Some Notable Swetambara Jain Bronzes

Author(s): Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

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Vol. III, 1997-2002 Some Notable svetambara Jaina Bronzes 69 meet with two standing goddesses. The one on the left side of the Jinas is easily identified as Vidyadevi Vairoty, with a snake-hood over her crown and carrying the sword, the snake and the shield in her three hands. The symbol of the left lower hand is not clear. The goddess standing on the right side of the Jinas carries the lotus (?) in each of the two upper hands. The symbol held in her right lower hand looks like a cakra and it is possible that the symbols in the two upper hands were also meant to represent the cakras. In that case the goddess may be identified as Vidyadevi Apraticakra. (For illustrations of the bronze and its inscription, see my Akota Bronzes, Bombay 1959, plates 56 a and 77 c.) Annotations : 1. The inscription earlier was published by Puran Chandra Nahar in Jaina Inscriptions, Part II,, Calcutta 1927. 2. The image partially appears (as Fig.5) in Ambalal Premchand Shah, "Some Inscriptions and Images on Mount Satrunjaya," English Section, Shri Mahavir Jaina Vidyalaya Golden Jubilee Volume, Pt.1, Bombay 1968. 3. U. P. Shah, Akota Bronzes, Bombay 1955. * For the illustration, see Lalit Kumar, "Some Jaina Metal Images from an Unpublished Gogha Hoard," Nirgrantha, Vol II, Ahmedabad 1996, Plate 1. [Editors). 4. The inscription had been published and discussed by Pt. Lalchanda Gandhi : Cf. his "Sakasamvat 910-ni Gujarat-ni Manohara Jaina Pratima" (Gujarati), Aitihasika Lekha-sanigraha, Vadodara 1963, pp. 326-330.