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10. Pushpadanta India, Tamil Nadu 11th century Granite height 77 cm. |
Jainism has been continuously practiced since the eight century BC, and with Buddhism and Hinduism is one of the three major world religions to have emerged in India. Jains believe that an immortal and indestructible soul (jiva) resides within every living being. They worship a group of 24 Jinas, also known as Tirthankaras. Every Jain aims for liberation from the cycle of rebirth conditioned by individual karma. The Jain community split into two traditions, the Svetambaras and the Digambaras. The Svetambaras, or ‘white-clad’, maintained that a monk could wear robes. The Digambaras held that all possessions, by fostering attachment to the world, are a hindrance to liberation and that the true monk should go naked. In the realm of art, the Jinas of this latter sect are represented as unclothed, reflecting the meaning of Digambara – ‘sky-clad’. The present Jina represents Pushpadanta, the ninth Tirthankara whose cognizance is the makara, the mythical animal shown in the nimbus on either side of his head. The Jina is seated in ardhaparyankasana, one foot on top of the other, both soles turned upwards, with his hands in dhyanimudra, the gesture of meditative contemplation. The figure’s nakedness confirms a Digambara affiliation. Large curls cover his head, which lacks an ushnisa-like protuberance, a typical early south Indian characteristic, as is the absence of the srivatsa mark on the chest. Also noteworthy are the Jina’s beautiful rectangular throne and the makara nimbus topped by a triple umbrella. From the third to the fourteenth century the Digambara communities of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu flourished and founded a large number of temples and shrines. They benefited from the support of the powerful Rashtrakuta dynasty that held sway in the region from the eighth to the eleventh centuries. Their best known patron was Amoghavarsha I, who ruled in the ninth century. He is believed to have written the moral treatise Parsnottara-Ratna-Malika, one of the fundaments and basics of Jainism. The present image is comparable with Jina sculptures in Thyaganur, in northern Tamil Nadu, and with examples known from Tuticorin. It is typically carved from granite and displays the vigour of the Chola style. This image of a Digambara Jina must once have graced an important shrine. Portrayed with imaginative splendour and beautiful abstract physical realization, it is among the classic sculptures known in western collections. The lively body shapes are depicted with fine volumes and pure lines, enhancing the spiritual presence of this Jina. The saint’s ascetic character receives added emphasis by the facial expression, which conveys the inner calm induced by deep meditation. Provenance: Private collection, USA. Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00017588. C. Sivaramamurti, Panorama of Jain Art, 1982, fig. 9 and fig. 62. P. Pal, The Peaceful Liberators. Jain Art from India, catalogue, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1995, fig. 49. Dr. R. Kannan & K. Laksminarayanan, Iconography of the Jain Images in the Government Museum Chennai-Madras, Vol. XVI, 2001, p.71, fig. 37 and fig. 40 |