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
reach the final goal of Moksa like them. Thus Jainas worshipped them as liberated souls to inculcate and develop their qualities in one's own self. Thus images created during Gupta period were artistic, in equal proportion and with the characteristics of mahāpuruşa having așta-prātihāryas and cavaradhāris, they are without inscriptions, except few. As observed by Sharma R. C. in the Gupta age there is a death of epigraphic record on the Jan images. He also commented that only two inscribed Jaina images found in India one is J. 36 LM and other being at Udayagiri in Madhya-Pradesha installed a Pārsvanātha image39 in the year 426 A.D. According to Varāhamihira, the Jina images depicted with long hands, śrīvatsa mark, peaceful appearance on face and youthful body with nudity.40 The Images of Medieval period : The Jaina tradition speaks of the supernatural thirty-four qualities (34 atisayas) of every Jina which includes aștamahā-prātihāryas - i) Asoka tree, ii) Shower of celestial flowers, iii) Divine music iv) Fly-whisks v) Lion throne vi) Nimbus vii) Celestial drum beating (Deva-dundubhi) and viii) Triple umbrella41 as referred to early literature. The early medieval period 7th to 9th century A.D. is the transitional period from classical Gupta to diverse forms in iconographic details as well as vivid ornamentation seen in almost whole of India. In eastern India due to planetary influence on human beings nine (or eight if considers Rāhu and Ketu as one) planets became popular on door jams of the shrines. Jainas too included planets on the pedestal of Jinas as the devottees. During this period carving of other Tīrthankaras rather than mūlanāyaka, in parikara also became popular. In case of a single Jina a parikar has cavardhāris and garland holders flanking the mūlanāyaka (fig. 99) but if two Jinas sitting in padmāsana flanked the chief idol than the whole sculpture is called tri-tīrthī. Here besides mūlanāyaka image, the other two were depicted below the toraṇa upto the face level. In case of standing image, mūlanāyaka has two garland holders up to face level on his both sides and below them two Jinas are in standing posture. In
39 The Classical Age, pp 409. 40 Brihitsamhitā Adhyāya, 58 41 I) Samavāyānga-sūtra, no. 34, pp-569, Mahāpurāņa (Puspadanta), Abhidhāna cintāmaņi -
Hemcandra, 57 to 64., Tiloya pannatti, pp 896-915, II) Chanchreek K. Jain Mahesh, Jain Art and Archi. pp-72.