Parsvanatha

Description

This sculpture depicts the twenty-third Jaina tirthankara, Parsvanath in the kayotsarga posture. Unlike his regular depiction with a snake canopy, here he is placed under a regular canopy with a modest prabhamandala. One also finds two elephants supporting this canopy on top. This is likely Digambara iconography, since it also features the Jaina snake-god Dhranendra. Other tirthankaras are also shown in a meditative posture in the background. Devotees are placed near the feet of Parsvanath to indicate his religiosity in the Jaina canon. Absent here, but generally found otherwise is also the use of Hindu icons- of deities, yakshas etc.- in order to show their subservience and devotion to Parsvanath. This intermixing of iconography and idioms across traditions was also characteristic of the period.