Ancient Jaina Hymns

Author(s): Charlotte Krause
Publisher: Oriental Institute

Page 24

ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS attendants of the Tirthařkaras are generally known and worshipped as the Yakşas and Yakşiņās, or the Sāsanadevas and Śāsanadevās, and are often found represented at the side of images of the Tirthankaras.
References to these divinities in this particular function are obviously restricted to post-canonical literature: the earliest being contained in Padalipta's "Nirvāņakalikā” (according to Winternitz, prior to the 5th century) on the Svetāmbara, and in YativȚsabha's Tiloyapaņņatti and Vasunandin's Pratisthāsā. roddhāra* (both about contemporaneous with the former) on the Digarribara side. In Svetāmbara canonical literature, the very expressions "Sāsenadeva" and "Śāsanadevi" do fiot occur, and the word "Yakşa" has a different sense. Generally, it stands as a denomination of one of the eight sub-classes of Vyantaras, which latter, in their turn, are one of the four nain categories of gods known to Jaina dogmatics. But that at
(1) Nirnavasāgara Press, 1926; p. 34 ff.
(2) M. Winternitz, A History of Indian Literature, Vol. II, Publ. by the University of Calcutta, 1933, p. 478.
(3) Part I, Publ. by Jaina Sanskřti Samrakşaka Samgha, Sholapur, 1943, p. 266 (IV, st. 934 ff.).
(4) As quoted in Vastusāra-prakarana, Jaipur City, 1036, “Parisista", p. 169 ff.
(5) I. Bhavanapatis, whose realm lies 1,000 yojanas below the surface of the earth, stretching thousands of yojanas into the depth, and who are divided into the 10 sub-classes: Asura-, Någa., Vidyut., Suparna-, Agni-, Vata., Stanita., Udadhi-, Dvipa-, and Dik-kumāras;
II. Vyantaras, whose abodes lie 100 yojanas below the surface of the earth, and who are divided into tbe 8 sub-classes : Kidnaras, Kimpuruşas, Mahoragas, Gandharvas, Yakşas, Rākşasas, Bhūtas, and Piśācas;
III. Jyotişkas, located high up in space, and represented by the several suns, moons, planets, fixed stars, etc.;
IV. Vaimånikas, residing in vimănas in a layer of space high above the realm of the Jyotiskas, and represented by divinities of the highest degrees of perfection, which increases in proportion to the elevation of their abodes from the ground.
Vide Tattv. IV, 11 ff.; Prajā. II, Sūtra 46 ff., Tiloyap. III, Deven-Irasta - vaprakirņaka st. 15 ff. etc.
12