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TIRTHANKARA PARSVANATHA AND NAGA-CULT
२५९
represented in the second century B.C. at Sanchi at the eastern gate of the great stupa; the broken off piece with this representation is presently preserved in the local museum at Sanchi itself. It also is equally remarkable that three of the seals from Mohenjo-daro, show snakes and human-cum-snake figures (Marshall, Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilization, Vol. III; CXVIII, 11); representations of Visnu on sesa-sayya, Siva with snakes on his body, and so on are also earlier than the representations of Kamatha-episode.
These facts may prompt one to conclude that the representation of torture by Kamatha and rescue by Dharanendra and Padmavati, of Parsvanatha, in Jaina literature and art is a result of inspiration from one or other of the above representations. Further researches, however, are not unlikely to bring an otherwise conclusion.
Who took from whom and what, may or may not be known, but one thing is well known thạt exchange of ideas and symbols has been an all pervading phenomenon in art, literature and philosophy at national and international level.
-The literature with Parsvanatha, Dharnaendra and Padmavati, as the central figures, is unbelievably vast and rich. Almost all the genres of literature, mythological and classic, include hundreds of works to eulogize one or the other of the three. Occult and Tantric treatises and hymns to propitiate, particularly Padmavati, outnumber all the other ones put together.
