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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
on Mālādevi temple sits on lotus seat in lalita-pose with the figure of elephant mount underneath. The Yaksi holds sword, disc, shield and conch. The other figure, carved as the Yakși of Sumatinātha from Bārabhuji cave, shows ten-armed goddess with makara vāhana and as showing varada-mudrā, disc, spear and sword in right and noose, shield, plough, mudgara and lotus in left hands. In case of Sumatinätha image from Vimala- vasahi the Yakşi as usual is Ambikā. (6) Kusuma Yakṣa and Acyutā (or Manovegā) Yakși of Padmaprabha (6th Jina)
(i) Kusuma Yakşa — The four-armed Yakşa, according to both the traditions, rides a deer. The Svetāmbara texts (Nirvăņakalikā-18.6 and Acāradinakara-34, p. 174), sometimes also speaking of peacock and horse mount, prescribe fruit and abhaya- mudră in right and nakula and rosary in left hands. The Digambara texts conceive the Yakşa both as two-and four-armed with spear, shield, mace and rosary being his chief attributes (Pratisthāsároddhāra-3.134 and Aparājitaprccha-221.47). In south Indian texts sometime vāhana is bull also but the attributes are more or less the same. No figure of Yakşa is known to us.
(ii) Acyutā (or Manovegā) Yakși- The four- armed Acyuta in Svetambara texts is naraváhanā who exhibits varada-mudra and viņā (or noose or arrow) in right and bow and abhaya-mudră in left hands (Nirvanakalikā 18.6 and Trişastiśalākāpuruşacaritra 3.4.182-83). The Digambara texts (Pratisthāsārasamgraha- 5.28 and Pratisthāsāroddhāra 3.161) visualize Manovega as riding a horse and carrying shield, sword, fruit, besides one hand being in varada- mudrā. The south Indian texts also give somewhat identical details, barring deer mount as envisaged by one text..
Four independent sculptures of Manovega, datable between 9th and 12th century A.D., are procured from Deogadh (Temple No. 12, A.D. 862), Khajuraho, Gyaraspur (Mālādevi temple) and Bārabhuji cave. The earliest instance from Deogadh carved with the figure
of Padmaprabha overhead labels the Yakși as Sulocanā who has horse mount. The four-armed Yakşi standing in tribhanga holds bow, arrow and lotus in three hands while the fourth one rests on waist. The rendering of Yaksi has the bearing of the iconography of 14th Mahavidyā Acyutā. In case of 10th century figure from Mālādevi temple (south facade), the eight-armed Yakşi in lalitāsana has horse mount. The attributes in her surviving hands are sword, lotus, pitcher, bell, shield, a bunch of mangoes (?) and fruit. The four-armed standing image from Khajuraho (11th century A.D.) is presently in the Archaeological Museum, Khajuraho (Acc. No. 940). The horse is carved on the pedestal and the Yakși bears only lotus in her extant hand. It is interesting to find two small figures of Sarasvati with vīņā in the parikara to suggest the venerated position of Manovegā. The Yakşi carved under the image of Padmaprabha in the Bärabhuji cave surprisingly is provided with swan mount and thunderbolt and conch like attributes. Thus the above figures of the Yakşi suggest that besides horse mount and sword and shield in hands, the iconographic form of the Yakṣi was never crystalized like Cakreśvari and Ambikā. (7) Mātanga Yakşa and Sāntā (or Kāli) Yakși of Supārsvanātha (7th Jina)
(i) Mātanga Yakşa- The four-armed Yaksa with elephant mount in Svetāmbara texts is conceived as carrying bilvaphala (fruit) and noose in right and nakula (mongoose-skin purse or vajra) and goad in left hands (Nirvāņakalikā 18.7 and Mantrādhirājakalpa 3.32). The Digambara text (Pratisthāsāroddhāra-3.135) prescribes lion mount for Mātanga who is always twoarmed and carries thunderbolt (or spear) and staff in hands. The Aparajitaprochā (221.47), however, shows a departure by prescribing ram mount and mace and noose attributes for Mätanga. The south Indian texts agree with the above details of Digambara tradition except for furnishing trident in place of spear (or thunderbolt). The independent figure of Mātanga is not known. In the images of Supärsvanätha known from
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