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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
male and a female disciples are standing near the feet of standing Jina might be his fiancée Rajimati and younger brother Rahanemi. He was asked to perform austerity as a part of his repentance by Neminātha according to Kalpasūtra. Two devotees are adoring the Jina in kneeling mudrā. In the centre of the pedestal is a wheel flanked by Jinas (or Ganadharas) and lions. It is difficult to know that the two sitting personalities are Ganadharas or Jinas. If we consider them as Jinas because of seated lions, then the image could be called tritīrthī.
3.18 The Gradual Development of Belongings of Ascetics as observed -
A) in Scriptures and B) on Pedestals of Jinas: The pedestal of Jina images from Kankālī Tīlā reveal the evolution in belongings of male and female ascetics. It comprises with two lions on the corner forming sinhāsana for Arhat. Jaina images from Kuşāņa to pre-gupta period (78 A.D. - 300 A.D.) have depiction of caturvidha sangha/four-fold community on their pedestal i.e. sādhu, sādhavi, śrāvaka and śrāvika. It has given very high status as it is considered 25th Tīrthankara. Even the Ācāryas never violate its decision42. These bas-reliefs are the supporting evidences to the literary sources portraying the culture and the clothing of that period. Usually in Kuşāņa period the pedestal of Jina image was chiselled with dharmacakra in the centre with equal distribution of sādhus and śrāvakas on right while sādhvis and śrāvikas on left side. The ascetics on bas relief are shown carrying pratilekhanas (object to clean) in the right hand with span open to bless, with left hand they hold the blankets in such a way that their privacy of the body is covered. śrāvakas are standing with folded hands next to them (fig.1). To the left of dharmacakra sādhvis are shown carrying pratilekhana with right hand with open span to bless same as Sadhus, while holding a sanghāti with left. It is believed that Lord Mahāvīra renounced the world with a piece of cloth on his body known as Devadūşya gifted by Indra. The belongings of ascetics developed gradually with the influence of place, time and society.
42 Bhadrabahusvami-II was asked by Jaina Sangha to compose a mantra to overpower the
epidemic in Magadha while he was in Nepal.
