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It
is difficult to say when first the Jainas took to the practice of
worshipping images. Stevenson states that an image of Mahavira was
installed in Upakeshapattana during the leadership of the Jaina leader
Prabhava (4th century B.C.). That image-worship was in prevalence among
the Jainas about the same time is supported by archaeological evidence.
The Hathigumpha inscription of Jaina king Kharavela records that he took
back from Patliputra the Jina idol which was carried off by one of the
Nandarajas from Kalinga. This shows that the Nandas who ruled in 4th
century BC. were followers of Jainaism, Kalinga was an ancient center of
Jaina faith, and Tirthankara images were made for worship as early as the
days of the Nandas. It
may be noted here that among the Patna Museum exhibits there are two nude
mutilated statues found in Lohanipur, Patna Town. One of them possesses
polish characteristic of Maurya age and can be attributed to 3rd century
BC. and the other can be attributed on stylistic grounds to 2nd century
BC. It is quite possible that they represent Tirthankara images of 3rd
century BC. and 2nd century B.C. respectively. The author of Arthashastra
seems to refer to the Jaina gods in Jayanta, Vaijayanta and
Sarvarthasiddhi: Most of the important caves, viz. Ananta, Rana and
Ganesha Gumphas in Orissa were excavated in 2nd century BC. The Ananta
Gumpha contains symbols like Trishula and Svastika on its back wall.
Moreover, the courtyard of the cave possesses images of many Jaina deities
and saints. The Ranigumpha is elaborately decorated with scenes of human
activities some of which may represent Jaina religious festivals. These
facts would show that image worship was popular among the Jainas several
centuries earlier than Christen era. Mathura
was a very important seat of the Jainas during the period under review.
The archaeological excavations there have laid bare the remains of a Jaina
stupa, temples and sculptures ranging from 2nd century BC to 3rd century
AD. mostly. The Mathura sculptures have placed at our disposal immense and
varied materials with regard to the study of jaina deities. They represent
most of the Tirthankaras including Rishabha, the earliest one that shows
that the belief of the Jainas in all the 24 Tirthankaras was an
established fact during the period under review. The Tirthankara images
are purely Indian conceptions and do not betray any foreign influence. One
of the striking features of the Jaina figures is their nudity, which
distinguished them from Buddha and Buddhist images. Nudity however is true
only of the Digambara images, whereas the shvetambaras clothe their
figures. The Jinas bear symbols not only on the palms and soles but also
in the centre of their breasts. The hair is usually arranged in short
curls in the shape of spirals turned towards the right, as is also the
case with the most Buddha images. But in the earlier specimens we find
sometimes a different treatment. The hair assumes the appearance of a per
wig or it hangs down on the shoulders in strange locks. In
contradistinction with Buddha the earlier Tirthankars have neither
Ushnishes nor Urna but those of the latter part of the middle ages have a
distinct excrescence on the top of the head". A
very interesting type of the Tirtharikara images of our period in Mathura
is that of the Jina quadruple which is known in Jaina inscriptions and
literature as Sarvato-bhadrika pratima. 'They consist of a block square in
section' with a Tirthankara carved on each of the four faces. There is no
injunction however as to the particular Tirthankaras to be figured there,
but generally the most important ones are chosen. A quadruple image of an
'unnamed Jina perfectly nude' is represented on an inscribed sculptured
panel found in Kankali mound in Mathura. The epigraph records that it was
the gift of Kumaramita, the first wife of shreshthin called Veni. The gift
was made at the request of the venerable Vasula, a female pupil of
venerable Sanghamika who is in turn a female pupil of venerable monk
Jayabhuti. The inscription has been assigned to the Kushana Period on
paleographical grounds. From the same site, that is Kankali mound in
Mathura, we have another very interesting representation of an inscribed
Sarvatobhadrika Pratima of our period. The Jina shown there is
parshvanatha with trace of his snake canopy. The inscription states that
