Dikpālas type of Mahāvīra Sculpture

[Full title: Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra (5): Dikpālas type of Mahāvīra Sculpture]

An unique and exceptional image of Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra (Pl.XXXV.B) from Palma, Purulia District of West Bengal, now housed in the collections of Museum of Indian Art, Berlin (Grünwedel 1909: 56-7; Picron 1998: 100; Mevissen 2001:15).

The uniqueness of this image is the presence of eight Dikpālas on the rectangular back-slab of this Jina. In this image mūla-nāyaka stnding in the kāyotsarga posture on a double-petalled lotus-pedestal placed on a sapta-ratha pedestal. The lion lāñchana of the Tīrthaṅkara is neatly carved in the central projection of the pedestal, while two crouching lions occupy the adjoining rathas. Jina is attended by two male caurī bearers wearing lower garments and different ornaments. They stand in ābhaṅga posture on pedestals and their left hands are in kaṭyāvalambita posture while the right hands hold fly-whisks. Three human devotees kneel behind these servants, offering their worship to the Jina. The mūla-nāyaka obviously devoid of any worldly attire, has elongated ear-lobes which are partially damaged and the matted locks of hair has a pronounced uṣṇiṣa. The hands of the Jina simply hang down. An ovoidal prabhā is embellished with beads and flame-tongued border devices and has a flowering twig on its either side. Above the śiraścakra is the depiction of a tri-linear chatra flanked by two vidyādharas holding long garlands besides the divine hands playing on the drum and cymbals. The back throne of the image consists of posts decorated with mouldings and criss-cross scratched pilasters, supporting a horizontal cross-bar with lightly incised square rhizomes at its ends, above which there are triangular fleurons.

On the projected part of the back-slab there are eight Dikpālas, recognizable through their respective vehicles, arranged in a vertical row of four on either side of the Jina. On the proper right side of the Jina, from bottom to top we can identify: Kubera (north) pot-bellied and offering perhaps a fruit in the lower left hand, Varuṇa (west) seated on a makara and protected by a triple snake-hood, Yama (south) riding the buffalo and presenting the club or daṇḍa in the right hand and Indra (east) riding the elephant with perhaps the vajra in the raised hand. Facing them, we see: Īśāna (northeast) on the bull, armed with the triśūla, Vāyu (north-west) on the deer, holding the banner in the left hand, Nirṛti (south-west) armed with a club-like object and seated astride an animal which could be a dog or a donkey, Agni (south-east) on the ram and surrounded by flames. The image measures 92 x 43.5 x 14 cm.