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Aparigraha as Reflected in Jaina Art
Prof. Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari
The reverence for peace and purity was uppermost in the Jaina consciousness. Only the highest point of spiritual attainment was sought to be reflected in art. Among these spiritual goals is the state of aparigraha, with its various nuances of 'freedom from attachment', both internal and external. In this paper author has based his discussion of aparigraha as manifested in art to the three main subjects of the sculptures: the Jinas, Bāhubali and Bharatamuni.
-Editor
Art is the living visual account of our tradition, including the concepts in religion and philosophy that prevail during an epoch in society. And yet, while discussing religion, philosophy or culture, we tend to take into account only literature as the main narrative and miss out the artistic creations of temple and sculpture and painting, or the other forms embodying the spirit of the time. As V.S. Agrawala points out, "Indian art is the mirror of the thought, religion, philosophy, cults and culture of India. It is a rich commentary on the life of the Indian people. How they worshipped and what they created on the plane of matter is documented in creations of Indian art." Art was intricately woven into the life of the land, never standing apart, and yet capable of reflecting values, ideals and concerns without comment. In the Jaina context, art has been the main vehicle for the wide and dynamic expression of Jaina spirituality: the absolute renunciation of all possessiveness, and the ideals of non-violence and austerity. An important and unique character of Jaina art and thought was that the artists never compromised on the basic tenets of their creed. These tenets found idealistic expression in their image of the invincible Jins or Tīrthankaras, and of the legendary prince, Gommateśvara Bāhubalī.
