Parsvanatha ayagapata

Pārśvanātha Āyāgapaṭa
Pārśvanātha āyāgapaṭa, a tablet of homage to Parshvanatha, the 23th Tirthankara of Jainism
Type	Ayagapata
Material	Red sandstone
Size	86 by 94 centimetres (34 by 37 in)
Created	circa 15 CE
Period/culture	Northern Satraps
Discovered	January 1891 27°36′00″N 77°39′00″E
Place	Kankali Tila, Mathura, India.
Present location	State Museum Lucknow
Classification	Jain art
Kankali Tila, Mathura, (Discovery)

The Pārśvanātha āyāgapaṭa, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali (area of Mathura) which has an image of Parshvanatha, dating back to reign Sodasa, of Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap, the ruler Sodasa in Mathura.^[1] The tablet in the State Museum Lucknow (room J.253).^[2][3] It is an important example of Mathura art.

This votive tablet, which is essentially an ayagapata, though not so called, represents an image of Parshvanatha in the center surrounded by a bunches of lotus.^[4] Parshvanatha is depicted in lotus position seated on a pedestal with a seven-hooded sesha hood above his head.^[5] The iconography flanked by two ardhaphalaka monks with colapatta draped over left arms, with their hands in añjali mudrā.^[6][7] Similar to Dhanamitra ayagapata, Parshvanatha is in dhyāna mudrā with ankle crossed in padmasana position and shrivatsa on the chest.^[8][9] The moulding of sawtooth design below the pedestal on which Jina is seated is considered to be a version of Mount Meru type of pedestal, which underscores Jina seated on the axis of the world.^[10]

Surrounding the central circle in a larger concentric ring with four nandavarta, between each interstice of nandavarta is a half-opened lotus flanked by two smaller buds. In four spandrels there are carvings of different motifs namely an elephant frolicking with lotuses, a seated lion, honeysuckle, and rearing gryphons with lotus in their mouth. There is a carving of a grapevine growing out of a pot at the median on the left border.^[10]

The inscription at the base is much mutilated. The characters are of an archaic type before the Kushan era.^[5] What is left of the record reads as follows:

Namo arahaňtânâ Sivagho[shaka] sa bhari[yá] ... nâ ... nâ

"Adoration to the Arhats! .... the wife of Sivaghoshaka ...."

— Inscription of the Parsvanatha ayagapata (Translation by Alois Anton Führer)^[11]

The Parsvanatha ayagapata was originally dated back to 1st century BCE by Bühler.^[12] However, was later identified by Quintanilla to be datable to c. 15 CE during the reign Sodasa, of Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap, the ruler Sodasa in Mathura.^[1][3][13]

• Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
• Jain stupa
• Lohanipur torso

Media related to Parsvanatha ayagapata at Wikimedia Commons