Studies in Jaina Art

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

Page 83

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STUDIES IN JAINA ART
Sāñci. The simple practice observed also on Harappā sealings, continued even after the beginning of the Christian era, but at some early period, a stage was also evolved in which, below the trees these platforms and objects of worship were placed. This stage came in much earlier than the age of Bhärhut and must have existed even before that of Mahāvīra who stayed in the yakṣāyatana described above. Fig. 67 is an interesting relief, of Sunga age, from Mathura, showing a huge Siva-linga under a tree, both enclosed in a railing,
The description of the Asoka tree in the Aupapātika is remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, because we get here a stage in Yakşa-worship to which the Caitya-vşkşas are intimately allied. Here possibly the tree itself with the Silā-pațța under it is the Yakṣāyatana as in the case of Suciloma Jataka (Samyutta Niķāya, 11-5 ) where a tankite mañco is stated to be the Yakkha's haunt (bhavanam) In that case the Asoka tree itself, the Caitya-vrkşa, is the Caitya of Pūrņabhadra in our passage. It seems that the carving of, a figure f.of the yakşa) on the Silā-patta or of installing a sculpture of the deity was a later stage, but it must be rernembered that even this stage might have existed in the age of Mahāvira if the shrine of Moggara pāņi yakşa at Rājagrha referred to in the Jaina Canon, can be regarded as dating from the age of Mahāvira, Since the Pūrņabhadra shrine was already cirātita in the age of Mahāvīra, the interpretation offered above is not incompatible.
The second noteworthy fact about this passage is its description of the Silā-patta, a critical study of which supports the views stated above. This is possibly the first known literary evidence of what is well known as the Mauryan Polish if the Silā-patta is regarded as a stone-plaque, and of the N. B. P. ware if the Prthvi-Sila Patta is regarded as a terracotta-plaque (Prthvi-clay, and Silá-Pațţa being a rūdha word for such votive slabs ). I am not inclined to take it as a stone-plaque dedicated to the Mother-Goddess Pșthvi for the simple reason that the passage must refer to the worship of the yakşa Pûrņabhadra rather than to that of the Mother-goddess. The plaque was highly polished, shining like a mirror and the surface was soft to touch like cotton or butter. It was besides painted and inlaid with pearls.
It is now well known that the so called Northern Block Polished Ware is obtained in different colours and not only in black. Our text seems to speak of at least three colours, black, bluish and green for though the patta is called kļşņa, the upamas given include those of the nilot pala and the marakata not utilised the evidence of this work in these lectures delivered before the work could be available. But the work is an important contribution on the Cult of the Tree in ancient India.
1 cf. Odette Viennot, Le Culte De L'Arbre Dans L'Inde Ancienne, pl. VIII Fig. D, from Amarāvati Stúpa.