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84
Doris Chatham
Nirgrantha
pedantic texts would not be the error which it is. On the other hand, the choice of symbolic vocabulary, which can be analyzed separately from effectiveness through a simple identification of subject, is more than likely the province of the patron, and will therefore reflect the ideas and ideals of his religious sect, even when the same sculptors are employed who previously carved in a different idiom. The two themes represented again and again, in virtually identical form, in the Jaina cave-temples are those of "Home to Bahubali" (Plate 44) and "Pārsvanātha's Temptation." The stories on which they are based have all of the elements of drama : demons in many forms, fury, and conflict. The visualization, however, remains true to the quietism of its surroundings. Pārsvanātha's unswerving absorption in his meditation and the miraculous stillness of Bahubali, standing in the forest, are themes belong to śānta rasa, tranquillity transcending action and drama. Another characteristic often noted in the Jaina iconography is the lack of individuality, or distinguishing characteristics possessed by the Tīrthankaras and their attendant Yaksas and Yakṣīs, which often makes it difficult to be certain about an identification. Again, the explanation lies in the deliberate choice of a non-dramatic expression of spirituality. In the visual arts, where verbal expression is precluded, individuality is most effectively expressed by dramatic action. Icons, therefore, are less inclined to be so distinguished than narrative presentations of the gods involved in events. A concept of the Absolute, necessarily generalized, is at odds with the specific demands of individualization. We have seen in tracing the evolution of pillar design, how closely related are the Indra Sabhā and Jagannātha Sabhā caves to the Lankeśvara and, deductively, the likelihood that the same sculptors, or their successors in the same workshop, were responsible for the development. We have only to contrast the sculptural representations of Siva on the verandah-pillars of the Lańkeśvara temple with those of Pārsvanātha and Gomateśvara just described (leaving aside the iconic images of the Hindu gods and the Jinas in both cases, which lack a basis in narrative symbolism) to see what a difference the informing spirit makes. These Śiva figures on the pillars, and the well-known relief-panel at the east end of the verandah depicting Siva performing the Tandava dance, are as full of tension and lively action as the Jaina figures are detached and motionless. Nevertheless, when we consider the style of the figure sculpture, we are struck in both cases with the fact that it is in harmony with the richness and elegance, the sensuous, physical appeal of the architectural detail. A sequence of female standing figures, from the Kailāsa temple to the Mother-Goddess Shrine to the Jaina Caves, represented in plates 45 through 49, illustrates both the stylistic continuity and the tendency toward abstraction, or schematization, that we saw in the pillar development. Linear elegance becomes more an end in itself, but its character is derived from the earlier examples.
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