Jaina Stupa At Mathura Art And Icons

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

Page 92

Mathurā School of Jaina Art
oldest tritīrthi is of Jina Rşabhanātha (pre Gupta period) seated on a cushion placed on lion throne. On the pedestal, two figures are in
Padmāsana flanking the wheel may be two Jinas34 or Ganadharas. (A detail of sarvatobhadra image is given at the end of next paragraph). A stele with the depiction of five Jinas is pañcatīrthi (fig. 135). This type of image has one central figure with two Jinas in sitting posture at shoulder level while two in standing position next to the chief idol. The iconography of the same wasn't fixed in Gupta period as one available pañcatīrthi has four Jinas in a row at the top of the main figure. Here mūlanāyaka is flanked by a pair of Cavaradhāri, elephant mounted as Indra and garland holders (fig. 81, 44.3150 MM). A stele accommodates 24 Jinas including main large figure is called caturvinsati or covīsī. Sometimes main central figure (mūlnāyaka) is surrounded by eleven or thirteen other Jinas, then it is known dvādaśaJinas or caturdaśa-Jinas respectively. The individual carving of 24 Jinas on a stele was not in vogue in Kuşāņa period, though one Covīsī image having Rşabha as a chief idol is obtained from the site Kankālī Tīlā seems to be of 3rd century A.D. (fig. 11), as it is with combed hair. Here Nemi and Pārsva Jinas could be easily recognised by their special form-while Mahāvīra, Munisuvrata, Šānti and Sambhava Jinas could be known by their names in the inscriptions. Total number of Tīrthankara figures available from Mathura are 119 where 93 are in padmāsana while about 26 standing kayotsarga figures are without linen and open eyes. Thus here both consecration of Svetāmbara and Digambara iconography are seen on images.
3.10 The concept of Sarvatobhadra images :
A stele with four Jinas in four directions is called sarvatobhadra image. In Rajendrakośa it is defined as, “Sarvatobhadrāni mukhāni yasya”. The word sarvatobhadra stands for auspicious happening in every directions where sarva stands for all and bhadra provides subha/mangala/auspiciousness everywhere. There are 28 sarvatobhadra images obtained from Kankalī Tīlā of Kuşāņa period ranging between saka year 5 to 74, carved in Khadagāsana.
34 B. 7 MM. Catelogue of Mathurā Museum, pl. 24,