Studies in Jaina Art

Author(s): Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 66

A BRIEF SURVEY OF JAINA ART IN THE NORTH
on each of them. 1
In both the above-mentioned cases, namely, cetita-thubha and the cetitarukkha, the sense of a funeral relic is not fully warranted. In fact, Jaina texts speak of Māņavaka-stambhas on which bone-relics sakaha of the Jinas were worshipped by keeping them in round diamond-boxes hung on the pillars. These stambhas are said to have been situated in the Sudharma sabhā of different Indras. 3
Thus the Caitya-vskşas in the above description need not be funeral relics but are only Holy Trees with a platform below. Even the caitya-stūpas in the above description need not necessarily be funeral mounds. Firstly, we must remember that this is a description of a shrine in heavens whose counterpart on earth is nowhere referred to in the Jaina canons. Mahävira is never said to have visited a Jina-ayatana. Obviously, shrines dedicated to Tirthankaras seem to post-date Mahāvīrā" and the passages referring to śāśvata-Jināyatanas
1 Sthânănga Sūtra (Agamodaya Samiti ed.), 4. 2. sūtra 307, Vol. I. pp. 229 ff.
. cf. Abhayadeva's commentary- daar FIFT fara IHFAT Far: daretzka:, FERIE Haigi BaT: FigT: RTE : ...... Ibid., p. 232.
For a description of such Caitya-stūpas, see, Rāyapasenaijjam (Vaidya's edition, Ahmedabad, 1938), pp. 53-56. 8 cf."......
IT IT ay
et saft th अद्धतेरस जोयणाणि वज्जेत्ता मज्ज्ञ पणतीस जोयणेसु वइरामएसु गोलवट्टसमुग्गएसु जिसकहाओ 9TUTIT... ... Samavāyanga Sūtra, sū. 35, p. 63; also see Abhayadeva's comm. thereon.
Shrines of Arhats are referred to in other contexts on rare occasions. The following references to such shrines may be noted :(a) णणत्थ अरिहंते वा अरिहंतचेइयाणि वा अणगारे वा भावियप्पणो णीसाए उड़े उप्पयति
FIT HIEF 07...... Bhagavati Sūtra, 3. 2 sūtra 145, p. 175. (b) "ag i US Treas...... Tá areti" case # 45 531
प्पमिइं अन्नउत्थिए वा अन्नउत्थियदेवयाणि वा अन्नउत्थियपरिग्गहियाणि अरिहंतचेझ्याई at areal af AÁFATIG ar......"
Uvāsagadasāo ( Ātmānanda Sabha, Bhavnagar, ed.), p. 14. The commentator Abhayadeva Suri says-अन्ययूथिकदैवतानि वा हरिहरादीनि । अन्ययूथिकपरिगृहीतानि वा अर्हच्चैत्यानि अर्हन्प्रतिमालक्षणानि यथा भौतपरिगृहीतानि वीरभद्रमहाकालाRAI op. cit., p. 15.
It will be seen that the passage refers to a stage in Jaina history when some Jaina shrines were appropriated by other sects. The passage pre-supposes such untoward events and is therefore comparatively late.