Towers
There is evidence to show
that apart from pillars the Jainas. especially from northern India,
constructed a great number of beautiful towers dedicated to their
Tirthankaras. There is such a tower which is still adorning Chittor in
Mewar (Rajasthan) and it is considered as one of the best preserved
monuments in India. This Jaina Tower at Chittor is a singularly elegant
specimen of its class, about 75 feet in height and adorned with sculpture
and moldings from the base to the summit. The Tower was constructed in the
12th century and was dedicated to Adinatha, the first of the Jaina
Tirthankaras, and nude figures of them are repeated some hundreds of times
on the face of the Tower.
Sculpture
The innumerable specimens
of Jaina sculpture found in practically all parts of India show that the
Jainas enlisted the services of sculptors from very ancient times. Their
most common form of sculpture up to this day is modeling of images or
statues of their Tirthankaras. But in giving shape to these figures no
scope at all was given for the free play of imagination of individual
sculptors as regular rules regarding the form and pose of statues of
Tirthankara had been prescribed by the Jaina religion from the very
beginning. Consequently, practically all Jaina images pertain to one class
and therefore Jaina images from any part of the country cannot be
distinguished from their style even though they belong to different ages
altogether.
Further, it is significant
to note that the Jaina images have been made of all sizes and substances
and are almost always invariable in attitude, whether seated or standing.
Small images are made of crystal, alabaster, soapstone, bloodstone, and
various other precious and semiprecious materials, while the larger ones
are carved from whatever kind of stone happens to be locally available.
Undoubtedly the most
remarkable of the Jaina statues are the celebrated colossi of southern
India, the largest free-standing statues in Asia which are three in
number, situated in Karnataka State respectively at Sravana-Belgola in
Hassan District (constructed in 981 A.D. and 56.5 feet in height), at
Karkala in South Kannada District (constructed in 1432 A.D. and about 41
feet in height) and at Yenura or Venura in South Kanara District
(Constructed in 1604 A.D. and 35 feet in height). All these three images
of Lord Bahubali, the son of first Tirthankar Adinatha, being set of the
top of eminence, are visible for miles around, and inspire of their
formalism they command respectful attention by their enormous mass and
expression of dignified serenity. That is why these three images are
considered by authorities like Dr. James Fergusson and Dr. Vincent Smith
as the most remarkable works of native art in south India.
Decorative Sculpture
Regarding the unrivaled
progress of the Jainas in decorative sculpture, as distinguished from
individual statuary, Dr. Vincent Smith remarks that "The Jainas encouraged
the work of a high order of excellence and beauty, employed to adorn with
the utmost possible magnificence and pillared chambers which were their
favorite form of architecture. Nothing in the world can surpass for
richness and delicacy of detail the marble columns and ceilings of
the Mount Abu temples and it would be easy to fill to large volume with
illustrations of more or less similar exquisite work in many localities."
Painting
Along with architecture and
sculpture, the, Jainas have contributed in a large measure to the
development of art of painting in India. The tradition of Jaina painting
is as old as Buddhist painting and innumerable Jaina paintings of
exquisite quality could be found on walls. palm-leaves, paper, cloth,
wood, etc. It is significant to note that the Jainas possess a very
extensive treasure of manuscript paintings drawn in the early Western
Indian Style, sometimes called the 'Gujarat Style' or specifically the 'Jaina
Style'.
PHILOSOPHY
As Jainism is an original
system, quite distinct and independent from all others, the Jainas have
developed a separate philosophy which is regarded as a valuable
contribution to Indian philosophy.
In philosophy the Jainas
occupy a distinct position between the Brahmanic and Buddhist
philosophical systems. This has been shown very clearly by Dr. Hermann
Jacobi in his paper on 'The Metaphysics and Ethics of the Jainas'.
Regarding the problem of Being the three-hold different opinions. The
Vadantins consider that underlying and up-holding from within all things
there is one absolute permanent Being' without change and with none other
like it. On the contrary the Buddhists hold that all things are
transitory. The Jainas, however, contend that Being' is joined to
production. continuation and destruction and that they call their theory
of multiple view points (i.e. Anekantavada). in contra-distinction
to the theory of permanency (i.e. Nityavada) of the Vedantins, and
to the theory of Transitoriness (i.e. Ksanika-vada) of the
Buddhists.
The Jainas think that the
existing things are permanent only as regards their substance, but their
accidents or qualities originate and perish. To emphasize once again here
the significance of this Jaina theory of 'Being' comes out more clearly
when it is regarded in relation to the doctrines of Syadvada and of
Nayavada. According to the doctrine of Syadvada any
proposition about an existing thing must, somehow, reflect the
many-sidedness of Being.' i.e.. any metaphysical proposition is right from
one point of view, and, the contrary proposition is also right from
another point of view. The Nayas are ways of expressing the nature
of things; all these ways of judgment are, according to the Jainas,
one-sided, and they contain but a part of truth. The doctrine of the
Nayas is thus, the logical complement to the Syadvada
which is the outcome of the theory of the many-sidedness of �Being' From
this Dr. H. Jacobi affirms that the Jaina theory of Being is an indication
of the commonsense view.
ETHICAL
CODE
As the Jainas have evolved
a philosophy of their own, they follow a distinct ethical code based on
their philosophy. The Jaina ethics stands as a class by itself in the
sense that it is the only system which is founded, on the main principle
of ahimsa. It has already been noted how the principle of
ahimsa forms the basis of various rules of conduct prescribed for both
the Jaina laymen and ascetics.
Thus one of the significant
contributions of the Jainas is the ahimsa culture. If the Jainas
are known for anything it is for the evolution of ahimsa culture
and it must be said to the credit of the Jainas that they practiced and
propagated that culture from ancient times. In fact the antiquity and
continuity of ahimsa culture is mainly due to the incessant efforts
of the Jaina ascetics and householders. Naturally wherever the Jainas were
in great numbers and wielded some influence they tried to spread ahimsa
culture among the masses. That is why we find that the States of
Gujarat and Karnataka, which are the strongholds of Jainas from the
beginning, are mainly vegetarian.
In fact it is admitted that
as a result of the activities of the Jainas for the last so many
centuries, ahimsa still forms the substratum of Indian character as
a whole.
POLITICAL PROGRESS
The Jainas also
distinguished themselves in giving their unstinted support for the
improvement of political and economic life in the country. The Jainas,
especially in southern and western India, produced a large number of
eminent and efficient monarchs, ministers, and generals and thereby
contributed to maintain and improve the political importance of the
people. Not only the ordinary Jainas but their acharyas, i.e.,
saints. also aided materially to create the proper political environment
based on ahimsa culture necessary for the resuscitation of the life
in the country.
It is considered that due
to the keen interest taken by the Jaina Acharyas, i.e.. saints. in
political affairs of the country, Jainism occupies an important place in
the history of India. The Jaina ascetics were never indifferent towards
the secular affairs in general. We know from the account of Megasthenes
that, in the 4th century B.C., the Sramanas of Jaina ascetics who
lived in the woods were frequently consulted by the kings through their
messengers, regarding the cause of things. So far as Karnataka is
concerned Jainism, throughout its course of more than one thousand years,
was an example of a religion which showed that religious tenets were
practiced without sacrificing the political exigencies when the question
of rejuvenating life in the country was at stake. That is why in Karnataka
we find that the Jaina acharyas ceased to be merely exponents of
dogmas and turned themselves into creators of kingdoms. It has already
been noted that the Jaina saints were virtually responsible for the
founding of the Ganga kingdom in the 2nd century A.D. and the Hoyasala
kingdom in the 11th century A.D.
