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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
varada-mudrā, abhaya-mudrā, conch and disc in the noose, bow, plough, shield and long stalked lotus, hands. The South Indian tradition, however, speaks of besides showing the varada-mudra. makara-vāhana and discs in two upper hands. The lower (3) Trimukha Yakşa and Duritāri (or hands are in abhaya-mudră and kataka-mudrā. Prajñapti) Yakși of Sambhavanātha (3rd Jina)
The independent figures of Yakși are found both (i) Trimukha Yakşa- According to both the at the Svetämbara and Digambara Jaina sites. At Delvada, traditions Trimukha (three-faced) Yakşa has three eyes, Kumbharia, Taranga and Ghanerav we find the six arms and peacock mount. The Nirvāņakalikā (18.3) representation of four-armed Yakṣi with goad and noose provides nakula (mongoose), mace, abhaya-mudrā (in in upper hands and varada-mudră (or abhaya-mudra right hands), fruit, snake and rosary (in left hands) while and fruit (or water-vessel) in the lower ones. The Yakşi the Pratisthāsāroddhāra (3.131) gives staff, trident and riding either on an elephant or sometimes even on a small dagger in right and disc, sword and goad in left lion is identifiable with Ajitā.
hands. The south Indian tradition almost follows the On the other hand we come across five independent Pratisthāsāroddhāra. However, the independent figure images (10h - 12h centuries A.D.) of Rohiņi at Gyaraspur of Yaksa is not found and even in the images of (Mālādevi temple), Deogadh (the mānastambhas in front Sambhavanātha from Deogadh and Khajuraho the Yaksa of temple Nos. 11 and 12) and Khandagiri (Navamuni is not the Trimukha Yaksa. Instead, either two-or fourand Bārabhuji caves). In the beautiful figure carved on armed and one-faced Yaksa shows mace, manuscript, the northern basement of Mālādevī temple (10h century lotus, fruit (or water-vessel or purse), besides the varada A.D.), the twelve-armed Yaksi sits in lalitäsana on (or abhaya)-mudrā which reveal that his form was never lohäsana with the head of some animal (probably standardized. elephant) underneath. Rohiņi here carries lotus, (ii) Duritāri (or Prajñapti) Yakşi, Duritāri of thunderbolt, disc, conch, flower and lotus in six of her Svetämbara tradition (Nirvanakalika, 18.3) is four-armed surviving hands. The eight-armed figure carved on the and she rides a meşa (ram) or even a peacock (or a mānastambha (A.D. 1059, in front of temple No. 11) buffalo). She shows in her hands varada-mudrā, rosary, at Deogadh, shows Rohini as seated in lalitasana with fruit (or snake) and abhaya-mudrā. Prajñapti in cow-mount (Acāradinakara, 34, p. 176, prescribes cow- Digambara texts is conceived as six-armed with mount) and with the attributes- varada-mudrā, goad, unspecified bird mount and as showing ardhendu arrow, disc, noose, bow, spear and fruit (Pl. 175). The (crescent), axe, fruit, sword, idhi (or pīndi) and varadaexquisitely carved figure is in high flexion. However, mudrā (Pratisthāsāroddhara -3.158 and Pratisthātilakam in case of four-armed figure from Navamuni cave the 7.3, p. 341). In south Indian tradition she rides a goose mount is an elephant and the distinguishing attributes and holds axe, sword, noose and disc. Her two hands in hands are thunderbolt, goad and three-pronged object are in abhaya-mudra and kataka-mudrā. (small trisula like), besides abhaya-mudra. It is interesting In the images of Sambhavanātha (11th 12th century to find goddess as having third eye on the forehead A.D.) the Yakşi, in case of western Indian Svetāmbara which alongwith small triśūla like object is suggestive examples, is Ambikā, while in case of north Indian of the impact of Siva. In case of Bārabhuji cave the examples, particularly from Khajuraho and Deogadh, twelve-armed Rohiņi is provided with bull mount and the Yakṣi without any distinguishing feature is usually she carries the attributes, namely spear, arrow, sword, two-armed. However, two figures of Yakşi in association
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