Book Title: Comparative and Critical Study of Mantrashastra
Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri, K V Abhayankar
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab
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into the hands of the Buddhists. It is said that even Kapardiyakṣa, one of the presiding deities thereof, when Sri Vajraswami in the beginning of the Christian era visited Satruñjaya, had turned heretic and was replaced by another deity by Sri Vajraswami. During that period Girnar was the only Tirtha which could be easily visited by Jains in Western India. Girnar therefore became a popular place of pilgrimage and Sri Ambika came to be considered the Jain Amnaya deity. Sri Apraticakra or Cakreśvarī being connected with PancaParameşti-Mantra and the Sūrimantra-Yantra and Siddhacakra-Yantra continued to be a popular Mantric deity. Sri Padmavati being connected with Sri Pārsvanatha the ideal of Mantrikas and the most popular Tirthankara who earned the title of Purisādāṇīya has continued to be an equally popular Mantric deity. The importance of Sri Siddhāyikā is owing to her being an attendant deity of the last Tirthankara Sri Mahāvīra.
VIDYADEVIS
The worship of Vidyadevis amongst Jains is most ancient as would be evident from references given further on.
INTRODUCTION
They are essentially Mantric deities presiding over all Mantric literature. Of course as Srutadevi alias Sarasvati is the deity presiding over the whole literature sacred as well as secular, she occupies the pre-eminent position amongst Mantric deities, and Vidyadevis are considered deities allied to her but holding comparitively a subsidiary position. In the Jain pantheon Sasana-Yakṣas and Sasana-Yakṣiņis are concerned with the protection of the Jain fold and the Jain doctrine. AMBIKA AND OTHER MÅNTRIC DEITIES
Śrī Ambika appears to have been invoked on various occasions
x " तत्र देव्यस्त्रिधा प्रासाददेव्यः १ संप्रदायदेव्यः २ कुलदेव्यश्च ३ । xxx संप्रदायदेव्यः अम्बा सरस्वती त्रिपुरा तारा प्रभृतयः " ( आचारदिनकर पृ २०६ ) ;
" यासां च देवीमां अप्रसिद्धत्वात् कल्पादर्शनात् गुरूपदेशाभावात् नामोद्दिष्टो मन्त्रो न ज्ञायते तासां अम्बामन्त्रेण वा चण्डीमन्त्रेण वा त्रिपुरामन्त्रेण वा प्रतिष्ठा विधेया । अत्र देवीप्रतिष्ठायां शासनदेवीगच्छदेवीकुलदेवीपुरदेवीभुवनदेवीक्षेत्र देवी दुर्गादेवीनां सर्वासामेक एव प्रतिष्ठाविधिः । " ( आचारदिनकर पृ. २१० ).
