Jin Parsva and His Temples in Inscriptions of Karnataka

Author(s): Hampa Nagrajaiha
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

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Hampa Nagarajaiah
and as its consequence the setting up of their images in Karnataka. For the Gangas, the temple of Parsva was their Patta-jinalaya, the 'crown temple'. My recent research has convinced me that the earliest of the Ganga temples on the Mandali Hill, built by Madhava-Konganivarma in C. E. 350, at the instance of Simhanandi-acarya, was a temple to Jina-Pārśva and the same temple-complex contained a temple for Padmavat [EC. VII-I (BLR) Sh. b. 1060; ibid., Sh. 4. 1121-22]. The Gangas and the Kadambas of Banavasi popularised the founding of temples to Parsva and Padmavati. According to the epigraphical and literary evidence, the worship of Padmavati had gathered momentum and had reached its peak in the medieval period. The ruling-sections were proud of recognising themselves as Padmavati-Devilabdha-vara-prasada. Padmavati temples were flocked by devotees, because she was the goddess who would respond to their desires, abhista-vara-pradayini. For the sculptures, the special esteem in which Arhat-Parsva was held, provided greater scope for his temples and hence for the attendant figures of Padmavati and Dharana.
An utter indifference toward warding off of the terrible aspect of the terrible asura is the central significance of this classic iconography/iconology of JinaPārsva meditating in kayotsarga posture. In other words, the awesome divinity is explicable through the puranic origin that portrays him as the one who sustained the asuropasarga without malice; his unshakable neutrality generates instant
reverence.
Jina Päriva is an embodiment of the primordial concept of käyotsarga, giving verbal expression to väsi-candana-kappa (vasi-candana-kalpa), a must virtue to a mahavratin, a great sage. It is said in the Avassaya-nijjutti (gäthā, 1548) (c. A. D. 525):
Väsi-candaṇa-kappo jo marane jivie ya samasanno dehe ya apadibaddho kávussaggo havai tassa
Nirgrantha
A monk observing kayotsarga of excellence will be like väsi-candana-kalpa; he considers. life and death as equal and he is devoid of any attachment to human body. Haribhadra-süri (c. 3rd quarter of the 8th century) while giving gloss of this gatha, quotes a supportive gathā:
Jo candanena bähum älimpi väsina ya taccheyi
Sandhuņai jo va nindayi maharisino tattha samabhava ||
Some may smear candana (sandie) to the arms, some may etch the arm with an adze; some may praise and others may abuse; albeit, the maharsi, a great sage, would consider both equal. Jina-Pärśva regarded both Dharmendra and the asura (Kamatha/ Sambara) as equal; He neither blessed nor cursed, and exactly that is the quintessence of Nirgrantha philosophy expounded by the Arhats.