atiśavas of a Jina is the Samavāyānga Sutra, sū. 34. The Vasudevahindi (pp. 343f), the Tiloyapannatti (4.896ff: 4.915-927). Adhidhana Cintamani (1.57-64) and several other Jaina works describe these. There are a few variations in the Digambara and the Svetambara lists, which are of minor importance. But especially noteworthy is the fact that the group of eight Prätiharyas so familiar in the evolved iconography of Tirthařkara images of both the sects is not separated in the Samavāyanga list. The emphasis on eight atiśayas (out of the list of 34 atisayas) as Maha-Prātiharyas came with the emergence of the full-fledged parikara of Tirtharkara images of both the sects. Those atisayas which came to be utilised in representations were grouped together as Maha-Prätiharyas. But the evolution was gradual as is evident from the sculptures obtained from Mathurā, Vārānasi, Rajgir, etc. of the Kuşāņa and early Gupta periods.28
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