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Jaina Monuments of Orissa
According to this text, one can prepare images of gold, silver or copper, but never of bronze, kansya, lead or tin. Sometimes brass (reti) is used in casting images, though as a general rule mixtures of metals are prohibited. When the material is wood, woor of Sri parni Chandana, Bilva, Kadarba, Rakta-chandana, Piyala, Udumbara and occasionally Sisima is allowed but never of any other tree. When the image is made of stone, the material should be free from various defects and it may be of white, greenish, red, black or green colour. In preparing a terracotta image, cow-dung should be collected without letting it fall on the ground and is to be mixed with clay obtained from pure soil. In the preparation. of lepya (Stucco) images various colours are utilised. It is further enjoined that images of iron, stone, wood, clay, ivory or cow-dung or paintings not be worshipped in private homes by persons desirous of welfare. Defective images, images which are broken and repaired or those which have been highly worn out are not to be installed. Images cast in metal or stucco images deserve to be repaired and continued in worship, but those of wood or stone, once mutilated, should not be repaired for worship. But if they are more than hundred years old or if they are consecrated by the best of men they deserve worship even though mutilated. But they should be placed in public and not in gthachaityas.
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The Jainas put greater emphasis on the worship of mental attitude rather than physical worship or idol worship. Their worship is not confined to any God-head or a deity but of human being who has reached perfection of the soul freed from all bondage. Their idol therefore serves more the purpose of a symbol of the aggregate of certain quantities than of a mahapuruza. In worshipping the idol, the devotee remembers the qualities or virtues of the Jina and tries to imbibe them in one's own life and being.
U.P. Shah on the basis of Bṛhat Samhita (58, 45) of Varahamihira and Manasara (V. 71-95) gives the following account of the general character of Jaina Tirthankara images
The earliest datable evidence laying down standards for a Tirthankara image, so far known, is supplied in the Brahat Samhita (58-45) of Varahamihira. The God of the followers of the Arhats is to be represented as young and beautiful, having a peaceful countenance and the Srivatsa mark on his chest. With arms reaching his knees (i.e. when standing in meditation) his body is covered by only the quarters of directions (i.e. he is to be shown naked, with no garment on his person).
Obviously this formula refers to Digambara Jaina images. Either the worship of images with a dhoti had not been started by the age of Varahamihira, or at least it had not been very well-known (i.e. perhaps of a relatively recent origin) in that age. It is well known that none of the Tirthankara images of the Kushana age from Mathura and Chausa show any garment on their persons.
10. Ibid, pp. 466-67.
