Beginnings of Jaina Iconography

Summary

U. P. Shah’s detailed study “Beginnings of Jaina Iconography” examines how image worship and iconographic conventions developed in Jainism. He notes that prehistoric sites provide no definite Jain remains, but Jaina tradition holds that portrait statues of Mahavira were created during his lifetime, with the famous sandalwood Jivantavasami statue being paraded in Vidisa. The article explains that the earliest Jain image known from the Harappan culture is a red stone statuette; however, clear archaeological evidence emerges only in the Mauryan period when the grandson of Asoka, Samprati, supported image worship and bronze statues of Jivantavasami were produced. Shah argues that these early Tirthankara images were influenced by indigenous yaksa cults and Buddhist art, and he suggests that the image of the Jina originated as a cult object associated with an enlightened teacher rather than a god. Much of the essay traces how textual sources such as the Kalpa-sutra, Samavayanga, Acaranga, and Avasyaka-niryukti gradually enumerated the twenty‑four Tirthankaras and eventually assigned them individual cognizances (lanchanas), colours and yaksa‑yakshini attendants. Early Jain sculptures from Mathura show that only a few Jinas were worshipped in the Kushana period and that their icons lacked the complex parikara found later. The author reviews the eight mahapratiharyas such as the Ashoka tree, halo, lion throne and divine umbrella that became standard features of Jina images towards the Gupta age. He explains how post‑Gupta works gradually elaborated the iconography by adding cognizances, attendant couples, multi‑armed yakshis and mythological scenes. Shah also devotes sections to the worship of the five Supreme Ones, to the salakapurusas—63 great personages—and to the classification of deities adopted from earlier popular cults. He discusses Kulakaras, Indra, Skanda, Sarasvati and Lakshmi, showing how ancient Indian deities were reinterpreted as Jain auxiliary gods. The article concludes by examining yaksa and yakshini pairs such as Ambika, Padmavati, Cakresvari and Siddhayika, tracing their evolution from early prototypes to elaborately attired goddesses in medieval Jain art. Through this comprehensive survey of texts, archaeology and sculpture, Shah demonstrates that Jaina iconography did not emerge suddenly but evolved gradually through centuries of interaction with broader religious currents, local cults and doctrinal developments.