2. CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE IMAGE
The colossal image of Gommatesvara is a monolithic statue carved
out of living rock on the top of the Vindhyagiri hill at Sravana-Belagola
as it was quite impossible to transport a granite mass of such huge size
up the hill. The image is carved in fine grained light-gray granite.
The height of the image is about 57 feet, and it is an
unmistakable landmark for miles around. Such large image sculptured in
stone ae not uncommon in India, Tibet, Burma and other places outside
India, wherever Buddhism and Jainism flourished and wielded their
influence. But this image of Gommatesvara happens to be the largest of
such images found not only in India but in the entire world and at the
same time most beautiful and best preserved since its installation and
consecution strictly in accordance with the Jaina rituals one thousand
years ago.
The image of Gommatesvara is nude and stands erect facing
north. The standing position is according to the �Kayotsarga� or
Khadgasana� posture of practicing penance generally prevalent amount the
Jaina ascetics from ancient times. In this posture the person has to
stand erect in a motionless condition with legs nearly touching each
other, with both arms fully stretched and invariably kept hanging near the
knees, with �nasikagra drishti� i.e., open eyes looking
continuously in the direction of the tip of the nose and with complete
engrossment in medition and self-contemplation. Even a slight deviation
in theposture is not permitted irrespective of the severe physicals
strains involved and of the encroachments and attacks of the living
creatures from outside. Naturally the figure of Gommatesvara is treated
conventionally, the shoulders being very broad and the arms hanging
straight down the sides, with the thumbs turned upwards. The waist is
comparatively small and from the knee downwards the lags appear to be
somewhat dwarfed.
The face of the image is a remarkable one, with a serene
expression. The hair is curled in short spiral ringlets all over the
head, while the ears are long and large. This majestic image is most
grand and impressive due to sublime meditative expression. The sculptor,
whoever he was, was most skillful in drawing from the blank rock such
wonderful contemplative expression touched with a faint winning smile as
is seen on the face of the image.
The image has no support above the thighs. Upto that point it
is represented as surrounded by ant-hills, from which emerge serpents; and
a climbing plant twines itself round both legs and both arms, terminating
at the upper part of the arm in a cluster of berries of flowers.
According to the Jainas the plant is �Madhavi� ( i.e. �Gaertera recemosa�
), a large creaper with fragrant white flowers, which springs up and
blossoms in the hot weather. It appears to be known as �Kadu-gulagunji, in
Kannada and �Madhavi� in Hindi and Marathi.
The pedestal of the image is designed to represent an open
lotus, and upon this the artist worked a scale corresponding to three feet
four inches, which was probably used in laying out the work. The
outstanding thing about this scale engraved near the left foot of the
image is that corresponds with the French metre. That is way B. Lewis
Rice states That �the use of this scale in the tenth century would form an
interesting subject for enquiry�. This scale is shown divided into equal
halves in the middle, where there is a mark resembling a flower.
According to some old residents of the place this measure, when multiplied
by eighteen, gives the height of the image; but they cannot give any
satisfactory reason for multiplying it by eighteen. According to others
measure represents the length of a bow, but the length of bow is supposed
to be three and a half cubits and not three feet four inches.
Owing to the great height of the image and the want of any point
sufficiently elevated from which to take a picture of it, most of the
representations fail to give a good idea of the features of the face,
which are most perfect artistically. The face with its wonderful
contemplative expression is touched with a faint smile which Gommata
gazes the struggling world below.
The sprit of Jaina renunciation is fully brought out in this
image. The nudity of the image indicates absolute renunciation, while its
stiff and erect posture suggests perfect self-control. The smile on the
face shows the inward bliss and sympathy for the suffering world. In
every sense, the image looks majestic and impressive.
The majesty and the beauty of this great image has kindled the
imagination of many a Kannada poet, of the past and present, to sing
praises of it in beautiful poetry. For example, the Jaina poet Boppanna,
also known as Sujanottamsa, composed a short Kannada poem in praise of
Gommata. This poem has been engraved on a stone to left of the doorway of
the Gommatesvare temple and this inscription No. 234 at Sravana-Belagola
is dated 1180 A.D. This poem, inscribed on stone, gives particulars abut
the life of Gommata and the setting u of the image of Gommata by
Chamunda-Raya and then bestows his praise on the image of Gommata thus :
�When an image is very lofty, it may not have beauty; when
possessed of loftiness and real beauty, it may not have supernatural power
: loftiness, real beauty, it may not have supernatural power being all
united in it, how worthy of worship in the world is the glorious form,
comparable to itself, of Gommatesvara Jina ? When it is said that Maya (
the artist of the gods), Indra ( though posses of 1000 eyes ) and the lord
of serpents (though possessed of 2000 tongues ) are unable respectively to
draw a likeness, to take a full view and to undertake the praise of it,
who else could then be able to do that and to undertake the praise of
matchless form of wondrous beauty of the southern Kukkustsvara ? The
famous world of the Nagas always forming the foundation, the earth the
base, the points of the of the gods above the towers, and the cluster of
brilliant stars the inner broad jewal-awning, the three worlds enlightened
by Jina�s sayings have thus become the abode to Gommatesa.
Is the of matchless beauty ? He is Cupid.
Is the mighty ? He is the conqueror
Of the Emperor Bharata.
Is he liberal? He gave back the
whole
Earth though he had
completely
Conquered it.
Is he free from attachment? He is
engaged in penance and
contents
himself with the two feet
of
earth under his two feet.
Is he possessed of perfect
knowledge?
He had destroyed the bonds
of �Karma�
This said, how exalted is Bahubalis? No man shall take pleasure
in killing , laying, stealing, adultery and covetousness; if he does, he
will lose for ever this world and the next: 10: Gommatesvara looks as if
proclaiming this standing on high. The anthills and the pressing and
entwining creepers on the body looking as if the earth and creeper-like
women owing to their grief came and tightly embraced him, saying, �Why
have you forasken us ? �, the state of Gommatadeva�s intense application
to penance was worthy to be honored by the lords of serpents, gods and
sages.�
Like the native poets, the foreigners were also immensely
impressed by the characteristic features of the colossal image of Gommata.
The foreign travellers, W. H. Workman, and W. J. Workman, record their
views in their travelogue, �Through Twon and Jungle� thus :
�It is probable that Gommata was cut out of the boulder which
rested on the spot, as it would have been a work of great difficulty to
transport a granite mass of this size up the oval hillside. It is larger
any of the statues of Rameses in Egypt.
