Jain Rup Mandan

SR No.: 001961
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 466
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Art
File Size: 27 MB

Page 228

Šāsana-Devatās
215
yaka-niryukti, gāthā 931. In both these cases however neither the vahana nor the symbols or ayudhās are specified.
A still earlier reference comes from the Viseṣāvasyaka-bhāṣya with the Kṣamāśramaṇa-Mahattariyatika which says: yasmin mantra-devatā strī så Vidya Amba-Küṣmāṇḍi-ādiḥ. Here Amba-Kuşmāṇḍī is referred to as a Vidya but since we do not find Amba or Küşmāṇḍi in the Jaina lists of Vidyadevis it is very likely that this refers to the tantric vidya-sadhana of the same goddess Ambika who accompanied the different Tirthankaras as their sasanadevata and who later came to be recognised as the śāsana-yakși of Tirthankara Neminatha (alone). This last reference cited from the țika on the Viseṣāvaśyaka-bhāṣya dates from the sixth century A.D.
The origin of the Ambika yakṣi is an interesting subject of study. In a separate paper being published in the A. Ghosh Memorial Volume we have discussed the problem at length and shown that she is related to several ancient goddesses, Arya, the peaceful form of Durgā, Nānā or Nanaia on the lion, Anihata and Anaitis, Durgā as Kūsmāṇḍinī, and an Amrā or Amra-Küṣmaṇḍini carrying a mango-bunch in one hand. A headless kaolin figure of such a yakşi is found from the Satavahana site at Paithan.
In Brahmanical literature Ambika is invoked as the Mother of Vinayaka. One of the ancient Vinayakas is called Küṣmaṇḍa-rajaputra. Ambika's form further shows close iconographic relation with the form of Ganga in the Boston Museum or on doorframes of shrines of the Gupta period since the river goddess stands under a mango-tree and has a playful child or gana beside her. The Jaina Ambika is an assimilation of conceptions of several old goddesses.
These śāsanadevatās or attendant yakṣas and yakṣiņis are said to protect the tirthas of their respective Tirthankara Masters. 86 They are known as Sasanadevatās or Vaiyavṛttakaras (Veyāvaccakaras).87 Vaiyavṛtta means help in the practice of Dharma, both material and spiritual. The Bhagavati sūtra describes ten types of veyavacca or services to others which includes rendering service to ācārya, upadhyaya, tapasvi, glana (sick), śaikṣa (newly initiated) and others.88 According to the Uttaradhyayana sūtra, a person accrues, by veyāvacca, merit (karma) which makes him acquire Tirthankara-nama-gotra.89 It is therefore quite obvious that these yakṣas and yakṣiņis are given a subordinate position of service to the different members of the Jaina Samgha.
The next stage in yakṣa-worship amongst the Jainas is marked by a variation of forms of this first pair of Sarvanubhuti alias Sarvāṛha and Amba-Küşmandi or Ambika. The Yakşa retains his Kubera-like appearance and the elephant vehicle for a long time and this tradition lingered on in some form or the other upto about the thirteenth century A.D. even when new names and forms with different vahanas of yakṣas were evolved and carved. This is proved by the pedestals of numerous Tirthankara images in the temples at Abu, Kumbharia, Devgadh etc. The yakşi often remained as Ambika but the two arms were increased to four at Kumbharia and Abu.
At Devgadh two more stages are marked-one replaced the old Yakşi Ambika for Tirthankaras other than Neminatha and inserted a two-armed yakşi showing abhaya or varada and a pot or a citron; another stage was the evolution of different yakṣiņis with different iconography and new names. Temple no. 12 at Devgadh has on its back wall and the inter-columnations of the verandah a series of 24 yakṣiņis carved on different slabs. This set shows some forms of better workmanship and looking a little older than others which are crude, stiff, unfinished or of inferior workmanship. Each Yakşı is represented as standing and above her is a figure of a sitting Jina (in a caitya-window ornament) whose attendant the yaksi is shown to be. Names of the Jina as well as the yakși are inscribed on each slab.90 The dating of the labels on the basis of the script or of the yakși figures on the basis of style is only approximate and tentative. All the figures are not of the same quality and either they are carved by different hands or some of them are later replacements. Again in texts like the Tiloyapanṇatti etc. Jvälāmālinī is the yakṣi of Candraprabha while here Sumālinī is the yakṣi of Candraprabha and the Jina's name with Jvālāmālinī yakși in this set is not clearly read. In this set, Sidhai (Siddhayikā) is the yakși of Munisuvrata while she is generally the yakṣi of Mahavira; Bahurupi is shown as yakși of Puspadanta while she is usually the yakşi of Munisuvrata. But there are several names which are not found as yakṣiņis in Digambara texts. Such names are Sarasvati, Mayuravähi, Himadevi or Bhimadevi, Śriyadevi, Surakṣitā, Abhogaratina or