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9. STHĀPANA AND OTHER SYMBOLS
Sthapanā or Sthāpanācārya is a symbolic representation of his ācārya or teacher which a Jaina monk keeps in front while giving a discourse. It marks the presence of the elder, used as a corrective witness, a precaution against misinterpretation, but especially as a mark of reverence to the teacher. Literally it means installation of the (figure or symbol) of the acārya, when he is not personally present.1
It is a crossed wooden stand, made of two or more crossed sticks which can be folded and carried easily. The sticks are tied with a string in the centre and when the stand is placed in position, a nice piece of cloth, often a costly, ornamental one is placed as a cover on its top. Under it were often placed akşa and varāțaka. A scripture was sometimes placed on it or used as a sthāpanā. The sticks are often made of ivory or sandalwood with beautiful carvings at ends. The sthāpanā is an old practice amongst monks of both the sects and 1 Jinabhadra Kşamāśramaņa (c. 500-600 A. D.) explains it as :
गुरुविरहम्मि य ठवणा गुरूवएसोवदंसणत्थं च । जिणविरहम्मि व जिणबिंबसेवणाऽमन्तण सहलं ॥
-Visesāvasyaka mahābhāsya. Devendrasuri in his Samghācāra-tikā, in the section, Guruvandana-bhāsya, says:
गुरुगुणजुत्तं तु गुरुं ठाविजा अहव तत्थ अकखाई।
अहवा नाणाइतिश्र ठविज सक्ख-गुरु-अभावे ॥ २८ ॥ The following from Pinduniryukti explains the Sthāpanā.--
तं चिंति नामपिंड ठवणापिंडं अश्रो वोच्छं ॥ ६ ॥ p. 3. अक्खे वराडए वा कटे पुत्थे व चित्त कम्मे वा।
सम्भावमसम्भावं ठवणापिंडं वियाणाहि ॥ ७ ॥ p. 6. Commentary of मलय गिरि-".....स्थाप्यमानस्येन्द्रादेरनुरूपाङ्गोपाङ्गचिह्नवाहनग्रहरणादिपरिकररूपो य आकारविशेषो यद्दर्शनात्साक्षाद्विद्यमान इवेन्द्रादिर्लक्ष्यते स सद्भावः, तदभावोऽसद्भावः, तत्र सद्भावमसद्भाव चाश्रित्य 'अक्षे' चन्दनके 'कपर्दे' वराटके वाशब्दोऽङ्गुलीयकादिसमुच्चयार्थः, उभयप्रापि च जातावकवचनं, तथा 'काष्ठे' दारुणि 'पुस्ते' ढिउल्लिकादौ, वाशब्दो लेप्यपाषाणसमुच्चये, चित्रकर्मणि वा या पिण्डस्य स्थापना माऽक्षादिः काष्ठादिष्वाकार विशेषो वा पिण्डत्वेन स्थाप्यमानः स्थापना पिण्डः...... ।
इको उ असम्भावे तिराहं ठवणा उ होइ सब्भावे । चित्तेसु असब्भावे दारुअलेप्पोवले सियरो ॥ ७ ॥ (भाष्यगाथा)
-Pindaniryukti (DLPF. No. 44, A. D. 1918), pp. 37.
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