The mythology of the Jainas, whilst including many of the Hindu divinities, to which it accords very inferior positions, is altogether different in composition. It has all the appearance of a purely constructed system. The gods are classified and subdivided into orders, genera, and species; all are mortal, have their ages fixed, as well as their abodes, and are mostly distinguished by cognizances _chihnas_ or _lâńchhaṇas_. Their Tîrthakaras, Tìrthamkaras, or perfected saints, are usually known as twenty-four belonging to the present age. But the mythology takes account also of a past and a future age or renovation of the world, and to each of these aeons are assigned twenty-four Tîrthakaras. But this is not all: in their cosmogony they lay down other continents besides Jambûdvîpa-Bharata or that which we dwell in. These are separated from Jambûdvîpa by impassable seas, but exactly like it in every respect and are called Dhâtuki-kanda and Pushkarârddha; and of each of these there are eastern, and western Bharata and Airàvata regions, whilst of Jambûdvîpa there is also a Bharata and an Airâvata region: these make the following ten regions or worlds:— 1. Jambûdvîpa-bharata-kshetra. 2. Dhâtukî-khaṇḍa pûrva-bharata. 3. Dhâtukî-khaṇḍa paśchima-bharata. 4. Pushkarârddha pûrva-bharata. 5. Pushkaravaradvîpa paśchima-bharata. 6. Jambûdvîpa airâvata-kshetra. 7. Dhâtukî-khaṇḍa pûrva-airâvata. 8. Dhâtukî-khaṇḍa paśchima-airâvata. 9. Pushkarârdhadvîpa pûrva-airâvata. 10. Puskarârddha paśchima-airâvata. To each of these is allotted twenty four past, present and future Atîts or Jinas,—making in all 720 of this class, for which they have invented names: but they are only names. [Footnote: See _Ratnasâgara_, bh. II, pp. 696—705.] Of the Tîrthakaras of the present age or _avasarpini_ in the Bharata-varsha of Jambûdvîpa, however, we are supplied with minute details:—their names, parents, stations, reputed ages, complexions, attendants, cognizances (_chihna_) or characteristics, etc. and these details are useful for the explanation of the iconography we meet with in the shrines of Jaina temples. There the images of the Tîrthakaras are placed on highly sculptured thrones and surrounded by other smaller attendant figures. In temples of the Śvetâmbara sect the images are generally of marble—white in most cases, but often black for images of the 19th, 2Oth, 22nd and 23rd Jinas. On the front of the throne or _âsana_ are usually carved three small figures: at the proper right of the Jina is a male figure representing the Yaksha attendant or servant of that particular Jina; at the left end of the throne is the corresponding female—or Yakshinî, Yakshî or Śâsanadevî; whilst in a panel in the middle there is often another devî. At the base of the seat also, are placed nine very small figures representing the _navagraha_ or nine planets; that is the sun, moon, five planets, and ascending and descending nodes.