Studies in Jaina Art

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

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STUDIES IN JAINA ART
Lucknow Museum ; size 3'-I" X 2' - 10" from Mathurā) is a big circle having four tilaka-ratnas facing each of the four sides and arranged in a composite way, with the lower circle, common to each of them. This lower half of the tilaka-ratna being a circle, is utilised for the representation of a Jina in the centre, with a naked monk (a gañadhara) standing on each side. The Jina sits on a raised dias, probably in the arddha-padmāsana, and in dhyāna mudrā. He is protected by a seven-headed cobra over his head, above the snake-hoods is an umbrella with tassels of garlands issuing out of it. The Jina probably represents Pārsvanātha attended by two naked gañadharas. The padma-latā in the broad band of the bigger circle and the wine-creeper on the right lower end of the square-tablet may be noted. The right lower corner of the tablet shows a symbol (mahāpundarika ?), the left lower shows a lion sitting on his legs, the left upper shows an elephant and the right upper corner shows two winged mythical lions. The characters of the inscription on the lower border of the pața, partly peeled off, are engraved, according to Smith, in "an archaic type prior to the Kuşāņa era." Set up by one Sivaghosaka, the tablet should be regarded as a specimen of the Sunga art, assignable to the first half of the first century B.C.
Tablet III, of Arayavati set up by Amohini (Fig. 14 A) This fine votive tablet, set up by Amohini in the year 42 or 72 of the reign of Mahāk satrapa Sodāsa, is, as Smith has shown, "essentially an Ayāgapata, though not so called," but expressly said to have been meant “ for the worship of the Arhata" (Arahata pūjāye) like the other Ayagāpatas. The inscription 2 on the top of the sculpture begins with an adoration to
Smith, Jaina Stūpa, Pl. X, p. 17; Ep. Ind., II. No 31. The inscription is read as Namo Arahantana Sivagho ( saka) sa bhāri (ya)--na
2 Smith, Jaina Stupa pl. XIV. p. 21; Agrawal, Guide to Lucknow Museum, p. 14, fig. 1. Bachhofer, Early Indian Sculpture, pl. 74; Ep. Ind. II., P 199.
Year 42nd of Sodasa would, according to the chronology adopted in the Age of Imperial Unity, be 27 A. D., which would not suit the style. Luders reads 72 instead of 42, cf. Ep. Ind. II. No. 2. Rapson, The Date of Amohini Votive Tablet of Mathurā, Indian Studies in honour of Charcles Lannman, pp. 49-52, reads 42.
J. E. Van Lohuizen-De Leeuw, “The Scythian Period,” pp. 65-72, has discussed again the characters for 70 and 40 and shown that the tablet gives a date 72. According to her theory, which appears to be a plausible one, it is dated in the old Śaka era of 129 B. C., which would give a date, 57 B. C, for this Tablet. She however offers a different explanation of Aryavati-ĀyapataĀyāgapaţa, ibid, p. 147, which explanation, however, is not acceptable to us. It must be remembered that the Kyavati occurs in l. 3 and äryavati in l. 4,