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________________ JAYA-GROUP OF GODDESSES DR. UMAKANT PREMANAND SHAH, M.A., Ph.D. Jaya, Vijaya, Ajita or Jayanta and Aparajita seem to form a group of goddesses, since in the Jaina literature they are usually assigned similar functions and are often invoked together. Sometimes four more goddesses, much less popular, are also included in this group; these latter ones are Jambha, Moha, Stambha and Stambhini. The first four are also included amongst Pratiharas or door-keepers. It is necessary to treat them in their other aspects also. According to the Nirvanakalika, Jaya is the superintending deity of the gate in the eastern quarter and is worshipped along with Vijaya, Ajita and Aparajita amongst the dvarapalas (door-keepers) of the first prakara (circle in a circular diagram and of any other shape in other yantras) in the diagram of Nandyavarta drawn and worshipped in the pratisthavidhi. According to this text, the iconography of these four goddesses is as under:Jaya :- White in complexion, and guarding the eastern quarters, she shows the abhaya, the pasa, the goad and the mudgara (mace) in her four hands. Vijaya :- Red in appearance, and door-keeper of the southern quarter, she carries the same symbols as Jaya. Ajita :- Same symbols as above. Ajita is golden, and is assigned the western gate. Aparajita:-Black in appearance and guarding the northern-quarter, Ajita shows the same symbols as are carried by the other three goddesses. It may be noted that Hemacandra speaks of them as door-keepers of the second rampart in the Samavasarana and gives them the same symbols and complexion.? The Acaradinakara does not give the iconography of any of these goddesses discussed here, but merely refers to Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanta and Aparajita in the Dhvajapratisthavidhi. Jaya and Vijaya are said to hold the camaras (fly-whisks) on two sides 2. 3. Nirvanakalika, p. 20. Trisastisalakapurusacarita (GOS), Vol. I, p. 192. Acaradinakara, pp. 203 ff.
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________________ JAINISM 125 of Parsvanatha in the Mantradhiraja-Yantra, according to Sagaracandra, and in the yantra on the last verse of the Bhayaharastotra. According to Sagaracandra, Jaya is white, four-armed and shows the chowrie, the rosary, the varada mudra and the fruit (bijapuraka = citron). Putting on white garments, she rides on the elephant. Jaya is also worshipped in the third sthana, called Vijjapada (Vidyapada) in the Surividya-diagram, along with Vijaya, Jayanti, Nanda and Bhadra, as attendants of Sri.8 Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanti and Aparajita are called Upavidyas of the Bahubali Mahavidya in the Surimantra-Durgapadavivarana. They are worshipped in the second pitha of the Surimantra, which contains the Bahubalividyas used for Nimittakathana. Works on Surimantra refer to mantras which they assign to Jayadividyas (i.e. Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanta and Aparajita). In the diagram (mandala) for the propitiation of Sarasvati, in the tradition (amnaya) of Bappabhatti Suri, Nanda, Moha, Jaya, Vijaya, Aparajita, Jambha and Stambha are invoked and worshipped.10 Thus these goddesses are included as the parivaradevatas of both Sri and Sarasvati. Jaya, Vijaya, Ajita (same as Jayanta or Jayanti of other texts) and Aparajita are invoked by Manadeva Suri in his Laghusantistava and the Santimantra given therein.11 They are supposed to bestow peace and 4. Mantradhirajakalpa, in the Mantradhirajacintamani, p. 232. 5. Mantradhirajacintamani, p. 29. 6. Ibid. pp. 258, 265. For a mantra of Jay, and Vijaya see, ibid. p. 264. Sthana here conveys a meaning similar to that of prakara noted above. Pada in the expression Vijjapada also means the same. 8. Surividya-stotra, Bhairava-Padmavati-Kalpa, app. 29, p. 112. paumadahapaumanilayA causaTTisurAhivANa mahamahanI / savvaGgabhusaNadharA paNamaMtI goyamamuNindaM // 4 fakar-47-8797f-4721-HETAHEAT TV vijjApae niviTThA sirisiAradevI suhaM deu // 5 // dvitIyapIThe-OM namo bhagavao ityAdi vijjA-yAvat akSara 33 eSA bAhubalIvidyA svamAdyartham / tato vaggu baggu mahumahure yAvad varNAH 22 saubhAgyavidyA / tato hili hili ityAdi AyariyakAli yAvad varNAH 30 jayAdi vidyAH / asya pIThasya adhiSThAtrI mAnuSottarazikharavAsinI sahasrabhujA tribhuvanasvAminI / 9. Surimantramukhyakalpa in Surimantra-kalpa-sandoha, p. 14. Also see Surimantra-Durgapada-Vivarana, in ibid., pp. 45 ff. 10. Bhairava-Padmavati-Kalpa app. 11, pp. 61 ff. 11. Ibid., app. 31, pp. 131 ff.
