Images of Tīrthaṅkara Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta

Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta, the ninth Tīrthaṅkara in Jain ideology, was born in the city of Kākandī in Bihar. His father was king Sugrīva and mother Mahādevī (Dig.) or Rāmā (Śve.) (Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita, vol. III: 7; Uttarapurāṇa Parva 55). While he was still in embryo, his mother became adept in all rites and arts (Sunidhi-kuśala) and because a tooth appeared from a pregnancy wish for flowers, his parents gave him two names: Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta (Shah 1987: 144). There are controversies regarding the identification of the kevalajñāna tree of this Tīrthaṅkara. According to the Digambara text Uttarapurāṇa Tīrthaṅkara Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta obtain his kevalajñāna under the Nāga tree (ibid). His Yakṣa and Yakṣī are named Ajita and Sutāri Devī. Crocodile is the lāñchana of this Tīrthaṅkara and he obtained nirvāṇa on Sameta-Śikhara.

Images of the Jina are not so common and the earliest image of this ninth Tīrthaṅkara so far discovered dates from the fourth century CE. This image is installed by Mahārājādhirāja Rāmagupta. The pedestal of the Jain is without any lāñchana and this image is identified with the help of the inscription of the pedestal (ibid.,: 145). Only feet portion of an image of Tīrthaṅkara Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta is noticed from the site Pakbirra (Bhattacharyya, Mitra & Bhowmick 1986: 146). Unfortunately, the whole image could not be recovered though the extant portion, however, is beautifully executed. In this image the central projection of the pedestal has the figure of a makara, lāñchana of the Tīrthaṅkara Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta. This fragment is placed on a square architectural fragment. The remaining portion is measures 34 cm x 38 cm x 22 cm (Pl.XXVI.D).