Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal
by Shubha Majumder | 2017 | 147,217 words
This page relates 鈥業mages of Tirthankara Padmaprabha鈥� of the study on the Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal based on the fields of Geography, Archaeology, Art and Iconography. Jainism represents a way of life incorporating non-violence and approaches religion from humanitarian viewpoint. Ancient Bengal comprises modern West Bengal and the Republic of Bangladesh, Eastern India. Here, Jainism was allowed to flourish from the pre-Christian times up until the 10th century CE, along with Buddhism.
Images of 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 Padmaprabha
In the Jain iconography he is the sixth 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 and was born in Kausambi. His father name is given in the 艢vetambara text as 艢谤墨诲丑补谤补 and in the Digambara texts as 顿丑补谤补峁嘺. His mother was 厂耻蝉墨尘腻. The red lotus is his cognizance and the kevala tree associated with his is 肠丑补迟谤腻产丑补. He achived 辫补谤颈苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 at the peak of the Mt. Sammeta 艢颈办丑补谤补 (罢谤颈峁峁ａ弓颈艣补濒腻办腻辫耻谤耻峁肠补谤颈迟补, vol. II: 244; 鲍迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 Parva 52; 罢颈濒辞测补辫补峁囜箛补迟迟颈, 4.522: 217). Kusuma and 础肠测耻迟腻 were his 测补办峁 and yak峁Ｄ箛墨 respectively to 艢ve. sect, while they were known as 惭腻迟补峁単补 and 础辫谤补迟颈肠补办谤腻 or Kusuma and 惭补苍辞惫别驳腻 according to the tradition of the Dig. sect (Bhattacharya 1974: 42-43; Shah 1987: 137).
Till today very few images of the 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 Padmaprabha have been reported from different part of Indian subcontinent. In our present study area we have been able to document only two images of this 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 and both are from Purulia (one form Pakbirra and another from Baramoshya).
The Pakbirra specimen is a 肠补耻产颈蝉墨 type of image measuring 66 x 38.5 x 10 cm. and badly damaged. In this image the Jain is in 办腻测辞迟蝉补谤驳补 and 蝉补尘补辫腻诲补蝉迟丑腻苍补办补 postures and stands on a full blown lotus placed on a eka-ratha pedestal. Lotus i.e. the 濒腻帽肠丑补苍补 of this 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 is placed in the centre of the pedestal between the two crouching lions. The edge of the back鈥搒lab is relieved with miniature figures of twenty four 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补s arranged in four vertical rows of three each on either side on the 尘奴濒补-苍腻测补办补. The upper-most row on the dexter side together with a portion of the stele broken away. The miniature Jina figures are badly effaced and mutilated and their cognizences are difficult to recognize.
The Baramoshya specimen is small in size measuring 20 x 9 x 4 cm and badly weathered (Pl.XXIV.E). It is very difficult for us to study the every iconic details of the image though we have able to identify this image as 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 Padmaprabha. In this miniature from of the image the 尘奴濒补-苍腻测补办补 is standing in 办腻测辞迟蝉补谤驳补 posture on a double-petalled lotus placed on a tri-ratha pedestal and the centre of the pedestal contain the stylized lotus i.e. the symbol of this 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补. This is an also a 辫补帽肠补-迟墨谤迟丑颈办补 type of image and some parts of the upper portion of the back鈥搒lab is completely damaged. The Jina is flanked by two bejeweled 肠补耻谤墨产别补谤别谤蝉. On stylistic grounds, these two images can be assigned to a period ranging from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE.