Previous Year Question
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List I (Tirthankara) | List II (Cognizance) |
A. Adinatha | 1. Bull |
B. Mallinatha | 2. Horse |
C. Parsvanatha | 3. Snake |
D. Sambhavnatha | 4. Water Jar |
Codes:
A-1, B-4, C-3, D-2
A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
In Jain sculpture, each Tirthankara is assigned a distinctive cognizance or emblem. Particularly in medieval Jain images, this cognizance was generally depicted on the pedestal of the image, enabling different Tirthankaras represented in similar meditative postures to be identified.
A. Adinatha — Bull (1): Adinatha is also known as Rishabhanatha and is the first Tirthankara of the Jain tradition. His principal cognizance is the bull. Archaeological descriptions identify images of Rishabhanatha by the bull represented below them.
B. Mallinatha — Water Jar (4): Mallinatha is the 19th Tirthankara of the Jain tradition. His cognizance is the water jar or pot. Lists of Jain iconography explicitly identify the water jar as the distinguishing emblem of Mallinatha.
C. Parsvanatha — Snake (3): Parsvanatha is the 23rd Tirthankara. His cognizance is the snake. One of the most distinctive features of his images is the serpent hood spread above his head, which makes him comparatively easy to identify even in many early sculptures.
D. Sambhavnatha — Horse (2): Sambhavnatha is the third Tirthankara of the Jain tradition, and his cognizance is the horse. Archaeological records and descriptions of Jain iconography show the horse emblem associated with images of Sambhavnatha.