Mahavira: An Epic of Serenity in Sculpture – Part 2

Summary

The second part of the article continues Dasgupta’s survey of Jain art by tracing how Mahavira’s image evolved from the Kushan era through the early medieval period. In addition to the canonical features outlined earlier – nudity, lotus or standing posture, lowered eyes, śrīvatsa and triple umbrella – later sculptures reveal regional variations in style. At Mathura, artists of the second and third centuries CE carved robust seated Jinas with broad shoulders and heavy torsos; the voluminous drapery and flowing locks reflect the influence of the Kushan court. In the Gupta period the emphasis shifts to slender, idealised figures with sharply defined features and subtle modelling. Stone images from the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves in Odisha and from western Deccan caves such as Ellora show Mahavira seated in meditation surrounded by attendants and ornamental arches. The author notes that the sculptor’s aim was not naturalistic likeness but an expression of spiritual repose. The plates reproduced in this section illustrate examples from museums and archaeological collections around India. Plate I shows a finely carved ayagapatta from Kankali Tila at Mathura with a central Jina surrounded by smaller figures and symbols. Plates II and III depict fragments of cross‑bars from the Bharhut stupa where early Indian artists portrayed the preceding Tirthankaras on railing medallions. Plates IV to X present Mathura sculptures ranging from a second‑century standing Jina with schematic anatomical details to a fourth‑century seated figure with elegantly looped hair, as well as a rare image of Mahavira attended by lions and celestial musicians. Plates XI to XVI include reliefs from western India and Bihar where the Jina is shown with multi‑hooded serpent canopies, linking Mahavira iconography to that of Pārśvanātha. Dasgupta points out that although later artists introduced elaborate backgrounds, ornamented thrones and attendant deities, the central figure of Mahavira remains unchanged: his elongated ears recall royal origins; the absence of jewellery symbolises renunciation; and his meditative gaze conveys inner tranquillity. By comparing sculptures from different periods, the article highlights the continuity of iconographic conventions alongside the emergence of distinctive regional aesthetics. Mathura works emphasise physical presence; eastern Indian (Pāla) images are more slender and stylised, often carved in chlorite; while south‑Indian bronze casters created dynamic yet balanced figures with fluid lines. Through these examples the article demonstrates how Jain artists from the Kushan through early medieval periods visualised the “epic of serenity” using local materials and styles while remaining faithful to the spiritual essence of Mahavira.