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Śramana, Vol 60, No. 1/January-March 2009
Gandhara art." The Yaksas are also seen carrying a bowl or supporting some load.
Nāgas
The Naga (snake) worship was also prevalent at Mathura in the Kuṣāṇa period. Beside the icons of Balarama, we come across the independent images of the naga deities in human form but surmounted by the snakehoods and holding a cup in the left hand the right hand raised up in the protection pose (No.C.13). The site of Sonkh has revealed the remains of a någa shrine of the Kusana period. One lintel depicts the nagas and nagis with a snake scalp while the devotees or visitors bear the turban (So IV-36).
Duelbetween the nagaand garuda(birddeity) has also been shown (41.2915). The garudafigures were carved in bird as well as in human form. Female deities
A large number of female deities or mother goddesses of Kusana period have been recovered from Mathura. The important ones are Gajalaksmi (No. 34.2520, third deity). Lakṣmi, Hārīti, Yakṣis, Mātṛkās, Sasthi, Nāgis, etc, A popular goddess of the age was Durgă or Mahişăsuramardini (No. 33.2317).
Eclectic figures
A few sculptures from Mathura suggest that efforts were made to avoid disharmony between the different sects growing simultaneously in the Kuṣāna age. An interesting example is a stele in the Mathura Museum (No. 34.2520) representing four deities at one place viz. Ardhanarisvara, Vişņu, Gajalaksmi and Kubera (the lord of the yaksas). Jaina Figures
The excavations conducted by A. Führer in the years (1888-91 at the Kankali mound,
Mathura yielded hundreds of Jaina antiquities, most of which are housed in the state Museum, Lucknow. These range from the 2nd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. but the majority belongs to the Kuṣāna period. (Figure 2) The āyāgapatas serve as the base for the development of the Jaina pantheon and some of them belong to the pre-Kusana era, and at least one record the name of Mahākṣatrapa Soḍāṣa (Lucknow museum No. J.1). Since these belong to the transitional phase between the representation of symbols and inception of icons. These may be dated from the pre-Kuṣāna to the early Kuṣaṇa epoch.
The ayagapatas according to the central theme may be classified differently i.e. Cakrapata (representing wheel J. 225). Svastikapata (representing auspicious cross J. 252). Caityapata (showing the stúpa or caitya J. 255), with at beautiful railing, gateway flanked by two female dancers and the nicely undercut epigraph recording that the stone tablet was set up by the wife of a dancer Phalguyasa for the worship of arhata, and the arhatapata or tirthankarapata when the Jina (main deity) is carved replacing the symbol (J.252). Some of these tablets depict a variety of beautiful motifs, which were conventionalised as eight auspicious symbols (astamangalacinhas).
The Kuṣaṇa period Jina images are generally broad chested, stiff and shaven headed. or with small hair. The mark of Srivatsa on the chest of a Jina is an essential feature at Mathura The palms and soles are usually marked with triratna or cakra as cognizances of great man. (Mahapuruşa lakṣaṇa). In early phase the halo. round, the head is plain, devoid of any concentric band but carved with scalloped border hastinakha With the passage of time the decoration on the
