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Aspects of Bral manical Influence on the Jaina Mythology
protectors of their respective quarters find mention poetically as an eloquent example of the Creator's intellectual bankruptcy with regard to the selection of the universal guardians, yet the very mention of the strange behaviour of the God of creation recognizes the traditional myth of Brahman's appointment of the eight divinities to the four cardinal and four intermediate quarters 12 But in contradistinction with Gunabhadra's strictures on the gods, Puspadanta represents them as worthy of worship on different auspicious occasions During the Janmabhiseka ceremony of the first Tirthankara Rşabha the assembled masses including Indra are said to have duly worshipped these gods 45 The gods mentioned in this context are Indra (Sahka), Agnı (Gicci), Yama (Kāla), Nairrta (Neria), Varuna (Annava—Arnava) Vayu (Anila), Kubera and Sankara (Sūlın) 14
194
It is also remarkable that most of these godheads are referred to as having the same rides as are represented in the Brahmanical sources Thus, the elephant Airavata15 is acknowledged as the mount of Sakra (Indra) And as the fairly known standards of comparison, Kubera, Agni and Yama are referred to as having for their mounts a man, a ram and a buffalo
42 Cr ब्रह्मा ससर्ज तृर्णं तान् लोकपालान् महावलान् । दृष्ट्वा तु लोकपालास्तु ता कन्या पुनराह्वयन । विवाह कारयामास ब्रह्मा लोकपितामह । एकामिन्द्राय स प्रादावग्नयेऽन्या यमाय च । निर्ऋताय च देवाय वरुणाय महात्मने ।
वायवे धनदेशाय ईशानाय च .. 1
Varahapuraram, quoted in SKD, BK, II, pp 708-709 It is to be noted that in the above context the different quarters are conceived as damsels These are Pürva, Agneyi, Dakşınā, Nairyli, Pascima, Vayavi, Uttara and Aisani These girls are given in marriage to Indra etc respectively 43 PMP III 14 9 1'
44
7 fafa am-ûft «omaifuà gâz-yfam̃ anfsasm |
-Ibid III 14 11 In the quotation the term Annava though generally meaning 'occan', has apparently been used in the sense of Varuna Ontre basis of sharing some common names and epithets with the ocean such as Appati (lord of waters) and Yadaḥpati (lord of aquatic animals), Varuna has analogically been mentioned as Arnava 45 eg VPC, 2 115 RPC, 2 243
