Jainism in India

Author(s): Ganesh Lalwani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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JAINISM IN INDIA :
auspicious symbols, viz., bodhi tree in railing, stipa, a defeated object and a Tirthankara being worshipped by 16 vidradhara couples. In the four corners are mahoraga figures in atlantic attitude. One side of the outer square frame has been widened to find nlace for a row vi cigit auspicious signs.
A third kind of ayāgapata was named as crapatlas of which two specimens have been found among Mathura iragupulus; No. J 255 in the Lucknow Museum showing a stupa with sopanu torunu vedikü, two side pillars, ośīlabhanjikā figures and an elongated sinp: or cuina after which the name was derived. The other caitrupullei from Mathura in No. Q2 in the Mathura Museum of which the exact place of origin is not certain but which was installed in a drakulu of nirgruntha Arhets and hence in all probability belonged to the Jaita sanctuary of Kankalitila. On this slab (height 2' 4", width l' 9") is carved a stupa of iaitra surrounded by a railing and an ornamented gateway approached by means of the flight of steps. The stupa is flanked by two pillars, the one topped by a wheel (cakrahvaja) and the other by the sejant lion, (simhadh vaja). On each side of the stupa are two llying naked Wings, two salabhanjikā figures-on each side of the stair case is an arched niche containing a human figure representing the male and female donors.
From the point of view of art highest place is taken by the ulagapata J 249, Lucknow) set up by Simhnadike for the worship of the truit which is organised as Tirthankara palta showing the Jina sested in padmasana in the central medallion enclosed by four triranes. Ils onter frame is conceived with rows of eight auspicious signs wbich have now become standardised as the group of eight monumi humu, verughe, śrivatsa, ratnapatra, above ; below triratiu, puspasraka, rajaunti and pārnaghata. On one side is a cakradhwaju and on the other a hastidhvaja both of which are placed on the top of lion capitals consisting ol' four-winged lions. Another āyāgapatta (J 252 gift of Acala) is of similar design but with some difference in the number and form of the auspicious symbols. Cakradlivaja is common to both, the clephant-topped pillar of the former gives place to a simhadhvaja in the lat!er which, however. is much defaced.
Tirthankara images. The sculptures from the second Jaina stage of the Kankali tila show a good number of Tirthankara images dated from the Kushana year 5 to 95. They are of four kinds : (1) standing images in kāyotsarga mūdrā in which nudity is clearly indicated. (2) seated images in padmūsana, (3) pratimā sarwatobludrikä or four
fold images in standing posture and (4) the same in seated posture. In