The Maravijaya of Buddha and the Image of Pārśvanātha. Paralellism of Buddhist and Jain Iconography of Ancient India

A striking parallelism emerges between Buddhist and Jain iconography in ancient India, particularly in the depiction of ascetic figures battling demonic forces. The study reveals that both traditions—Buddha's Maravijaya (Temptation by Mara) and Pārśvanātha's confrontation with Meghmal—employ similar compositional schemes to symbolize the struggle against passions. Notably, musicians playing instruments appear in these scenes, adding a unique layer to their symbolic significance. This convergence suggests that artistic solutions were shared across religions during the formative period of religious iconography, as seen in temple complexes like Ellora and Udaigiri-Khandagiri. The research highlights how such motifs transcended religious boundaries, influencing both visual art and architecture.

Vorobyeva, D. N. (2019). The Maravijaya of Buddha and the Image of Pārśvanātha. Paralellism of Buddhist and Jain Iconography of Ancient India. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 9, 716–725. https://doi.org/10.18688/aa199-6-63