Jaina Iconography

SR No.: 011018
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: B Bhattacharya
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 247
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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Jaina Iconography
Some single figures of the deity may be noticed rarely. The corpulent belly, club and purse guide us to identify such figures. The number of hands is irregular but it is cither two or four. The miniature figure of a Jina on the head-dress makes any such figure a Jaina onc.!
Except in one feature namely being the urcasurer of Indra instead of Siva, the Jaina Kubera varies nowise from the Brāhmaņic Kubera. The symbols of gems, club and the vehicle of a man are common to the conception of the two religions. The fact of his being the treasurer of Indra or Sakra instead of Siva is due to the superiority, which the former god receives both in Jainism and Buddhism to the latter. We find a Kubera Yaksa among the attendent spirits of the Jinas but he rides an clephant although he holds a clul) and cilrus as becoming of the king of Yaksas. There is another Yaksa named Gomedha, who, like Kubera, rides on a man and bears one or two of his attributes as met with in the Buddhist Kubera. It may be interesting to note here that to ride on a man or a Vimāna (Puspaka) a kind of palanquin is a custom much in vogue in the Himālayan regions, of which Kailāsa was a part.
Išūna
He, the Guardian-god of the North-east quarters is to be represented according to the Svetambara texts as riding a bull (joined by Umā), holding a bow and trident. He also bears matted hair and snakes on his person,2 The Digambara books
1. The standing image of Kubera from Choma Kher in the Mathura
Aluseum has two hands with a club and a purse. A figure from Nimthur, Gwalior State, No. 40/1974 is by appearance of Kubera. It has a Jina
miniature above the head-dress, 2. ईशानं धवलवर्णं वृषभवाहनं त्रिनेत्रं शूलपाणि ।
Nirrāņakalikā (Agra. MSS). C. JATHAFT QTHaecat selffitat a forafaaly: 1 fargefa: प्रमथाधिनाथो गृह्णातु दुग्धान्नमिदं ससपि । ओं ईशानवास्तुदेवाय.
īcāradinakara, Pūjāridhi. Again. श्वेतवर्णो वृषभवाहनो नीललोहितवस्त्रः चतुर्भुजः जयभृतशूलचापभृतकरद्वयेनाञ्जलिकश्च . . .
Ācāradinakara , Pratisthākalpa.