A Note on Jaina Iconography

Summary

Satya Ranjan Banerjee’s article "A Note on Jaina Iconography" provides an accessible overview of how and why images of the Jaina Tīrthaṅkaras and other deities developed. Jains do not believe in a creator god, but they revere their twenty‑four Tīrthaṅkaras as perfected beings whose lives provide models for liberation. Initially, veneration focused on the Tīrthaṅkaras themselves, yet lay devotees soon felt the need for images and pictorial narratives of their lives. Banerjee notes that engravings on stone, bronze, paṭṭas and other media served as didactic aids for future generations and as focal points for worship. He cites scholars such as D.C. Bhattacharya who argue that images of other deities, though subordinate to the Tīrthaṅkaras, also came into Jaina iconography: sixty‑three śalākāpuruṣas, yakṣas and yakṣiṇīs (attendant deities), the Śāsana‑devatās, Dikpālas, Navagrahas, Śrutadevīs and Vidyādevīs. These figures entered the Jain pantheon partly through assimilation of Brahmanical divinities such as Gaṇeśa, Śrī, Kubera and Indra when Jains adopted local iconographic conventions. Over time, Jaina imagery distinguished four broad classes of deities—Jyotiṣi, Vimānavāsī, Bhavanapati and Vyantara—and elaborated complex rules for posture, symbols and attendant emblems. Banerjee includes a table summarising the Tīrthaṅkaras, their historical or legendary periods, centuries, associated sites and museums where important images are preserved. He emphasises that Jaina iconography is not merely decorative; images serve liturgical purposes and remind devotees of kalyāṇakas (auspicious events) in the Tīrthaṅkaras’ lives. The article also reviews secondary literature, highlighting the pioneering work of Professor B.C. Bhattacharya whose "Jain Iconography" (first published 1939, revised 1974) remains a foundational reference for students. Banerjee encourages scholars to consult Bhattacharya’s detailed descriptions and to supplement them with additional notes arranged chronologically to facilitate quick reference. He stresses that although later works provide more data, Bhattacharya’s synthesis offers a coherent framework for understanding the evolution of Jaina images across India from early rock‑cut sculptures to sophisticated bronzes. Overall, Banerjee’s concise note underscores how devotional needs, theological developments and regional artistic exchanges shaped Jaina iconography. It invites readers to see Jaina images not as static idols but as embodiments of philosophical ideals and markers of cultural interaction.