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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
according to both, the four-headed Yakșa Kubera.
In neither of the two categories of sources is this deity associated with snakes, which form an essential attribute of the goddess invoked in our hymn.
Only from Hemacandra's 'Abhidhāna-cintāmaņi-kośa', I, st. 45, such an association might appear to exist. For, Hemacandra, instead of mentioning Mallinātha's Śāsana-devi under her actual name, refers to her as 'Dharana-priyā', which he explains, in his 'Svopajña-tīkā', as 'Dharaņoragendrasya priyā Vairotyā', i.e., “Vairoțyā, consort of Dharaṇa, the Indra of the Snakes”. Obviously, this Vairotyā cannot be separated from the goddess whom Āryānandila invokes in his 'Vairotyā-Devi-stava'191, as 'Dharanindapadhama-patti Vaīruttā nāma Nāgiņi (st. 4), and as 'Dharaņoragadajā .... Vairuttā' ( st. 12 ). The Prabhāvaka-carita contains, in its 'Aryanandila-carita'192, an account of the origin of this stava, in the form of a legend, the motif of which recurs in Hindu folk-lore. According to this legend, Vairogyā was the wife of a merchant's son named Padma, and the mother of Nāgadatta, a disciple of Aryanandila (the second 'a' of the latter name being short here). By some action of kindness, Vairoțyā gained the favour of the snake people, who adopted and treated her as a relative, over-showering her with divine favours. After her death, she became the queen of their ruler Dharana, the same divinity whom we mentioned previously as Pārsvanātha's Sāsana-deva ( 'Dharanendrasya devi Sri-Pārsva-sevituḥ' ), and has since then been assisting her mate in coming to the rescue of devotees of Pārsvanātha, especially in danger threatening from poison or fire. Āryanandila, who had been Vairotyā's Guru in her human existence, composed in her honour, the above mentioned hymn, the recitation of which is asserted to be particularly efficacious in securing her help.
In the 'Pädalipta-carita' of the Prabhāvaka-carita193 too, a *Vairoțyā Devī’, obviously the very same goodess, is referred to, for she bears the epithet of 'Phaņīndra-kāntā', and is described as an
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