this fourfold image was dedicated by one Sthira for the welfare and the
happiness of all creatures. This inscription also belongs to the Kushana
period. We
may refer now to a few early specimens of other types of sculptured
representation of Jaina Tirthankaras in Mathura. An elaborate sculpture
containing the figure of seated Jaina was found in Kankali mound in
February 1890. Unfortunately the head of the figure is missing. The Jina
is shown with numerous attendant deities. On the pedestal are two lions
and two bulls. From the presence of the bull it is evident that the Jina
depicted here is Adinatha or Rishabhadatta. The inscription (defaced) at
the base seems to be in early scripts. Another specimen of Adinatha figure
(belonging to Kushana period) is to be seen on the Mathura Museum panel
No. B4. The figure was set up in a Jaina monastery as the inscription
states by alady in the year 84 of the reign of Shahi Vasudeva, the Kushana
king. The relief in front of the pedestal contains a Dharma Chakra on a
Pillar being worshipped by human devotees including the male and female as
well. A mutilated figure of Aranatha is found represented on a sculptured
panel which was got in Kankali mound in the year 1890-91. It belongs to
the Kushana period. The Jina is shown standing by the side of a wheel
placed on Trishula with a piece of cloth in his left hand. Naminatha and
Neminatha, the 21st and 22nd Jaina Tirthankaras seem to have been
represented along with Parshvanatha and Mahavira on a broken sculptured
panel which might have formed part of the decoration of a Torana Pillar of
a Jaina monastery in Mathura during our period. There
is a fine specimen of Neminatha figurer in Mathura Museum which Vogel has
described in his catalogue of the Mathura Museum antiquities. Neminatha is
seated 'cross-legged in the attitude of meditation' on the throne. The
throne rests on two pillars and a pair of lions. Behind the pillars are
two figures with hands joined in adoration. From the throne an ornamental
cloth hangs down between the two lions. Below it there seems to be a
wheel. There is conch-shell (symbol of Neminatha) on the plain rim of the
pedestal. The Jaina legends introduce very often the story of Krishna
Vasudeva and his family. In the Antaga·a Dasao we are told that some
members of Krishna's family joined the Jaina church at the instance of
Arishtanemi, and Krishna also, as the legend goes, was proclaimed by him,
that is Arishtanemi, to be the 12th among the Tirthankaras who would arise
in the Dushama Sushama age. There is a sculptured panel of Mathura which
represents an ascetic receiving homage from the female devotees. The
inscription records that the panel was a gift of the wife of a person
called Dhanahastin. It bears the year 95 of Kushana King Vasudeva's reign
probably. The word Kanha shramana occurs in bold types between the head of
the ascetic and that of the lady devotee to the proper right. This Kanha
may be the Krishna Vasudeva of the Jaina legend. Whether the Jaina
viewpoint, regarding Krishna Vasudeva and his family is accepted or not,
this much is true that Jainism and Vaishnavism came to a close contact
with each other during the time of Arishtanemi who was a cousin of Krishna
and Baladeva. Because of the family relationship between Arishtanemi and
Krishna Vasudeva, Jainism was co-existent with Vaishnavism since
Arishtanemi's time in places like Dvaraka, central India, and Yamuna
valley, the sphere of Yadava influence. Arishtanemi's emblem is a conch
which may be reminiscent of his relationship with the Vaishnavite family
of Krishna and Balarama. Parshvanatha occurs very frequently in Mathura
art of our period. We have already referred to his representation as
sarvato-bhadrika Pratima. We
shall consider now one or two other specimens of his figure preserved in
the Mathura Museum. The mathura Mesuem panel B.70 represents a stele (1'
101/2' in height) with nude Jina figures standing, one each on the four
sides. Three fourth figures have been provided with haloes, the fourth one
is represented with a sevenhead Naga hood. This fourth figure represented
with no doubt parshvanatha. The Mathura Museum panel B 71 also contains a
representation of parsvanatha with similar Naga hood. Both these figures
belong perhaps to our period. Vardhamana Mahavira is the most popular of
all the Tirthankars. There are innumerable sculptured representations of
his figure in Mathurg and other centres of Jaina faith. We shall, however,
