Jaina Tirthankara Parshvanatha with Serpent Hood Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)
by Unknown Artist, 1101
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1101
- Medium
- Chlorite
- Size
- 87.7 × 72.4 × 23.5 cm (34 1/2 × 28 1/2 × 9 1/4 in.)
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This 12th-century chlorite sculpture from Karnataka, South India, shows Parshvanatha, the 23rd Jain tirthankara, seated in meditation beneath a serpent hood. It's a larger version (about 34 by 28 inches) of the same iconographic type found in the museum's 6th-century sandstone example. The seven-headed serpent hood is Parshvanatha's distinctive attribute, distinguishing him from other tirthankaras who are otherwise visually identical.
According to Jain legend, during meditation a serpent god named Dharanendra held a canopy of hoods over Parshvanatha while goddess Padmavati coiled around his body, protecting him from rain sent by the demon Kamath. The serpent had been saved by Parshvanatha in a previous life. Chlorite, a green-black metamorphic stone, was commonly used for Jain sculpture in Karnataka. The piece is at the Art Institute of Chicago.
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About Jaina Tirthankara Parshvanatha with Serpent Hood Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)
It represents divine protection. A serpent Parshvanatha saved in a previous life was reborn as Dharanendra, lord of the nagas, and returned the favor by sheltering the tirthankara from a demon's storm during meditation.
Tirthankaras are visually identical in seated meditation. Each is distinguished by specific symbols: Parshvanatha always has the serpent hood, Rishabha (the first) has a bull, Mahavira (the 24th) has a lion, and so on.
A green-black metamorphic stone commonly used for sculpture in Karnataka, South India. Its workability and durability made it ideal for detailed religious carvings. Jain sculptors in this region developed refined techniques for working it.
At the Art Institute of Chicago. About 34 by 28 inches in chlorite, from Karnataka.
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