Jaina Stupa At Mathura Art And Icons

Author(s): Renuka J Porwal
Publisher: Prachya Vidyapith

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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
According to Bhagavatī-sūtra, certain monks fly to Nandīśvara-dvīpa with the help of their super natural power to adore Jinas in the shrines21 In Sthānānga-sūtra following description of cetiya stūpa is available while referring to Nandīśvara-dvīpa - "There are four Añjana hills, in four directions, from the centre of the dvīpa. They are spread up in ten thousand yojana at the base, gradually reducing to a thousand yojan at the top which is plain and looking very beautiful with natural surroundings. At the middle of this plain top surface of each of the four hills, has a Siddhāyatana (Jaina shrine) having four entrances in every direction opening to a mukha-mandapa. Each mukha-mandapa has a ranga-maņdapa/prekşāgrha in its front. In front of each ranga-mandapa there is a manipīțhikā having a caitya stūpa. Every caitya stūpa has a manipithika each in four directions and on these Manipithikas there are four Jina pratimās. They are made of jewels and are in the padmāsana. Again, these caitya stūpas have caitya-vệksas at their entrances with mahendra-dhvajas having puskaraņi and vanakhanda in their front. These shrines are called śāśvatajina āyatanas/siddhāyatanas." The above mentioned Sthānārga-sūtra is a text, having information about important incidents up to the 4th century A.D. From the above description, one feels that before Sthānanga and other sūtras were codified, such beautiful Sarvatobhadra shrines and stūpas were already existing with images within. Buddhist tradition also has four such Buddha images on stūpas. The scripture Samavāyanga sūtra22 referes to ceitya-stambha instead of ceitya-stūpa, so it seems that caitya-stambha might be the form of stūpa converted into mānastambha later on. In Adipurāņa23, a reference to mānastambha is available. The practice of erecting mānastambha in front of the shrine still continues in the Digambara tradition. Bhagavatī sūtra24, Upāsaka-daśānga-sūtra and Jñātā-dharmakathā do not have clear references to caitya stūpa, but have information about
21 Shah U. P., Studies in Jaina... 1955, pp. 52 22 सोहम्मे कप्पे सुहम्माए सभाए माणवए चेइयखंभे हेट्ठा उवरिं च अद्धतेरस-अद्धतेरस जोयणाणि वज्जेत्ता मज्झे पणतीस जोयणेसु वइरामएसु गोलवट्टसमुग्गएसु जिण-सकहाओ पण्णत्ताओ।
- 449 , 34/41 23 HH*T9TEI TSHf467464 प्रेक्षमाणो व्यतीयाय स्तूपांश्चार्चितपूजितान् ।
- tify m, 89/201 24 णणत्थ अरिहंस वा अरिहंत चेइयाणि वा अणगारे वा भावियप्पणो णीसाए उर्दू उप्पयति जाव सोहम्मो कप्पो।
- par 2, 3/21