Studies in Jaina Art

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

Page 67

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STUDIES IN JAINA ART
must be regarded as referring to an age later than the epochs suggested by the references to the Pūrņabhadra and other caityas. Stūpa worship does not seem to have been so popular amongst the Jainas as amongst the Buddhists, because image-worship seems to have started earlier in Jainsm than in Buddhism. So, the inclusion of Cetita-thūbhas in a Siddhāyatana is only due to the popularity of Stūpa worship in India, amongst other sects, especially amongst the Buddhists. This does not however mean that Stüpa worship did not exist in Jainism. Only, the author of the description knew full well that the stūpas in the different Siddhāyatanas in heavens were not raised on crema. tion grounds of the various Tirthankaras.
Jaina commentators explain Caitya in the following manner :चितेर्लेप्यादिचयनस्य भावः कर्म वा चैत्यम्, तच्च संज्ञाशद्वत्वाद्देवताबिम्बे प्रसिद्ध, ततः तदाश्रयभूतं यद्देवतायाः गृहं तदप्युपचाराच्चैत्यमुच्यते । 1
Thus though caitya is derived from citi or cita, the meaning of the term is extended to an image of a deity, and since a shrine is an abode of the image (caitya ), the abode is also called Caityam by uapacāra, 2
The word ceie in the Uttaradhyayana, 9. 9. Io is interpreted by the commentator as udyana or park and Jacobi suggests that it meant 'a tree". 3 Sacred trees were called Caityas in the Epics where it is said that 'not even the leaf of a Caitya may be destroyed, for the Caityas are the resort of Devas, Yakşas, Nāgas, Apsarasas, Bhūtas etc. We have however the evidence of a Harappă seal showing a tree enclosed in a railing, which was nothing but the worship of Caitya-výkşas, though it is not possible to say whether the term Caitya or Caitya-výkşa was current in the age of the Harappă seal.
Two processes then seem to have worked : one regarding Caitya primarily as Cayana or Yajñasthầna and secondarily as anything piled up, the other connected with piling up of a tumulus over remains of the dead, the smaśāna being four-cornered or round as shown by the Satapatha Brāhmana.. Being a piled-up sacred object, deserving worship and offering, it came to be known
1 Commentary of Sānticandra on Jambūdvipaprajñapti, sū. 1, p. 9. Also see, Abhayadeva's comm. on Bhagavati sūtra, I. I., explaining Caitya in identical expression.
. Cf. the use of the term caityalaya in पुराणो वि वीयरागाणां पडिमाउ चेइयालए etc., Mahāniśitha sútra, ms. B.O.R.I., no. 165 of 1881-82, folio 2.
3 Uttarādhyayana sütra, ix. 9., SBE. Vol. XLV, p. 36 and note. 4 Mahābhārata, Sānti parva, 69. 42; Coomaraswamy, HIIA., p. 47. & Vedic Age, p. 188 and pl. VII. 8.
& Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, SBE. Vol. XLIV. Pp. 424-29; also see, Shah, Priyabālā, Aidaka, Journal of the Oriental Institute, I. No. 3., pp. 278 ff.