Jivantasvami images represent the Jain Tirthankara

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

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

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 Aacharya Haribhadra Suri was a Svetambara mendicant Jain leader, philosopher , doxographer, and author. There are multiple contradictory dates assigned to his birth. According to tradition, he lived c. 459–529 CE. However, in 1919, a Jain m ...

(c. 750 CE) and the Trishashtishalakapurushacharita of Hemachandra (c. 1169-72 CE). These mention the existence of Jivantasvami images at

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...

, Dashapura (

Mandsaur Mandsaur is a city and a municipality in Mandsaur district located on Border of Mewar and Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers ...

), Vidisha, Vitabhayapattana, Puri and

Koshala The Kingdom of Kosala (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian kingdom with a rich culture, corresponding to the area within the region of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh to Western Odisha. It emerged as a small state during the late Vedic perio ...

Mahavira Jain temple, Osian The Mahavira Jain temple is built in Osian of Jodhpur District, Rajasthan. The temple is an important pilgrimage of the Oswal Jain community. This temple is the oldest surviving Jain temple in Western India and was built during the reign of Mah� ...

houses three Jivantasvami images inside temple. Two of these idols are identical, with one having inscription dated 1044 C.E. that identifies the idol to be of

Rishabhanatha Rishabhanatha, also ( sa, ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku is the first (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain c ...

. According to Hemachandra, the original image was made by god Vidyunmali, carved in sandalwood, during the time Lord Mahavira was still a prince. 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 The Akota Bronzes represent a rare and important set of 68 Jain images, dating to between the 6th and 12th centuries AD, which were found in the vicinity of Akota near Baroda in the Indian state of Gujarat. It includes rare Gupta period bronzes t ...

, 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. 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 The Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery in Vadodara was built in 1894 on the lines of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum of London. Major Mant in association with R.F. Chisholm who refined some of Mant's finest works to make genuin ...

. Two Mahavira Jivantasvami idols at Baroda Museum are dateable to 6th century. Other tirthankaras including

Rishabhnath Rishabhanatha, also ( sa, ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku is the first (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain c ...

(1st Jina), Sumatinatha (5th Jina), Chandraprabha (8th Jina),

Shitalanatha Shitalanatha was the tenth tirthankara of the present age according to Jainism. According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Jains believe Shitalanatha was born to King Dradhrath and Quee ...

(10th Jina), Shantinath (16th Jina), Munisuvrata (20th Jina) and

Parshvanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...

(23rd Jina), were also sometimes represented in the form of Jivantasvami.U.P. Shah, Akota Bronze, Bombay, 1959, p 26; Idem 'More Images of Jivantasvami', Jr. Indian Museum xi 1955

Museums

The two famous Jivantasvami images along with the rest of the

bronzes are in the

Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery The Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery in Vadodara was built in 1894 on the lines of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum of London. Major Mant in association with R.F. Chisholm who refined some of Mant's finest works to make genuin ...

References

Citation

Source

* * * * *

External links