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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
for centuries together4. Thus here Jaina philosophy is well explained in sculptures by showing Siddha or Arhat at highest central position and Jivas in the transitional world from where they have to reach siddhasthana/mokṣa. The Āyāgapata is the union of two words āyāga and pața where āyāga stands for sacred as we have seen, and pața for a slab made of stone, cloth, clay or any such material which can either depict or paint. The said word Āyāka or Āyāga is derived from ‘Āryāka' stands for honourable or worthy of reverence and were more popular at Mathurā with Jaina community fixed at low height in or around the shrines. The carving of sacred symbols and Jinas made them 'Āryāka' - worthy of reverence. Therefore it came to be valued as a tablet of homage adopting the local name Ayāgapața. The 'Āyāka' word is also noticed on three pillars at Jaggay peta, at the site of ancient Buddhist stūpa, excavated by Dr. Burges in 1882. Each has a dedicatory inscription in Prakrit recording the gift of five āyāka khambas at the eastern gate of the great caitya. Here also the word āyāka stands for sacred. At Nāgārjunekondā seventeen inscribed āyāka pillars have come to light, while excavating the site. Dr. Luders, who edited these inscriptions, remarked that such pillars do not appear to have had any structural function as supporting members, but besides carrying well known Buddhist emblems they were utilised for dedicatory inscriptions. He also observed that āyākapatas or āyāka pillars were not the part of the building structure6. Thus āyāka pillars were carrying important inscriptions of donors while āyāgapațas were depicted with marvellous carving and philosophy using the symbols which when
deciphered, convey its message within. 5.2 Āyāgapatas in the Scriptures:
In Angavijjā the author has provided some list of names like parvata (mountain), sagara (occen), medini (earth), caitya (shrine) and āyāga worthy of worship. Joshi N. P. holds that like a caitya, āyāga is also a sacred and venerable place. He supports the above meaning with the passage
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Agrawala V. S., Bhartiya kala, (Varanasi, 1966), pp 280-81. 1) Agrawala V. S., 'Mathurā Āyagapata.', J.U.P.H.S. op.cit. pp 58-59. II) Ep. I. Vol. XX, pp 2. Luders, Ep. I., vol xx pp 2, Joshi N. P., article “Early Jaina Icons from Mathurā” pp 333, in, 'The cultural Heritage' ed., Doris & Shrinivasan, AIIS, 1989.
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