Jaina Stupa At Mathura Art And Icons

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

Page 93

The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
The concept of sarvatobhadra or caturmukha pratimā is based on the Jina when delivering the sermons, sitting in Samavasaraņa erected by Indras. The structure of samavasaraṇa is mostly circular but sometimes square too with three tiers one above other narrowing from bottom to top. It is also called Gandhakuți (fig. 133). Here Jina sits on a dais in centre pavilion, where Indra installs his three similar images in other three directions, so devotees could listen to him. This concept having the same Jina in four directions is very often not seen on samavasaraṇa. The standing fourfold images obtained from the site might have different notion. like, • To spread auspiciousness in all directions as they were established
on pillars. Some of them do not have Pārsvanātha, in such cases it is difficult to recognise fourth Jinas. According to Amalananda Ghosh35 this may be based on the concept of yakșa caitya under the tree. Śāsvata Jinas always occur in each Utsarpiņi and Avasarpiņi time cycle and have common names i.e. Rşabha, Candrānana, Vārisena and Vardhamāna36. It is possible that some of the sarvatobhadra images may have been above mentioned group of Śāsvata Jinas as
here Pārsvanātha is not seen on some of the images. The Adipurāna of Jinasena describes the Mānastambha at the entrance of the samavasaraṇa which includes the four images of gold at the base. According to Tiloya-paņņatti, Jina images were placed on the top of the pillar. A pillar (Saila stambha) from Kahaum has four Jinas on four sides at the top and one at its base has the inscription of year 141 A.D. of Gupta period. Most of the shrines in Southern India have Mānstambhas. At Deogarh and Chitor beautiful Mānstambas are seen with four Tīrthankara images on top. This practice is still popular amongst the Digambaras. The distinctive features of Caumukha images from kankāli-Tilā : I) Inscriptions on the pedestal commence from the side of Pārsva
(fig. 72), so one can assume that this was the front position (J.230, J232, LM). Here Pārsva is carved with a canopy while others are with halo (fig. 97, 98).
35 Ed. Ghosh Amalanand, Jain Art and Architecture, (New Delhi, Bhartiya Gnanpith, 1975). 36 Jivābhigama-sūtra, 137, pp 235; Sthānanga-sūtra, 4, sūtra 307; Pravacana-sāroddhāra,
491, pp 117,