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Tirthamakaras
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be noted that while Buddhism formally admitting a number of Buddhas makes singularly prominent the Buddha or Gautama Buddha, the Jainas on the contrary render many of their Tirthamkaras appear in the forefront. A modern temple of the Jainas would show a gallery of images of many of their Tirthamkaras to whom equal respect is offered in their daily worship.
In the Jaina pantheon, the Tīrthamkaras have been given the highest position. Even the gods and goddesses many of whoin are borrowed beings from Hinduism come in subordinate order and have been regarded as ministering hands to the Jinas. In Hemacandra's, Abhidhāna-Cintamani, the divinities have been classified under two classes :--The Devādideva or the higher gods and the Devas or ordinary gods. To the former class, hc has assigned the Tirthamkaras and the subordinate deities, who are almost purely of Jaina origin. In the minor class, we find other gods, who share their existence cqually with the Hindu pantheon. In Iconography, also, this idea of the relative superiority of the Jainas has manifested itself. In the carliest sculptures of Jainism, the Tirtharnkaras prominently occupy about the whole relief of the stone.
Jainism is a living religion in India and the temples of the Jainas preserving the old tradition of image-worship to a considerable extent should give us many materials for Iconographıy. The images in a Jaina temple arc arranged in order of precedence. There is one Müla-nīyaka, he may be either Rşablanātha, Supārsvanātha, Par vanātha or Malāvīra surrounded by other Jinas, who hold a less dignified position according as the teinple-cult is associated with him. This predominance of a particular Jina is due to the situation of the temple in a place sanctified by him. For instance, in the temple at Sārnāth bclicved by the Jainas to be the Birth-place of Śrcyāmanātha, we find his image in the position of a mûlanāyaka. Other deities such as the Yakşa, Sāsana-devatā, Lakşınī, Ganesa play the part as subordinates to the Jinas and are found in their relative positions in a temple. Thus, we sec thc Tīrtharkaras are the highest divinities in Jainism and they are believed to be absolutely free from desires (Rāgas) while the other gods and goddesses possess desires and have their heavens of enjoyment. Here, the Jaina idcal of asceticism asserts itself and their stand-point
