Book Title: Jainism and Democracy
Author(s): Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: I A S S Jain Conference New Delhi

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Page 179
________________ 166 JAINISM AND DEMOCRACY riding on a tiger with dagger and human skull in her hands. Shiva the deity of knowledge is presented as: sitting in the cremation ground where all hopes and. desires are burnt. His head is always pure and cool with the incessant flow of the Ganges. The forehead is equipped with the cool and invigorative light of moon. Between the eye-browns he has the fire of penance which has burnt cupid, the embodiment of passions. He distributed nectar and other gifts obtained after churnning the ocean and drank the poison himself. He is dancing with snakes as ornaments. It is a. marvellous picture of a mass with true knowledge showering boons on others and taking all the evils to himself. Visnu is the deity of wealth and prosperity. He is lying on a serpant in the ocean. The hoods of the dragon are projected on his head. His feet are resting in the lap of Luxmi, the goddess of wealth. Garuda the swiftest: and mightiest of birds and animals is his conveyance. Sarsvati, the goddess of learning possesses a book in one hand and Vina (atur) in the other. She has swan with the capacity of separating water and inilk as her conveyance. We hardly need to dwell upon the point any more. This characteristic of art is confined to the sphere of religion and it is still preserved with the preservation of religious traditions. On the other hand the Mundin art through the influence of Greeks and Muslims has become decorative. The Islama is against the image worship. Consequently the Muslim art did not grow in religious places, but in the courts of luxuriant princes. It was preserved by the Harlotes and their associates without any spiritual signi Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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