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AKOKAKUMĀRA BHATTACHARYA
the cight auspicious marks of the group This alone sometimes represents the catire group and is shown as such on the temples, before the images and at the beginning of all auspicious ceremonies. The most comprehensive meaning put to the Swastikā and the figures of three dots above surmounted by a crescent with a dot above is that the four arms of the Swastikā represent the Gati or state in which a Fida may be born as eitheir a decizen of hell (märki) or of heaven (devatá) a man ( manusya) or a beast ( tiryaac), the three little dots or heaps symbolising the three jeroels of right knowledge, right faith and right conduct, wbich enables a man to reach Moksha represented by the siga of the crescent and the dot above it.
The last but not the least is the Nandyavarta belonging to the Astmangala group. The figure is a geometrical device like the Swastikā but shows a more developed stage of the art and is clearly of a deeper signzficance than the former. The adaptation of this device in art and archaelogy is very lare, at least fas later than the Swastikā It is double libed figure rectangular 10 shape and the lines are inter-woven, so to say, as to form a nine-coned figure The Aciradınakara explains the symbol as signifying the fact of the devotee of the Jena being the recipient of all sacred treasures that remain glowing at his service through the grace of the Lord.“
"The whole capital and canopy of Jain pillars are a wonder of light, clegant, highly decorated stone work, and nothing can surpass the stately grace of these beautiful pillars, whose proportions and adaptations to surrouoding scenery are always perfect, and whose richness of decoration Dever offends."
WALHOUSE,
43. Tvatsevakanām Jingnathadıksa sarvāsu sarve ardhayat sphuranti Ataścaturdhā navakonanandyavartah satäm vartayatām dulhani
căradidalara, loc. cit.
