Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain, Others
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 317

Yakşa-Yakși or Śāsanadevatā
295
only show the fly-whisk bearing attendants and hovering thunderbolt, bell (with chain), shield, staff, conch, bow, Mālädharas with Cakreśvarī but the figures of Padmavati disc, snake, spear and disc. Iconographically, this is one Yakși and Sarasvati are also carved in the parikara. of the most complicated images of Cakreśvari. Aesthetically also the figures are bejewelled, well In south India the garuda-vāhana is shown rarely proportionate and beautiful revealing grace and dignity. but the disc is the main attribute, besides conch and This is true of the figures of all other Yaksis. mace. The main figures are found from Pudukottai (10th
In case of Svetāmabara examples, sometimes it century A.D.), Jinanāthapura (Karnataka), becomes difficult to make difference between the Yakşi Sravanabelagola and Ellora. In case of Ellora (cave 30 - and the Vidyādevi except for the context. Such figures 9th century A.D.), the twelve-armed Cakreśvari rides are found mainly at Kumbharia, Delvada and Taranga. on garuda (in human form) and holds in her six surviving Interestingly in the ceiling of Mahāvīra temple at hands lotus, disc, conch, disc, mace and sword. Kumbharia, the Yakṣi with varada-mudrā, mace, lotus (2) Mahāyakşa and Ajitā (or Rohiņi) Yaksi and conch is labelled as Vaişnavi (the consort of of Ajitanātha (2nd Jina) Brahmanical god Vişnu).
(i) Mahāyakşa- Both the traditions visualize the The earliest figure of Cakreśvarī from Deogadh four-faced and eight-armed Mahāyakșa as riding on an carved with Rşabhanātha in the group of twenty-four elephant. The difference however is noticed only in Yaksis has the label inscription which gives the name respect of attributes. The Nirvānakalikā (18.2) prescribes Cakreśvari. The Yakṣi with garuda mount (in human varada-mudrā, mudgara (club), rosary, noose (in right form) bears discs in all her four hands which was the hands), and fruit, abhaya-mudrā, goad and spear (in left feature of the Mahavidyā Apraticakrā. At Deogadh, hands), while the Digambara texts (Pratisthāsāroddhāra Khajuraho, Bajrangagarh, Mathura, Khandagiri - 3.130) envisage sword, staff, axe, varada-mudrā (in (Navamuni, and Bārabhuji caves) and Gyaraspur, some right hands), disc, trident, lotus and goad (in left hands). very peculiar figures were carved. In one of the figures The south Indian texts give almost the identical details from Mathura (now in Archaeological Museum, Mathura, as found in north Indian Digambara texts. However, Acc. No. D. 6, 10h century A.D.), the ten-armed Yaksi on the basis of goad, axe and trident the impact of Indra standing in samabhanga with garuda mount, carved on and Siva could be suggested while the four faces of the pedestal as a bird, shows discs in all her nine Yakşa remind us of Brahma. surviving hands (PL. 173). But mostly, besides the disc It may be noted that the independent figure of (in one or two hands), the Yakși carries mace and conch Mahayakṣa is not known to us and in the images of like attributes also to remind us of the impact of Ajitanātha from Deogadh and Khajuraho also the Vaişnavi on Jaina Yakşi Cakreśvari. Deogadh has two-armed Yaksa showing abhaya-mudra and fruit (or produced three 114 century images of twenty-armed water-vessel) is not the traditional one. Cakreśvarī. The most important and complete figure, (ii) Ajitā or Rohiņi Yakși- The Nirvāņakalikā now preserved in Sāhū Jaina Museum, Deogadh, depicts (18.2) and the Trişastiśalākāpuruşacaritra (2.3.845-46) the goddess as riding on garuda shown in human form visualize the four-armed Ajitā as sitting on lohäsana with four arms (Pl. 174). The Yakşi holds a bigger disc (iron seat) and as showing varada-mudrā and noose in in two upper most hands while the other hands bear right hands and goad and fruit in the left ones. The disc, sword, quiver, mudgara, disc, mace, rosary, axe, Pratisthāsārasargraha (5.18) on the other hand prescribes