Shrine of the Jina Rishabhanatha
Western India, Rajasthan
Dated 1126 C.E. by inscription
Bronze
Dimensions: 12 ¼ x 7 inches (31.1 x 17.8 cm)

The Jina Rishabhanatha is the focus of this elegantly intricate shrine. Rishabhanatha is the first of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras, or saviors. His name comes from a series of auspicious dreams that his mother had in which a bull (rishabha) appeared before his birth. The bull serves as Rishabhantha’s animal cognizance and is placed in a position of honor at the center of the base in front of the first Jina. Rishabhanatha sits on a cushioned throne with his hands resting in meditation and a beautiful prabha frames his head. The Jina is surrounded by representations of the total twenty-four Jinas. All but two of these figures also sit in meditation. These two exceptions stand in kayotsarga (body abandonment) posture at either side of the Rishabhanatha.

Aside from the presence of the bull, Rishabhanatha is identified also by his divine protectors. These two important figures sit at the base of the throne at the outward side of the standing Jinas. Recognized by his bull face, Gomukha Yaksha sits on the left. Chakreshvari Yakshi sits on the right and holds her characteristic chakras (wheels) in her upraised hands. The rest of the holy retinue is comprised of flywhisk bearers, celestial attendants, lions, elephants, and donor figures. It is possible the patrons of this particular shrine have been immortalized in the small image of two kneeling figures with hands clasped in prayer at either end of the base. There is also the inclusion of two seated yakshas underneath a tree on the base of the shrine underneath the bull. The nine planetary deities, represented by the customary heads, rest on the edge of the shrine by the seated yakshas.