Studies in Jaina Art

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

Page 87

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STUDIES IN JAINA ART
of Tirthańkaras of Past, Present and Future, as also of Tirthankaras of Air? vata kşetra, and also records a list of Caitya-trees of all the twenty-four Tirthankaras of this age in the Bharata kşetra. The list being common to both the
Jaina sects was evolved at least before the Digambara-Svetām bara partition regarding acknowledgement of canons and whatever difference is visible in the Tiloyapaņņatti list is only due to some early error of scribes. 2 A list of Caitya-trees of the various Jinas is appended at the end of this discussion. With the evolution of lāñchanas or recognising symbols for the Tirthankaras, Caitya-trees have lost much of their value in identifying sculptures of Tirthankaras. Jain Purāņas generally give identical lists for the trees under which these Jinas took their dikṣās.
It seems that the Jainas have assigned the spirits connected with this ancient tree-worship to the class of Vyantara gods. The Vyantaras are subdivided into eight groups--Piśācas, Bhūtas, Yakşas, Rākşasas, Kinnaras, Kimpuruṣas, Mahoragas (Nāgas) and Gandharvas. Each group has on its crest the symbol of a tree in the following order :-Kadamba, Sulasa, Vața, Khatvānga, Asoka, Campaka, Nāga and the Tumburu tree, according to the Svetāmbara traditions. The Digambara lists replace the Khatvānga (of Rākşasas ) for the Badari tree? Khațvänga alone in the Sve. list is not a tree, and it seems that the Digambaras were more faithful in recording this tradition or possibly, the Rāksasas were originally not tree spirits.
The Sthānānga“ gives the Caitya-tree worshipped by each of the ten classes of Bhavanvāsi gods; a different list is supplied by the Tiloyapannatti. This only signifies the association of Caitya-tree or tree-cult with the area of Jaina shrines.
Ambikā Yakşi, the first Säsanadevatā introduced in Jaina worship, sits under a mango-tree which is reminiscent of the early association of Yakşaworship with the tree.cult. Sometimes older ideas wonderfully persist or are revived even at a very late age, and it may be said that even the most ancient superstitions or cults do not totally die away. In the mediaeval period, in
1 Samvāyānga sūtra, sa, 159, p. 152; also Jivājīvābhigama sutra, sū. 127, p. 225 and sū. 142, p. 251 for Caitya trees.
2 Ramacandran's table is unfortunately incorrect. Ramacandran, op. cit., pp. 192 ff. For Digambara lists, see Pralişthāsāroddhāra, 4.106, p. Ior, Tiloyapannatti, 4-916-918, Vol. I, p. 264.
3 For lists of both traditions with sources, see Kirfel, Die Kosmographie der Inder, pp. 273ff.
4 Sthānānga sūtra, 10.3. sūtra 766, Vol. II. p. 487. The commentator says that these were worshipped near the Siddhāyatanas.
5 Tiloyapannatti, 3.136, Vol. I, p. 128.