Proceedings and papers of National Seminar on Jainology

Author(s): Yugalkishor Mishra
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin No. 8
innumerable varieties. It is not possible to deal with all iconomorphic varieties, fashioned as per various iconographic texts in this brief communication. Nevertheless we propose to depict at least one graha say, Śani to have a comparative idea of the state of affairs prevalent in this regard:
Serial
Text
Symbol
Vehicle
Axe
Tortoise
3 fold thread Rod Danda
Tortoise
Acara (Svetambara) Pratistha (Digambara) Nispanna Yogavati (Buddhist) Agni Purara (Brahmanical) Visnudharmottara (Brahamanical) Silpa (Brahamanical)
Girdle of Bells Staff and Rosary Staff and Varadamudrā
Black Chariot Chariotic Shorso Lotus
Tiwary points out that the basic structure of the Jaina Pantheon is supposed to have developed by the end of 5th Century AD. But we shall presently see that the Navagraha panels find a place only in the developed pantheon in early medieval period. In fact, the detailed description of the iconographic features sarted in the Jaina texts from the 8th to the 12th century AD.
Quite a good number of planetary panels (either in 8th or 9th seriatum) are depicted in relation to Jaina icons of temples in different parts of Gujrat (Kathiawar peninsula), Rajputana, Central India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa. From that reckoning the Navagraha Jaina art possesses a pan-Indian dimension. For example, on the throne of the Lilvadeva temple, Panch Mahal, Gujrat, we find the panel along with Ambika Yaksi. It belongs to the 10th century AD. In Khajuraho Digambara temple of Parsvanath, in Devagadh Digambara temple of Santinātha and in Khanerao Svetambara temple of Mahavira, we come across Navagraha panels belonging to the 10th century. In Mathura museum we find a panel of Astagrahas by the side of the main deity i.e. Vrsabha. This panel belongs to the 11th century AD. In Aluara (Bankura, Bengal), 5 icons of Mahavira have been recovered. In one of them, one can notice Navagraha panel. All these images belong to 10th-11th century AD. In this connection, one refers to dancing Navagrahas fastened in the lower-most pedestal of a Santinātha image preserved in Fyzabad Museum.