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8. ASTAMANGALA
The Aştamangalas or Eight Auspicious objects are familiar to both the sects and are known to Jaina worship from ancient times. They are :-Svastika, Śrivatsa, Nandyāvarta, Varddhamanaka, (powder.flask), Bhadrāsana ( throne, a particular type of seat), Kalasa (the full-vase ), Darpana (mirror) and Matsya (or Matsya-yugma, pair of fish), and are often referred to in Jaina texts, including canonical works, as decorating tops of architraves or ramparts, or placed on Caitya-trees, platforms, painted on walls and sc on. ?
Hemacandra also notes that the eight auspicious symbols were represented on Bali-pațțas or offering stands. The offering-stand is a platter with low legs, made of wood or metal, used to hold offering in temple worships. It bas eight auspicious signs carved or made in high relief. Such stools, often made of wood with silver plate studded all over it, or of silver or brass, and with reliefs of the eight auspicious marks or of the dreams, are even today used for placing offerings in Jaina shrines. Often Jaina ladies prepare such signs with uncooked rice on such platters.
But the reference by Hemacar.dra to Balipațas with marks of eight auspicious objects is interesting since such auspicious symbols are seen on some of the Jaina Āyāgapatas of the Kuşana age, obtained from Mathură. The Tablet set up by Acalā (fig. XI of Smith), for example, shows a line of four symbols in the upper most panel and another of eight at base. In this lower panel, the first symbol from right end, partly mutilated, was probably the Srivatsa. The second is Svastika, third a lotus-bud half open, fourth a pair of fish, fifth a water-jar (with a handle ), sixth is either an offering of sweets or a crude representation of ratna-rāśi. The seventh is possibly the sthapanā (a crossstand with a mss. on it), the eighth is an inverted tri-ratna, like the so-called hill on some coins. The uppermost central rectangular panel, which contains
1 Aupapalika sūtra, sû. 31, pp. 68 69:-Sovatthiya (or sotthiya ), Siriviccha, nandiyāvatta, bhaddā sana, Kalasa, maccha, dappana, and Vaddhamanaka
2 Trişasti. I (GOS), pp. 112, 190. Mahāpurānı ( Adipuräna ), parva 22. vv. 143, 185, 210 etc., pp. 520 ff. ct :-
Tuivi grid 2 ANAT quat, lसोत्थिय, सिरिवच्छ, नन्दियावत्त, वद्वमाणग, भद्दासण, कलस, मच्छ, दप्पण, जाव __ पडिरूवा.
-- Röyapasenaiyam, ed. by Pt. Bechardas ( Ahmedabad), pp. 80; also Jambadripaprajñapti, Vol. I. p. 43.
3 Trişasti. I (GOS) p. 190 and note 238.
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