Studies in Jaina Art

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

Page 81

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STUDIES IN JAINA ART
The passage, noted by Abhaya deva in his commentary as an additional description from some manuscripts, shows that the tree itself was decorated with the eight auspicious symbols (aşta-mangala) with flags and banners of different coleurs, (Cf. HIIA. fig.70) bells, fly-whisks and bunches (hatthaga) or various flowers, clearly showing that the tree itself was regarded as sacred and adorned. The next description is even more noteworthy :
'तस्स णं असोगवरपायवस्स हेट्ठा ईसि खंधसमल्लीणे एत्थ णं एके पुढविसिलापट्टए पराणत्ते, विक्खंभायामउस्सेहसुप्पमाणे किरहे अंजणघणकिवाणकुवलयहलधरकोसेजागासकेसकज्जलंगीखंजणसिंगभेदरिद्वयजंबुफलअसणकसणबंधणणीलुप्पलपत्तनिकरअतसिकुसुमप्पगासे मरकतमसार कलित्तणयणकीय
रासिवराणे णिद्धघणे अठ्ठसिरे पायंसयतलोवमे सुरम्मे ईहामियउसभतुरगनरमगरविहगवालगकिरणरहरुसरभचमरकुंजरवणलयपउमलयभत्तिचित्ते आईणगरूयबूरणवणीततूलफरिसे सीहासणसंठिए पासादीए दरिसणिजे अमिरूवे पडिरूवे (sutra 5)
The commentator notes another reading (vācanāntara) of the Silapattavarnaka, rendered in Sanskrit...अञ्जनकघनकुवलयहलधरकोशेयकसदृशः, आकाशकेशकज्जलकर्केतनेन्द्रनीलातसीकुसुमप्रकाश:, भृङ्गाजनशृङ्गभेदरिष्ठकनीलगुलिकागवलातिरेकभ्रमरनिकुरुम्बभूतः, जम्बूफलासनकुसुमबन्धननीलोत्पलपत्रनिकरमरकताशासकनयनकीकाराशिवर्ण: स्निग्धघन:, रूपकप्रतिरूपदर्शनीय : मुक्ताजालखचितान्तका...!
___Below the best Asoka tree was a big Prthvi-sila-pattaka, well proportioned in height, breadth and thickness slightly reclining against the stem of the tree (isim khandhasamalline ). It was black like collirium, etc. and dark-blue like Nilotpala, and shining, eight-sided (attha-sire), smooth, compact, and polished or shining (reflecting ) like the surface of a mirror (āyamsatalovame), beautiful and decorated with carvings (bhatticitta ) or ihāmrga (urkah according to Abhayadeva ), ball, horse, nara-makara (kāla-makara motif), bird; serpents (vālaga), kinnaras, deer, Sarabha, yak, elephant, wild creepers and lotus, creepers and was soft to the touch like garment of an animal-hide (ājinaka ), butter, cotton etc. Placed on a simhāsana, it was beautiful to look at. as इहलतावर्णकान्तरमशोकवर्णकं पुस्तकान्तरे इदमधिकमधीयते-p. 9. Also see Rayapasenaiyam ( Becaradas ed.), pp. 19-20.
1 Hatthaga would mean mark of the paim. But here the word is used either in the sense of mark's of the different flowers (stamped with some pastes) or bunches which could be carried in hands.
2 Aupapātika sūtra (Agamodaya Samiti ed.), pp. 10-11.
3 Interpretation of this is important, Abhayadeva, in his comm. (p. 10) renders it as मनाक् स्कन्धासन्न. It is difficult to say whether this Prthvisilapatta was ever regarded as a platform with a part of the tree's stem embedded in it, surely this pațța rested on a platform, slightly reclining against the stem of the tree, since it is said to rest on a simhasana (sihāsanasam thie).