Parsvanatha ayagapata

The Pārśvanātha āyāgapaṭa, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali (area of Mathura) which has an image of Parshvanatha, dating back to reign Sodasa, of Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap, the ruler Sodasa in Mathura. The tablet in the State Museum Lucknow (room J.253). It is an important example of Mathura art.

Pārśvanātha Āyāgapaṭa
Pārśvanātha āyāgapaṭa, a tablet of homage to Parshvanatha, the 23th Tirthankara of Jainism
Type	Ayagapata
Material	Red sandstone
Size	86 by 94 centimetres (34 by 37 in)
Created	circa 15 CE
Period/culture	Northern Satraps
Discovered	January 1891 27°36′00″N 77°39′00″E
Place	Kankali Tila, Mathura, India.
Present location	State Museum Lucknow
Classification	Jain art
Kankali Tila, Mathura, (Discovery)

Description

Image of Parshvanatha flanked by two monks in the centre of ayagapata

This votive tablet, which is essentially an ayagapata, though not so called, represents an image of Parshvanatha in the center surrounded by a bunches of lotus. Parshvanatha is depicted in lotus position seated on a pedestal with a seven-hooded sesha hood above his head. The iconography flanked by two ardhaphalaka monks with colapatta draped over left arms, with their hands in añjali mudrā. Similar to Dhanamitra ayagapata, Parshvanatha is in dhyāna mudrā with ankle crossed in padmasana position and shrivatsa on the chest. The moulding of sawtooth design below the pedestal on which Jina is seated is considered to be a version of Mount Meru type of pedestal, which underscores Jina seated on the axis of the world.

Surrounding the central circle in a larger concentric ring with four nandavarta, between each interstice of nandavarta is a half-opened lotus flanked by two smaller buds. In four spandrels there are carvings of different motifs namely an elephant frolicking with lotuses, a seated lion, honeysuckle, and rearing gryphons with lotus in their mouth. There is a carving of a grapevine growing out of a pot at the median on the left border.

Inscription

The inscription at the base is much mutilated. The characters are of an archaic type before the Kushan era. What is left of the record reads as follows:

Namo arahaňtânâ Sivagho[shaka] sa bhari[yá] ... nâ ... nâ

"Adoration to the Arhats! .... the wife of Sivaghoshaka ...."

— Inscription of the Parsvanatha ayagapata (Translation by Alois Anton Führer)

Date

The Parsvanatha ayagapata was originally dated back to 1st century BCE by Bühler. However, was later identified by Quintanilla to be datable to c. 15 CE during the reign Sodasa, of Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap, the ruler Sodasa in Mathura.

See also

• Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
• Jain stupa
• Lohanipur torso

References

Sources

• Burgess, James; Führer, A. (1894). Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 2. Calcutta: Superintendent, Government Press.
• Mishra, P. K. (1999). Studies in Hindu and Buddhist Art. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170173687.
• Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: Jaina iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-208-6
• Sethia, Tara (2004). Ahimsā, Anekānta, and Jainism. Lala Sunder Lal Jain research series. Vol. 21. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9788120820364.
• Smith, Vincent A. (1901). Jain Stupa and other antiquitie (PDF). Vol. 20. Allahabad: Superintendent, Government Press.
• Obbink, Hendrik Willem (1949). Orientalia Rheno-traiectina. Vol. 2. Brill Publishers.
• Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2007). History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004155374.
• Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2000). "Āyāgapaṭas: Characteristics, Symbolism, and Chronology". Artibus Asiae. 60 (1): 79–137. doi:10.2307/3249941. JSTOR 3249941. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
• Vyas, R. T.; Shah, Umakant Premanand (1995). Studies in Jaina Art and Iconography and Allied Subjects in Honour of Dr. U.P. Shah. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170173168.

External links

Media related to Parsvanatha ayagapata at Wikimedia Commons