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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
some are mutilated, hold a wheel (cakra). A Jina at the top has two mālādhāris on either side. Here faces of Jina, deity and cavardharies are disfigured except the nymbus.
4.14 Some unidentified deities:
A tympanum (B. 207 LM., fig. 101, 102) has the carving of a stūpa, a Jina and an unidentified female deity at the centres in three semi-circular bands. The uppermost band shows a stūpa flanked by six adorants. In the second band, a Jina is worshipped by three adorants on either side while third comprises with a deity in blessing-pose (abhaya-mudra) sitting in lalitāsana flanked by six devotees, out of them first pair, next to deity is Negmesa on her right and a crowned male on her left. A Śālbhañjikā4l standing on a pedestal having lions on both corners is worth mentioning. Here lions are not displayed for lion throne as the female is standing so it is her mount (vāhana) depicted on pedestal. She is holding a branch of a mango tree and pointing her first finger towards a mango fruit. This sculpture is chiselled in round with blooming lotuses behind showing her divinity. This sālbhañjikā might be the yaksī Ambikā of earlier period. There are two more Sālbhañjikās standing on demons carved in round with lotuses behind and standing on strange persons (fig. 103). There is a reference of yakṣī Kuberā protecting the stūpa at Mathurā in Vividha-tirtha-kalpa having a vehicle a man (Naravahana). An Ayāgapața of Loņaśobhikā has two niches on the either side of the staircase, where the left niche comprises with a deity in blessing mudra who might be deity Kuberā.
4.15 Dharanendra and a Yaksi in a Canopy of Parsva:
One bronze image of Pārsvanātha with canopy of Dharanendra in Prince of Wales Museum (Mumbai) assigned to 2nd century B.C. This is the recognition of Tīrthankara Pārsvanātha image continued in Kuşāņa era and afterwards too. One Pārsvanātha image of late Kuşāņa period, found from Kankālī Tīlā has a yakṣī shown in the canopy of Dharanendra (fig. 47). It is difficult to identify the deity. Another standing image (J. 7 LM. fig. 2, 3, 4) carved in round, though without head, has a wonderful carving on each side. It has a yakṣī standing in blessing mudra under the caitya-vřkşa
41 V. Smith, Jaina stūpa at Mathurā.., plate-LXII
