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ART-OBJECTS IN MUSEUMS
(PART X, PARSVANATHA : All the five images of Pārsvanatha in the Museum are from Karitalai. Of these, two (0035, height 1.04 m., and 2577, height 1.37 m.) are in fact caturvtrhati-pattas with Pārsvanåtha as the mūla-näyaka. The first shows him seated in padmasana in dhyāna-mudrä on a serpent which is shown sheltering with its seven-headed hood the figure of Pārsvanātha; the image has miniature representations of nine Tirthankharas to the right and eight to the left; the remaining six, originally represented in the top row above the chatra, are now missing. The pedestal of the image has miniature representations of seated Dharanendra and Padmăvati, both having serpent-hoods over their heads. The remaining two Pārsvanātha images (2553 and 2551) are damaged.
MAHĀVĪRA : One of the best sculptures in the Raipur collection is a fine white-sandstone image of Mahāvira (0036, height 1.01 m.) seated in utthitapadmasana in dhyāna-mudrä on a high pedestal (plate 373A). His hair is curly with an uşnişa in the centre. He has the srivatsa on his chest. Unfortunately, the top and right portions containing the prabhā-mandala and representations of other prātihäryas are broken and lost; however, miniature representations of some of the Jinas, still visible on the proper right of Mahāvira, suggest that tbe image was intended to be a caturviṁsati-patta. The pedestal of the image shows a cakra and a lion, the lanchana, in the centre between the lions representing the simhasana. Just below the cakra and the lanchana is the figure of a reclining lady,who may, perhaps, be the donor of the image. The pedestal also contains miniature representations of Mātanga and Siddhāyikā, the Yaksa and Yakși of Mahāvira, at its extremities. Below them is a devotee on either side.
OTHER TĪRTHAŃKARAS : There are four Tirthankara images in the Museum-collection which, however, are not identifiable. Of these, the redsandstone image (2523, height 1.37 m.), in kāyotsarga-posture, is one of the best sculptures in the collection and is datable to circa tenth century. On the pedestal of the image are shown the eight planets. The other two pieces (2604 and 1609) are the broken heads of Tirthankara images, while another (2580) is the part of some pillar containing representation of a Tirthankara standing in käyotsarga.
DVI-MÜRTIKĀS ETC. : The collection contains five dvi-mûrtikas of different Tirthaakaras, all standing in kāyotsarga on a low pedestal. One or two of these images have short inscriptions incised on the bottom of the pedestals
fi For a reclining female (Yakşi Bahurupiņi) below a Jina (Munisuvrata). see above, p. 163, with references, and plate 90.-Editor.)
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