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They greeted the mother and the child like their predecessors and ranged themselves singing and rejoicing. They carried in their hands mirrors, vases, fans, and flying-whisks respectively. Then appeared the four disākumāris, residing at the intermediate points of Ruyaga (vidisiruyaga-vatthavvão)', singing and rejoicing, carrying lamps in their hands. They were followed by the last group of four disākumāris, residing in the central Ruyaga (majjhimaruyaga-vāsi)?. They cut off the naval-cord and buried it in the earth. Then one plantain arbour each to the east, south and the north of the bath-house was created by magic power. Each arbour contained a hall (cāusālā), in whose centre there was a lion-throne. They carried the mother and the child first to the southern arbour, made them seated on the lion-throne and then anointed and massaged them with precious oils and fragrant essences. Then they carried them on the lionthrone in the eastern arbour and gave them threefold bath with scented water (gandhodaya) flower-water (pupphodaya) and pure water (suddhodaya). Then they dressed them and put on all kinds of ornaments on their body. Then both of them carried to the throne in the northern arbour. The abhioga gods are called and ordered to fetch gosisa sandalwood from the Cullahimavanta. When this was done, the four disākumāris stirring fire by rubbing two pieces
cont.
For the list of dikkumāris also see VH, appendix IV, under Number 39. Alsdorf in his above-mentioned article on Jaina Cosmography and Mythology, has made the following important observations: (a) The list of 32 deities, eight each of the four quarters, mentioned in the Jain and Buddhist traditions is corrupt to some extent. In the Buddhist tradition they are represented as Buddhist protective charms for the journey to the four quarters. (b) Out of 32 names 20 are still completely identical. (c) The antiquity of the list cannot be doubted as it goes back to the set of memorial stanzas, quoted in the shāņā. (d) Väruni by her very name refers to the west and the Jainas seem to be wrong in placing her in the north. The line in which she appears, therefore belongs to where it is found almost identical form in MV/LV and has been exchanged by mistake for the line ilādevi suradevi etc. in footnote 4 mentioned above. (e) Jinasena in his Harivamsapurāna (JHP) has enumerated the names of the goddesses thrice (5.705-717; 8. 106113; 38-31-35). It is remarkable that the names given here are identical with Buddhist names, as opposed to the Jambu, belonging to Svetämbara tradition. This tradition seems to be independent of and anterior to the canonical tradition maintained in the Jambu. (f) The list of above goddesses as a whole seems to be a motely collection of divergent names with no underlying relation to the nature of goddesses or to the four quarters: (i) some of them such as nandā etc. indicate the names of tithis (a lunar day). (ii) nanda, ekānamśā, vijaya and aparajitā are surnames of Durgā, (iii) alambusa is a wellknown nymph, (iv) Sri, sraddha, asa, and hri are four daughters of Indra, (v) Vijaya, vaijayanta, jayanta and aparajita are the four vimānas of the highest celestial regions of the Jainas, and so on, ibid, 116-119. 1. They are: città cittakannagă saterä sodāmini The Thāna (4.1.259), the VH. 160,16 and the Ava Cu, 138 have identical names. The JHP (38.36) gives Kanakaciträ in place of citrakanakā; TSP gives seyamsā in place of saterā; Haribhadra in his Ava commentary gives sudāmiņi, TSP sautramani and JHP sutramani in place of sodāmiņi, Saterā and sovamani have been mentioned as chief queens of Dharanendra; Nāyā, II, 3.2-6; VH 305.25. 2. They are: Ruya ruāsia ceva srūä ruyagāvai The Thänā (4.1.259; 6.507) gives 6 disäkumāris as follows: Ruva, rüvamsā surūvä ruvavai rāvakantā rūvappabhā The VH (160,19) has the following: ruyargā nuyamsā surūvā rūyagāvati The Ava Cu (139) has the following: ruyä ruyamsä suruyā ruyagāvati. The TSP has rüpā rüpāśikā capi surüpă rūpakāvati; and the JHP (38.37) the following: rucakaprabhā rucaka rucakābhā rucakojjvala
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