Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c75.s2.24

v2.c75.s2.24

**Tīrthankaras.**—or Jinas according to the Śilpa-Ratnākara—*vide* Pr. Laks. p. 270 are only the manifest aspects of the Supreme Brahma—Arūpa assuming Rūpa. They are Viśvarūpa, Jagat-prabhu, Kevala, Jñānamūrti, Vītarāga and in their incarnatory forms they take only two arms, one face and are seated on baddha-padmāsana attitude, meditating upon Prabrahma. These are also the characteristics of the great Hindu gods, the Yogīśvara Śiva or Yogāsana Viṣṇu or Padmāsana Brahmā. The question, therefore, would arise what are the distinctive features of a Jina or Tīrthankara? In the Jain literature a Tīrthankara means a prophet. ‘A Tīrthankara is he by whom was shown the broad fording-place of virtue, the best of all, reaching which men overcome sorrow’—Sāmantabhadra—*vide* Bṛahatsvayambhūstotra. Tīrtha thus would stand here for Dharma, and who expounds it is Tīrthankara. This is the view of the elders-the Digambaras. According to Śvetāmbara view ‘Tīrtha’ means a ‘Saṅṅha’ and one who founds it like a Buddha or a Christ is Tīrthankara. This order as we have already seen is consisted principally of two principal divisions of Sādhus or Monks and Śrāvakas or the laity, but if we include the women folk, it comes to four in number.