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God The Jaina View and Jaina Religious Images
ankaras is exile of Jaina pantheon. The list of the 24 Jinas was finalised sometimes before the beginning of the Christian era.1
The distinctive features of some of the Jinas were finalised quite earlier while the list of the cognizances of the twentyfour Jinas was finalised in c. eighth-ninth century A. D. The Jina images reached the final stage of iconographic development in c. ninth-tenth century A. D. A fully developed Jina image invariably contains distinguishing emblems, Yakşa-Yaksi pairs, aṣṭaprātihāryas, Dharmacakra with worshipers, the dimintive Jina figures and at times navagrahas, Vidyādevis, elephant lustrating the Jinas and some other figures.
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To conclude, it can be said that the Jaina religion has evolved the concept of divinity, giving highest dignity to individual and spiritual ideal. As a result the Jaina religious images are sculptured in pure human form. One may arrive at the conclusion that in the Jaina religion the divinity has been represented in one dimensional form, while other may observe that it is multi-dimensional.
1.
Samavayanga Sutta 157, Kalpasutta 2, 184-203, Paumcariyam, 1, 1-7.
2.
Kahavali, Pravacanasaroddhara 381-82, Tiloyapannatti 4, 604-5. 3. Vastuvidya-Jaina Parikaralaksanas 20. 10-12, 33-39.
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