Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

Page 386

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE ICONOGRAPHY
with the Navagrahas). The distinction between "Parsvas" and "non-Parsvas" (frequently employed in the Deogarh monograph) is also a case in point. The assumed "competition" between different categories ("identification", "style", "type", "main division") may appear rather theoretical to the reader. However, categorization is not a monopoly of philosophers and grammarians, some such efforts being also necessary in the study of iconography.
II. Three Untypical Images of Pārsvanatha:
The peculiarity to be discussed with respect to these images consists in the presentation to the proper left of Pārsvanatha of a figure which we shall designate as "Ṛsi" (seer). This has been traced on two images (Figs. 1 and 7) and on a small doorframe panel (Fig. 6, for brevity's sake we use the term "image" in this case as well). The "Rsi" has the *hand-attributes.
abhayamudrā (+/- akṣamālā) / kamaṇḍalu protection-affording hand-pose (+/- rosary) / jar.
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Further characteristics: The Rsi is as tall as (and "isocephalous" with) Pārsva. The composition is asymmetrical in so far as there is no figure corresponding to the Rsi on the other side. The Rși appears on Parsva's proper right. His legs are crossed.
The first image (Figs. 1-2) is housed in a temple near Golakot (details on Golakot in Section VII). As the general characteristics of the Rs have been enumerated already and will be subjected to further scrutiny in the following Section III, we shall mention in the present context only features of the image which are not included in the above list. In treating the image, we shall distinguish between the Rṣi-composition and the Pārsva-composition.
(i) Pārsva is shown with curls, and the head is topped by a lotus. Immediately above the forehead there is a small area of untwisted hair. For the terms (*usnīṣa-lotus, *curls, *Deogarhformula for the *untwisted hair) refer to Deogarh Chapter I and § 204 (Chapter 12). In the case of the Rsi, the top of the head
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