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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
where he is mentioned as Hariņegameși-. The event is even narrated in Samavāyanga-sūtra and Rājaprasniya-sūtra. In this sūtra 14 life incidences of Tīrthankara Mahāvīra are dramatized where this was
the fourth episode 38 2. A goat headed Naigamesa deity (E1 MM or 34.2547 MM, fig. 94)
housed at Mathurā Museum is of early Kuşāņa period. He wears necklace as well as holding two children with folded hands on each
shoulder. 3. The counterpart of this deity holds a male child in a cushion with
left hand while blesses the devotee with right. Here also a sleeping child is shown with folded hands to respect the divinity (E. 2 M.M.,
fig. 34). 4. The other images displayed in Mathurā Museum are 34.2482, 16.1210.
15.1115, 15.1092, 15.1001, 15.909, 15.799. Most of the photographs are covered between the plates number 44 to 49 in the 'Catalogue of Jaina Antiquities' published by Government Museum Mathurā in 2003.
4.10 Vidyā:
One sculptured panel with two registers where upper has a stūpa flanked by two Jinas and a lower represents an ascetic, a deity and female devotees with a lady ascetic. The stūpa has two vedikās and a caitya-vskșa. One upright pillar on a corner of lower register has a wheel on the top while another figure on a top is beyond recognition. Here Jaina Śramaņa recognised by the name Kanha with the engraved words "Kaņha Sramano' between a deity and him. Here a standing deity is seen in varada near Sramana (fig. 100) having similar posture like Āryāvatī. The word 'Vidya' is seen in bold character near the deity's head. Here a question arises whether it is not the symbolic representation of 16 Vidyādevīs? The established date of the panel is 95 of Kuşāņa era equivalent to King Vāsudeva's reign.
4.11 Lakşmī:
An image of Laksmī (fig. 35, 80.2 MM.) found from Mathurā of Kuşāņa, period resembles with the image of Sarasvatī of the same period, hence it may be of a Jain pantheon. She is holding a full blown lotus stalk with left hand while right is raised to bless the devotees. She is
38 I)
II)
Samavāyanga-sūtra, pp 54, 32nd Samvaya. Rājaprasniya-sūtra, 84 sloke, pp. 143. Vijayendrasūri, op. cit., pp. 110-111.
