Jivantasvami

The Jivantasvami images represent Lord Mahavira (and in some cases other Tirthankaras) as a prince, with a crown and ornaments. The Jina is represented as standing in the kayotsarga pose.[1] Jivantasvami images have been used only in the Shvetambara Jain tradition, they are unknown in the Digambara tradition.

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Description

The earliest reference to the Jivantasvami images is found in the later commentaries on the Shvetambara Jain Agamas (c.mid 6th century AD onwards), Vasudevahindi of Samghadasagani(c. mid 6th century CE) the Avashyakachurni (c. 625 CE) the Avashyakavritti of Haribhadra Suri(c. 750 CE) and the Trishashtishalakapurushacharita of Hemachandra (c. 1169-72 CE). [2] These mention the existence of Jivantasvami images at Ujjain, Dashapura (Mandsaur), Vidisha, Vitabhayapattana, Puri and Koshala.[3]

According to Hemachandra, the original image was made by god Vidyunmali, carved in sandalwood, during the time Lord Mahavira was still a prince.[4] According to the legend of the queen of Udayana of Vitabhaya worshipped this image. This image was eventually installed at Vidisha, but was eventually lost.

The best known images of Jivantasvami were found in the Akota Hoard, and are widely mentioned examples of the early western Indian school of art. One of them is specifically inscribed as Jivantsvami installed by Nagisvari, which represents early phase of the Gupta style.[5] The images were dug out sometime before June 1951. A University of Baroda professor brought five of them to archaeologist U.P. Shah for examination. U.P. Shat eventually purchased most of the images from local individuals and presented them to M.S. University, which are now in the Baroda Museum.

Other tirthankaras including Rishabhnath (1st Jina), Shantinath (16th Jina), Munisuvrata (20th Jina) and Parshvanatha (23rd Jina ), were also sometimes represented in the form of Jivantasvami.[6][7]

Museums

The two famous Jivantasvami images along with the rest of the Akota Hoard bronzes are in the Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery.[1]

See also

References

Citation
  1. Shah 1995, p. 15.
  2. JIVANTASVAMI IMAGES A STUDY IN CONCEPT AND ICONOGRAPHY, MARUTI NANDAN TIWARI, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 54 (1993), pp. 847-856
  3. Shah 1995, p. 16.
  4. Shah 1987, p. 35.
  5. Akota Bronzes, Bombay State Board for Historical Records and Ancient Monuments, Archaeological Series. no. 1. Umakant Premanand SHAH, 1959, p. 26-27
  6. Shah 1987, p. 163.
  7. U.P. Shah, Akota Bronze, Bombay, 1959, p 26; Idem 'More Images of Jivantasvami', Jr. Indian Museum xi 1955,

Source
  • Shah, Umakant Premanand (1995), Studies in Jaina Art and Iconography and Allied Subjects in Honour of Dr. U.P. Shah, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 9788170173168
  • Shah, Umakant Premanand (1987), Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana: Jaina iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-208-6 }}
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