Tirthankara Red Sandstone Northern India

This powerfully modeled sculpture, in the form of a stele, originally formed part of the architectural scheme of a Jain temple, and represents the full nude image of a Jain Tirthankara, or Jina, of the Digambara sect, and possibly depicts Mahavira, the historical founder of Jainism (560-480 B.C.E.). The figure, carved from hard stone of a deep red color, stands in a rigid frontal pose with arms extended straight down at the sides of the body, an inflexible attitude characterizing kayostarga, 'dedication of the body,' the ascetic pose of meditation for Tirthankaras in Jain sculpture. He has massive shoulders and a slender waist and bears the srivasta or sacred mark, a lozenge-shaped motif carved in relief, in the center of his chest, a distinguishing symbol of Jain figures. His ear-lobes are extended, his head is covered with short curly hair and large discs decorated with lotus flowers are held in the palm of each hand.  The form is not “realistic” but the legs, arms and other parts of the body have been simplified to their essential forms of cylinders and broad planes. Diminutive male attendants, partially clad in dhotis and wearing earrings and bracelets, stand at his feet and hold fly whisks in their raised hands. Covering the head of the Jina is a three-tiered chattra, an umbrella canopy and symbol of royal rank, surmounted by a finial with an elephant kneeling and worshipping it on either side. This motif refers to primitive caitya worship in India or the worship of sacred trees or grove of trees. Beneath them are two rectangular panels containing gandharvas, or celestial garland bearers, represented in flight.

Brummer Galleries, New York, 1933.

"Jain Figure Goes to Buffalo," Art News, July 1933, p. 14
Alvan C. Eastman, “A Jina Image of the Gupta Dynasty,” Parnassus, March 1934, p. 20
The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery, Andrew C. Ritchie (ed.) Catalogue of the Paintings and Sculpture in the Permanent Collection, Buffalo, 1949, pp. 152-153, Cat. 74

Jinas are depicted in only two poses; kayostarga, standing, or dhyani, seated in meditation, and due to the identical poses and expressions they are distinguished mainly by their vahanas, or vehicles, appearing at the feet of the figures or carved on to the pedestals. In this example the pedestal is missing and therefore exact identification of the Jina is not possible however Mahavira is the most commonly represented of the Tirthankaras in the kayostarga attitude.

The earliest extant Jain images date to the first century C.E. and were created in the area around Mathura, the centre of much religious activity. Jainism is India’s third great ancient religion and was founded contemporaneously with Buddhism from which it differed by its advocating the attainment of a spiritual life through extreme asceticism. This may account for the conventional depiction of Tirthankaras in a rigid frontal pose. The term Jina, meaning “Conqueror” or “Victor of over Life” is applied to one who, like the Buddha, has attained perfect knowledge. Tirthankara meaning “He who has crossed the Ford” of rebirth and attained perfect freedom, is equivalent to Jina. In many respects, and more particularly in the seated poses, the Jina figure has many parallels to the Buddha image with the exception that, among the Digambara sect of Jains, the figure is always nude and the chest bears the srivasta. The hair is curled like that of the Buddha though the usnisha, or wisdom protuberance, on the head is absent. That the Jains borrowed freely elements from the iconography of Buddhism is particularly evident in the animal worship of the chattra. Similar worship by elephants of caitya trees appear in several of the Buddhist reliefs at Bharhut, Bodhgaya and other early sites. Its origins are found in primitive religious cults in India in which certain trees were thought to be inhabited by yaksas or nature spirits who could be appeased or induced by devotions to assist mankind and both Buddhist and Jain texts refer to this ancient practice. The bearing of garland offerings to the deity or saint by gandharvas is seen in both Buddhist and Jain art. The concept was probably introduced to Jain imagery after its appearance on Buddhist monuments and sculptures.

The nudity of Jain saints was a practice of both asceticism and their belief in non-possession, dating back to the days of Mahavira. However a schism arose in around 79 C.E., extensively recorded in their literature, about what constitutes total renunciation. At the time Jain monks separated into rival factions, the Digambaras “clothed with the sky” or nude and the Svetambaras, “clothed with white”, who partially clad themselves with white cloth. According to inscriptions the Svetambaras worshipped the nude image without objection and for both sects the Jinas and the saint Bahubali are represented naked while all other deities are clothed and even ornamented.

This sculpture not only possibly represents Mahavira but more, it symbolizes man disregarding the material world and his animal nature.  The figure is a human being transformed into a god-like state and the worship of it is not a two way interaction but a meditation, where the deity is not expected to grant favors but rather to exemplify a state of being attainable by all.