Mahavira and his Teaching

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

Page 467

432
B. UPADHYAY
From the beginning of the 4th Century A.D. Jaina iconography assumed new characteristics and icons prepared with salient features. It has been pointed out that major Mahāvíra icons from Mathura are naked and drapery did not originate as early as kuşāņa period. After the advent of the Guptas the naked feature did not develop in Jaina iconography along with the appearance of Srivatsa. This shows that (1) Nudity gradually replaced by lower garment; (2) Srīvatsa were the main characteristics of Mahāvīra images during the Gupta age. In North India Digambara Community had a strong footing and records support this surmise. An inscription from Paharpur mentions the donation to the Jaina Vihāra for the worship of Digambara Mahāvīra icon. (Ep. Ind. Vol. XX P. 105). A similar case is recorded in a contemporary document from Uttar Pradesh where five excellent images Pañcendrān namely five naked Jaina Tirthankaras were sculptured on the column i.e. icons of Ādinātha, Sāntinātha, Neminātha, Pārsvanātha and Mahāvíra.
पुण्यस्क, स चक्के जगदिदमखिलं संसरद्वीक्ष्य भीत: श्रेयोर्थ भूतभूत्यै पथि नियमवतामहतामादिकर्तृन् । पञ्चेद्रान् स्यापयित्वा धरणिधरमयान्सन्निखातस्ततोऽयम् ।
(Kahanma stone pillar Inscription of Skandagupta)
Thus the archaeology of the Gupta period lay emphasis on the Digambara form of Mahāvīra icons. We have two different classes of Mahāvīra images viz. (i) standing Kayotsarga (2) Sitting Asana which are profusely excavated. Kuşāņa period is famous for massive icons of the Buddha and Mahāvīra, all in standing posture. In case of Jaina icons naked image of Mahāvíra is more prominent from Kankālī Tila. It is to be remembered that no symbol is seen on the pedestal of Mahāvīra and other Tirthankara icons. The pedestal inscriptions were the main source of information. During later Kuşāņa and Gupta period we have the appearance of (coganizable symbols on the pedestal of the icons. Vardhamāna Mahāvíra has lion as symbol and the icon of 24th Tīrthankara were prepared in a very artistic