________________
THE WORLD OF JAINISM
107
9th-10th century A.D. "The Rishabhanatha image from Chopda now in the Prince of Wales Museum (Fig. 11) is a fine example of Rashtrakuta art.
We have reviewed Jaina metal images of the period of about five centuries which reflects the changing concepts of image making of the Jains. Until that time the Jain images, as we have observed earlier, are restricted to isolated images of Jinas. Not only that, even from the early sculptures of the Kushana period from Mathura it is evident that there was no distinction between the Digambara and Svetambara images. Both worshipped nude images. Even Varahamihira in his famous canonical work--the Brihat Samhita (c. 5th cent. A.D.) refers to the God of the Arhats as being young, beautiful, serene, ajanubahu (with long arms) and naked. It clearly shows that at least till the end of the 4th cent. A.D. there was no differentiation in the representation of Jain images. They were invariably represented as nude.
About a century prior to the second Valabhi Council the monks had adopted the attitude of prolonging their stayChaityauasa-in the cities and consequently the gap between the two schisms was widening and thus when the council met in the middle of the 5th century A.D. the difference was reflected even in the representation of their respective images. Subsequent years witnssed not only a further hardening of attitude, but as a result of Brahmanical influences on Jain art the Jaina images became more complex in form.
