Nav Smarana

SR No.: 008333
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vinod Kapashi
Publisher: Vinod Kapashi
Total Pages: 224
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_English, Devotion, Worship, Worship, J000, & J999
File Size: 922 KB

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She is the dedicated attendant deity of Lord Ädinätha (Rishabhadeva). She is also called Apratichakra. The colour of this goddess is golden. Her Vehicle is eagle. She has eight arms. She holds an arrow, a rope and a wheel in three of her right hands. The fourth is raised in a blessing gesture. In her four left hands she holds the rein, the bow, the protective weapon of Indra and a wheel.
Not many articles or references have been found on this goddess. A book called the Nirvankalikä states that Chakreshvari has eight hands and she carries boon (gesture of blessing and giving), a bow, a chakra and a rope in her right hands, and an arrow, a mace, a chakra and gaud in her left hands. She is called Chakreshvari because she carries the chakra (wheel) in two hands.
In the Brihad Shänti, the Goddess Chakreshvari has been mentioned as one of the sixteen goddesses of knowledge and again the same name appears in the same stotra as one of the twenty-four yakshinis.
In the Nirvänakalikä, Chakreshvari has been mentioned as one of the sixteen goddesses of knowledge. She has a golden complexion, has an eagle as her vehicle and has four arms. She has chakras in all four hands. Again in the same book, the author has listed the twenty-four yakshinis of the twenty-four Tirthankaras. The yakshini of Lord Rishabhadeva is Chakreshvari. However, the writer of the Nirvankalika here describes her as having a golden complexion, and she has eight hands. She carries boons (gesture of blessing and giving), a bow, a chakra and a rope in her right hands, and an arrow, a mace, a chakra and a gaud in her left hands. The two description contradict as far as the number of hands are concerned.
The National Museum in Delhi has one beautiful idol of Chakreshvari with eight hands. Most of the idols of Chakreshvari, which are found in Gujarät, have four hands. Chakreshvari's images are also found in north India, Madhya Pradesh, Räjasthän, Bengal and Gujarat. She is normally seen with eight hands. She carries two Chakras (discs), a noose, a goad, a vajra (thunderbolt), an arrow and a bow. One hand shows that she is giving a boon to her devotees (varad-mudrä). It should be noted that the Hindu goddess Vaishnavi and Jain Chakreshvari are almost identical.
The Mantras of Chakreshvari:
Chakreshvari is worshipped with the each verse of the Bhaktämara Stotra. However there are quite a few separate mantras dedicated to goddess Chakreshvari alone.
One particular mantra is:
Aum Hrim Shrim Klim Chakreshvari Devye Namah:
Goddess Ambikä:
She is the dedicated deity of Lord Neminätha, the twenty-second Tirthankara. She is also called Ambäi, Ambä, and Amrä Kushmandini. Her colour is golden and the lion is her vehicle. She has four arms. Out of two right hands she carries a mango on one
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