________________
106
STUDIES IN JAINA ART
Kalpa-Sūtra miniatures show representations of these dreams, either in a group, as in Brown's figure 19, or singly as in Brown's figs. 20-33, pp. 19-22. The most common type of miniature (cf. Brown's figs. 6. 18)1 represents the mother of a Jina sleeping on a cot in the lowest panel and in the two or three panels above are shown, in different rows, smaller figures of the fourteen dreams. Representations generally confirm to the Kalpa sūtra text, and only minor differences occur, e. g. the Sun may be represented authropomorphically or as a circular disc.
Dreams are also represented in stone reliefs in the lives of different Tirthankaras, a photo illustrated in fig. 83 shows one such set from a Jaina shrine at Kumbhāriā, N. Gujarāt. :
A wooden panel of these fourteen dreams, illustrated here (fig. 87), is preserved in the Shri Pandya-gļha at Pātaņ, N. Gujarat. Paintings of the dreams are also obtained on wooden book-covers, 4 or as reliefs on wooden or metal stools or platters used for placing offerings in Jaina shrines,
According to Digambara traditions, the dreams are :--(1) Airavata the elephant of Indra, (2) The best of bulls, (3) the lion white in colour with red manes, (4) the goddess Padmă (Sri) seated on golden lotuses and lustrated by elephants, (5) pair of garlands of best flowers, (6) the moon, (7) the sun rising from the Udayācala mountain, (8) pair of full-vases with lotuses placed on their mouths, (9) pair of fishes, (10) celestial lake, (11) agitated ocean, (12) a lofty golden lion-throne, (13) a celestial car (vimāna ), ( 14 ) a palace of the king of snakes (Nagendra-bhavana ), (15) heap of jewels, ( 16 ) smokeless fire. 6
Representations of the sixteen dreams are also popular amongst the Digambara Jainas and are often carved on door-lintels of Jaina shrines, an
1 For other illustrations, see, Jaina Citrakalpadruma figs. 73. Coomaraswamy, Catalogue of the Indian collections in the Boston Museum Vol. IV, figs. 34, 13. Brown, KSP., fig. 152, p. 64. Pavitrakalpasūtra, figs. 17, 22.
2 Representations of Sri amongst such miniatures, of special iconographic interest, will be treated separately in a chapter on the iconography of Sri-Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, in my forthcoming, “Elements of Jaina Iconography".
3 At Kharataravasabi Caumukha shrine, Abu, they are represented on an architrave in the hall in front of the main shrine. A photograph of it will be found in CFT HIT (Gujarati ) by Munisri Jayantavijaya, 5th edition.
4 In the life of Pārsvanātha, on a book-cover in the Shri Atmārāma Jñāna-mandri Bhāņdāra; Baroda, collection of Pravartaka Sri Kantivijaya. JISOA., Vol. V, pp. 2-12 ff. pl. For a reference to paintings of dreams on walls, Nirayavalião, 2.1. p. 51. Also see Jesalmere Citrāvali.
5 Mahāpurāņa (Adipurāņa), sarga 12, vv. IOI-119, pp. 259 ff. Harivamśa, sarga 8, verses 58-74, pp. 160-161.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
