Ambika on Jaina Art and Literature

Author(s): Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 37

of the Bhairava-Padmavati-kalpa), the terrific form of the goddess alongwith different mode of her Tantric worship have been enunciated which very largely correspond to the horrible forms of the great goddess Ambika in Brahminic pantheon. As a Mother she has to protect the entire universe from the onslaughts of demonic powers and hence she also assumes different terrific forms and attributes of destruction. It is Ambikā who had manifested herself as Mahisasuramardini, Durgā, Candikă etc. Thus the Tantric passages dealing with the Jaina Yaksi Ambikā undoubtedly suggest that her terrific form as Srsti-samhara-kartri clearly was inspired by the Brahminical Ambikā. Jaina Ambika, also called the Mother of the universe Vagaty-ambikā), is variously propitiated as graha-sphotini, samhara-sammărjani, and mahā-vighna-samghāta -nirnāśini.24 The Ambikā-tatarka conceives her with such destructive weapons as bow, arrow, staff, sword, disc etc.25 The Ambikā-tātanka, the Ambikä-tādamka and the Ambika-devi-stuti (appendices 18, 19, 21 of the Bhairava-Padmavati-kapla) also give her such appellations as Sivā, Sankari, Mantra-rupā, Gauri, Gāndhāri, Yakşeśvari, Kāli, Mahakāli, Aghorā, Bhima-nādā, Candikā, Canda-rūpā, Jayantā-kumāri, Yogeśvari, Tripur-ângi, Mahādevi, Amoghavāgiśvari, Mohini, Dīpani, Soşani, Trāsini, etc., which distinctly suggest strong influence of Brahminic Ambikā who is endowed with alike appellations in her manifestations as twelve Gauris, twenty-four Pārvatīs, nine Durgās and several other forms.26 In two examples reported from Darhat (Hamirpur, U.P.) and datable to c. 13th century A.D., Jaina Ambikā is surprisingly depicted with noose, vajra-ghantā, manuscript-cum-lotus and mirror (?) attributes. The forms of these images (State Museum, Lucknow, Acc. No. G 312 and 66/225), bear close affinity with Brahminic Sivā who likewise rides a lion and holds a mirror in one of her hands. The noose and the vajra-ghantă are suggestive of the power aspect of Ambikā while the manuscript represents her as amogha-vāgiśvari and Sarasvati as mentioned in Jaina stutis.27
From the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that the worship of Ambikä started as early as in the sixth century A.D. and atleast upto ninth century A.D. she was carved in association with Rşabhanātha, Pārsvanātha and Neminātha. Her more distinctive iconogaphic form was first visualized towards the close of the eighth century A.D. From the 10th century A.D. onwards she was mainly represented with Neminātha and as having either two or four arms.
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