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BRUHN KHAJURAHO
Garbhagrha
The reader may himself compare the dikpālas on the garbhagṛha with the dikpálas on the mandapa. It is noteworthy that in some cases, it seems, padma and sarpa correspond to each other. Compare I 21(g.) and II 6 (m.), I 131 and IV 10', III 111 and XI 21.
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Indra and Iśāna, the guardians of the eastern and north-eastern direction-and the two Śivas above them-are placed transversely (ie. on the side wall of the projection for the following/preceding figure) so that they face the proper direction.
Niches and Lintels
The figures identified as Brahmāņi: According to my information no yakṣi has three heads, whereas tradition ascribes three or more heads to several yaksas.
The second figure described under C b. and identified as Sarasvati: I read the mutilated vahana as hamsa because I found the same animal as vahana of Brahma (and his consort) on a slab of the Siva temple at Chandpur (from Dhaura Station, Bina-Jhansi Line).
CONCLUSIONS
§1. Cunningham identified many of the figures on the Jaina temples more or less hesitatingly as brahmanical (ASI Reports Vol. X p. 17 on Ghanțai temple "probably brahmanical", Vol. II p. 432 on two smaller Jaina temples "figure which looks like Laksmi", ibid. on Pārsvanätha temple "amongst which [statues] I recognized several of the brahmanical gods"). In Burnier's work 'Hindu Medieval Sculpture', however, the figures are simply called by the names of the brahmanical models. We shall see that the iconography of the Parsvanatha temple is not brahmanical strictly speaking but highly influenced by brahmanical iconography. This solution almost suggests itself, but it is necessary to support it by such evidence which only a systematical analysis can give. The analysis has possibly also some general interest because investigations of this kind are comparatively rare.
Jain Education International
§2. The interpretation of figures other than tirthamkaras presents many difficulties. The artists were not bound to follow exactly the rules of the texts in the representation of yaksas, yakṣinis, etc. Art and theory influenced each other, and there was no one-sided dependence. What renders the books even more inapplicable is the stress laid upon features
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