Studies in Jaina Art

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

Page 70

A BRIEF SURVEY OF JAINA ART IN THE NORTH
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tiered structures or caityas. The Jaina description of the Samavasaraña, shorn of its poetic fancies and elaboration of later details, preserves for us the main plan of the Daiva or Asurya funeral mound (smaśāna) referred to in the Śatapatha Brāhmana, for, the Samavasaraṇa is also said to be either square or circular in plan. Detailed descriptions of a Jaina Stûpa are missing in the Jaina canons, but the conception of a Samavasaraņa faithfully preserves the plan of such stūpas ( cf. fig. 6 with fig. 76 ) as also their essentials, and it seems the popularity of representations of Samavasaraņa ultimately replaced the Stūpa-symbolism in Jaina worship
The stock description of a Jaina temple in Jaina canons is that of the Siddhāyatana. The Siddhāyatana to the N. E. of the Sudharmā Sabhā of Vijaya deva was 13 yojanas in length and 6 yojanas and one krośa ( about half of the length) in breadth and nine yojanas in height. It had on it, above the entrance door-way, the vedikā-panel motif' and an arch, surmounted by Salabhañjikās; it had beautiful pillars ( round?) of Vaidurya gems, its floor inlaid with gems and gold and silver, its walls decorated with figures of mythical animals (ihāmrga ), oxen, Kinnaras (half-men and half-horses or birds ) crocodile, birds, dragons, winged-deer (sarabha), yaks (camara), elephants, creepers and lotus-rhizomes. The abacus of columns had crowning figures of Vidyādhara pairs, with mechanism to show them moving. The shrine was adorned with thousands of sculptures or reliefs and with many domes (thubhiya), the tops decorated with bells, flags etc., white, lustrous, adorned with palm-impressions of different sandal; its gates were adorned with auspicious pictures and arches surmounted by candana-ghatas ; there were flowers, garlands, perfumes and incenses. It was adorned with figures of apsarasas.
The shrine had three entrances. In front of each entrance was a portico ( mukhamandapa) adorned with the aştamangala-motifs. In frount of these were preksāgrhamandapas or assembly halls (theatres ). In front of each prekşāgshamaņdapa was a Caitya-stūpa on a maņi-pithikā (jewelled platforms). The Caitya-stūpas were white and shining, each two yojanas in area ( āyāmacircumference, or length x breadth ) and more than two yojanas in height, its surface covered with jewels, and surmounted by aştamangalas, black chowries and flags. On four sides of each stūpa were manipithikās, each platform surmounted by Jina figures sitting in the paryanka-āsana (padmāsana ), and facing the stūpa.
In front of each Caitya-stūpa was a maṇipithikā with a Caitya.vřksa on it. In front of each Caitya-vyksa was a manipithikā surmounted by a mahendradhvaja ( Indra--dhvaja ) with a round staff and adorned with thousands of flags,
1 Cf. HIIA., fig. 43 ; The motif is seen at Bhārhut and Sāñchi and also in several cave-temples.