Here Parsvanatha, the 23rd Jain Saviour (‘tirthankara’), stands in the ‘kayotsarga’ posture. Long periods of immobility, with the arms hanging freely from the body, represent one form of severe penance undertaken on the path to liberation.
A ‘naga’ (serpent) protects him with the coils of his body and shelters him with his seven hoods. Parsvanatha is flanked by the attendant minor deities Dharanendra and Padmavati, both holding a goad and noose in their hands. A triple umbrella and fly-whisks evoke Parsvanatha’s regal status. Here he is represented naked, which identifies the image as belonging to the Digambara ('sky-clad') sect of Jainism.
An inscription on the base records that this image was made for a Jain shrine dedicated to Parsvanatha. It was created at Gulbarga when the temple was restored in the 12th century after a period of persecution. It also records the name of the ‘stone engraver’, Chakravarti Paloja, which is rare in Indian sculpture.
The reverse of the back plate is inscribed ‘Parasa-naat’, an anglicised rendition of Parsvanatha’s name, and ‘C.McK 1806’. These initials indicate that this sculpture once formed part of the collection of Colonel Colin McKenzie, the British antiquarian.
Physical description
Parsvanatha, the 23rd Jain Saviour (tirthankara), is standing in the kayotsarga posture, the "setting free" of a body from earthly distractions. A naga protects the saint with the coils of his body and shelters him with his seven hoods. Parsvanatha is flanked by a yaksa Dharanendra and yaksi Padmavati, both holding a goad and noose in their hands. Long periods of immobility, with the arms hanging freely from the body, represent one form of severe penance undertaken on the path to liberation. The proportions of the figure follow iconic convention: the shoulders are broad and the chest is slightly expanded, representing an inner breath. The waist is slim and athletic, with muscular details represented on the abdomen. Parvanath is here represented as a naked, Digambara image. A triple umbrella and fly-whisks evokes the regal status of Parsvanatha. The base bears an inscription in Kanarese recording that this image was made for a Jain shrine dedicated to Parsvanatha at Garsoppa (or, as previously thought, Gulbarga) at the time of the temple's restoration in the 12th century after a period of persecution. It also records the name of the sculptor ("stone engraver"), Chakravarti Paloja, a rare occurrence in Indian sculpture.
Place of Origin
Garsoppa, India (probably, made)
Date
12th century (made)
Artist/maker
Chakravarti Paloja (sculptor)
Materials and Techniques
Black shale
Dimensions
Height: 151 cm, Width: 66 cm, Depth: 28 cm
Object history note
As well as the inscription on the front, the sculpture also bears a second inscription that throws light on another chapter of its history. On the reverse of the back-plate is an anglicized rendition of the deity's name, Parasa-naat, and the mark "C.McK 1806" which would suggest that this sculpture once formed part of the collection of Colonel Colin McKenzie, the British antiquarian whose survey of the Deccan was completed in that year.
Given by Col.MacKenzie.
The sculpture was transferred to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) from the India Museum in 1879. The India Museum slip book entry states that it was received from 'McKenzie' and that it was 'taken from a ruined Busti (or temple) of Gasoppa [Garsoppa] anciently called Yarrum bardgaya [Yarumbaragaya], a town at the foot of the Western Ghats of Canara'. See J. Howes under 'References' for further details concerning the sculpture's inscription and provenance. Dr Howes notes that Garsoppa is now called Jainabastikere.
Descriptive line
Figure of Parsvanatha, black shale, probably Garsoppa, Karnataka, India, 12th century.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
L.D.Barnett, "Inscriptions" in the V & A Museum", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, April 1915 pp. 337-9.
John Guy, in P.Pal (ed.) The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India 1994. p.166.
Guy, John: Indian Temple Sculpture, London : V & A Publications, , 2007. ISBN 971851775095. p.56. pl.57.
Howes, Jennifer. 'The Mackenzie Parsvanath at the V&A: Research in Progress on the British Library’s Mackenzie Collection', SAALG Newsletter, issue 2, pp.3-6.
Howes, Jennifer. Illustrating India : The Early Colonial Investigations of Colin Mackenzie (1784-1821) New Delhi : Oxford University Press, 2010. 269 p., ill. ISBN-13: 978-0-19-806441-1. ISBN-10: 0-19-806441-1. pp. 71-74 and 193.
Labels and date
PARSVANATHA
Black shale
From Gulbarga, Karnataka, Deccan
Western Calukya period, 12th century
Parsvanatha, the 23rd Jain Saviour (tirthankara), is standing in the kayotsarga posture, the "setting free" of a body from earthly distractions. A naga protects the saint with the coils of his body and shelters him with his seven hoods. Parsvanatha is flanked by a yaksa Dharanendra and yaksi Padmavati, both holding a goad and noose in their hands. The base bears an inscription in Kanarese recording that this image was made for a Jain shrine dedicated to Parsvanatha at Gulbarga at the time of the temple's restoration in the 12th century after a period of persecution. It also records the name of the sculptor ("stone engraver"), Chakravarti Paloja, a rare occurrence in Indian sculpture.
931(IS) [1988]
Production Note
Karnataka, India. Formerly thought to have come from Gulbarga (Deccan) but this may have been due to a misreading of the inscription.
Subjects depicted
Snake; Jain; Umbrella; Fly whisk; Noose; Parsvanatha (Tirthankara); Dharanendra; Goad; Padmavati
Categories
Sculpture; Religion
Collection code
SSEA