for our present purpose refer only to two Vardhamana images found in
kankali mound in Mathura which belongs perhaps to early centuries of the
Christion era. In one panel he is shown seated under his sacred tree with
several attendant figures, one of whom is a Naga with a canopy of cobra
hoods. There is a defaced inscription on the pedestals of his image which
begins with 'Namo' in early scripts. The other image in question is seated
under a small canopy with two attendants, one on either side. Both the
Vardhamana a figures are seated in dhyanasana posture, and have, besides
the attendants, two lions on the pedestal and angels or Gandharvas,
hovering in the air and offering garlands. The Jainas were primarily
founder worshippers, but their mythology includes besides the 24
Tirthankaras a number of other deities. One
of the most important deities of this class is Naigamesha. Naigamesha is
represented on the obverse of a fragment of a Jaina sculpture discovered
at Mathura. The inscription incised on the panel is written in scripts of
the beginning of the Christian era. The deity (Naigamesha) is a
goat-headed one seated on a low seat in an easy attitude. He is shown with
his face turned to the proper right, as if addressing to another
personage, whose image has been lost. To his right there are three female
figures standing and an infant is shown close to the knee. The deity is
called in the inscription 'Bhagavat Nemeso.' Nemeso of the present
inscription is a variant of the name of the deity Harinegamesi in the
Kalpasutra, Naigameshin in the Neminatha Charita and Nejamesha or
Naigameya in other works. In Jaina religious art he is depicted as a
figure either with the head of a ram or antelope or a goat. In the Mathura
sculpture which is the subject of discussion here he is found bearing a
goat's head. Cunningham discovered four mutilated figures of Naigamesha
which he failed to identify and described them simply as deities with Ox's
head. According to Buhler the sculpture depicting Naigamesha with female
figures and a small child refers most probably to the legend which
narrates the exchange of the embryo of Devananda and Trishala. The legend
in the Kalpasutra in short is this. Mahavira took the form of an embryo in
the Brahmani Devananda's body. Thinking that an Arhat ought not to be born
in a low Brahmanical family, Indra 'directed Harine gameshi, the divine
commander of infantry to transfer Mahavira from the body of Devananda to
Trishala, a lady of the Juatri of Kshatriyas, who was also with a child.
Harinegameshi carried out successfully Indra's order. In Jaina mythology
Naigameshin is regarded also as a deity of procreation. The Antagana-Dasao
refers to the story as to how, lady Sulasa propitiated Naigameshin and had
a conception through his compassion. The ancient Jainas represented
Naigameshin in both male and female forms as presiding over child birth.
The sculptures of the Curzon Museum, Muttra, Nos. 2547 and E. I. represent
the deity in his male aspect, and sculpture No. I. E2. (of the same
museum) in her female aspect as the goat-headed mother goddess. The
Jaina pantheon includes the deities like Sarasvati and Ganesha etc. which
figure prominently in Hindu pantheon also. We have from the Jaina mound of
Kankali two headless female statues. One of them has not been identified,
the other is the figure of Sarasvati. The goddess is seated on a
rectangular pedestal 'with her knees up.' She has a manuscript in her left
hand and the right hand which was raised up is lost. There is a small
attendant on her either side. The inscription on the pedestal consists of
seven lines in Indoscythic scripts. Besides the figures of Tirthankaras
and other deities of the Jaina pantheon the Mathura sculptures of Kankali
mound bear isolated symbols and designs auspicious to the Jainas, such as
Svastika, Vajra, shell, bulls, elephants, goose and antelope, etc.
Svastika to the Jainas is the emblem of Suparsvana, the 7th Jina, and
Vajra is that of Dharmanatha, the 15th Jina, the shell is the cognizance
of Neminatha, the 22nd Jina, elephant of Ajitanatha, the 2nd Jina, goose
of Sumatinatha the 5th Jina, antelope of shantinatha, the 16th Jina and
bull of Rishabhanatha, the 1st Jina. All these would show that the art of
Kankali mound was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of Jainism. ---------------------------------------------
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