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________________ 126 ACARYA VIJAYAVALLABHASURI COMMEMORATION VOLUME prosperity. These four are also worshipped in the Cintamani or Parsva cintamani-yantra described by Dharmaghosa Suri.11 Jaya, Ajita, Aparajita, Jambha, Moha and Vijaya are also invoked in the yantra according to the Vrddhasampradaya on the Upasargaharastotra, verse 2,13 and also in the Cintamani Cakra on the same verse.1* Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanta, Aparajita and Anahita are famous in the Vardhamana-Vidya. Elsewhere the present writer has suggested that Anahita probably signifies some form of Anaitis or Anihata,16 Jaya Vijaya and Ajita are included in the list of mahadevis in the famous. Rsimandalastotra.17 Vijaya and Jambhini are also referred to as Vidyas in the Paumacariyam.18 In the Digambara tradition, the Bhairava-Padmavati-Kalpa calls Jaya, Vijaya, Ajita and Aparajita as Dig-devis (goddesses of quarters) while Jambha, Moha, Stambha and Stambhint are said to be Vidig-devis (goddesses of intermediate points),10 The text prescribes their worship for Vasya-rites. According to the Pratisthasaroddhara of Asadhara, Jaya, Vijaya, Aparajita, Jambha, Moha, Stambha and Stambhini are to be worshipped in the bahirmandalapaja. They are invoked for obtaining Santi (peace) and bliss. But the author does not give their symbols. Nemicandra in his Pratisthatilaka calls them Sadhu-devis. They are said to protect the Jaina Faith and give victory over rival faiths and enemies. It will be seen that in both the Svetambara and the Digambara traditions, the four goddesses are invoked for Santi; Vijaya later on came to be worshipped as Santidevata. The various texts on Sarimantra and the Vardhamanavidya further show that they were regarded as giving victory. But their special inclusion in the Vardhamanavidya is significant. The Vidya is used with certain changes as mantras by different types 12. Mantradhiraja-Cintamani, pp. 30 ff., 7 ff. 13. Jaina-Stotra-Sandoha, sri Cintamanikalpa, pp. 6-7. 14. Ibid., p. 9. 15. Two Vardharnanavidya-kalpas of Sri Simhatilakasuri, published in Surimantrakalpasandoha, pp. 1-22. Shah, U. P., Foreign Elements in Jaina Literature, IHQ. Sept. 1953. 17. Mahaprabhavika-Navasmarana, p. 516. 13. Paumacariyam, 7.141, 144. 19. Bhairava-Padmavati-Kalpa, p. 19, verses 1-4; Pp. pp. 12-13, verses 17-18, 20. Pratistha-Saroddhara, pp. 79-81. 21. Ibid., p. 81, verses 225-26. 22. Pratisthatilaka, pp. 179-80, also cf. p. 215, verse 8,
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________________ GLORY OF JAINISM 127 of Jaina monks, especially the Upadhyayas and Vacakas. We have no means to ascertain that the worship of these deities was introduced in Jainism by Vardhamana Mahavira or his immediate successors. It is, however, quite reasonable to suppose that the Vardhamanavidya and the Surimantra existed in the age of Vajrasvami in the first or second century A.D. and both the Jaina Tantric practices should probably date from (at least) a century or two before Christ. Their association with Sri, Sarasvati and Anaitis or Anahita suggests that they may be ancient goddesses, and probably evolved from them. With the growth of the later yaksinis and the popularity of Ambika, Padmavati and Cakresvari, their worship seems to have receded into background and practically disappeared. It is also certain, on account of their associations with the above mentioned goddesses, as also with Nanda and Bhadra, that they are not exclusively Jaina, and their origins should be traced into some other deities commonly worshipped in ancient times, before the Christian era. Eight Dik-Kumaris, living on the Eastern Rucaka mountains coming to perform the birth ceremonies of a Jina, are called Nanda, Nandottara, Ananda, Nandivarddhana, Vijaya, Vaijayanti, Jayanti and Aparajita.23 It should be remembered that the lists of fifty-six Dik-Kumaris include names of such ancient goddesses as Ila-devi, Psthivi, Ekanasa (corruption of Ekanamsa (?), Bhadra, Sri, etc. It is, therefore, probable that Nanda, Bhadra etc., and Jaya, Vijaya etc., shown as attendants of Sri, the Adhisthatr-devi of the third patha of the Surimantra, were ancient goddesses and that they were incorporated in Jainism at a very early date. That the Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanti and Aparajita are treated as doorkeepers in the Svetambara tradition is significant though only indirectly. Vijaya, Vaijayanti, Jayanta and Aparajita are four well known doorkeepers of the Jagati of the Jambudvipa according to Jaina canon like the Jambudvipaprajnapti.24 Their female counterparts seem to have been evolved as door-keepers in a Samavasarana. Male deities of those names were installed in a fortified town in centre, according to a well known passage from Kautilya's Arthasastra 25 which fact shows that Vijaya, Vaijayanta, Jayanta and Aparajita are old deities. 23. Trisastisalakapurusacarita, I (GOS), p. 106. Lists of Dik-Kumaris are available in Jaina Canonical Works, in the Vasudevahindi, in the Angavijja, and in Svetambara and Digambara works on Cosmography. 24. Jambudvipa-prajnapi, su. 7 ff., pp. 45 ff. 25. Banerji, J. N., Development of Hindu Iconography, pp. 94 ff.