Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 327

Yaksa-Yakst or Sasanadevata
holds conch, sword, disc and varada-mudrā (Pratisthāsārasamgraha-5.55). The south Indian texts speak of varying mounts; it is either peacock or goose or even boar. The main attributes of Yaksi like north Indian Digambara texts are disc, conch, sword and lotus. The Vaiṣṇava impact is apparent.
We have come across only two independent figures texts prescribe boar vahana for four-armed Jaya who carved in the collective renderings of the 24 Yakṣis at the Digambara Jaina sites, namely Deogadh (Temple No. 12, A.D. 862) and Bärabhuji cave. In case of Deogadh the four-armed Yakṣi (in tribhanga) with Śantinatha has been labelled as 'Śrīyadevi'. The Yakṣi with buffalo mount holds sword, disc, shield and axe which are the features enunciated for 6th Mahavidya Naradattä. The example in Bärabhuji cave is Jaina version of Brahmanical Gaja- or Abhiṣeka-Lakṣmi. The Yakṣi here sits in dhyana-mudra on lotus and holds in both of her hands long stalked lotuses with figures of two elephants above to lustrate the goddess. Thus the traditional features are not shown in known examples. In the Santinatha images from western India the Yakşi as usual is Ambika while in some of the examples from central India (Deogadh and Khajuraho) the four-armed Yakṣi sometimes is shown with lotus (in one or two hands), manuscript and water vessel to reveal some concurrence with Digambara tradition and thereby the impact of goddess Sarasvati.
Two examples of the rendering of Yakşi are known from Digambara Jaina sites. The first figure from Deogadh (Temple No. 12, A.D. 862), represents the four-armed Yakşi with nara (man) vahana and as holding disc (ring), lotus and skull in three hands while the fourth hand rests on thigh. The other figure from Barabhuji cave depicts the ten-armed Yakşi with the figure of Kunthunatha above. The Yakṣi with buffalo mount shows varada-mudra, staff, goad (?) disc and rosary in right hands while the corresponding left ones carry three-pronged object (small trident like), disc, conch, lotus and pitcher. The figures in both the instances apparently do no conform with the known textual injunctions.
(17) Gandharva Yakşa and Bala (or Jaya) (18) Yakşendra (or Khendra) Yakṣa and Yaksi of Kunthunätha (17th Jina)
Dharani (or Tārāvati) Yakşi of Aranatha (18th Jina)
(i) Gandharva Yakṣa- According to Śvetämbara texts the mount of four-armed Yakṣa is swan and he shows varada-mudra and noose in right and fruit and goad in left hands (Nirvaṇakalika - 18.17). The Digambara texts conceive four-armed Yakṣa as riding on pakṣiyāna (chariot drawn by bird) or parrot and as carrying arrow, bow and noose in hands (Pratisthāsāroddhāra - 3.145). The attributes in south Indian tradition are the same as prescribed by north Indian Digambara texts but the vahana is either deer or chariot or even the pakṣiyana. The independent figure of Yakṣa is not found.
(ii) Bala or Jaya Yakṣi- The four-armed Bala in Śvetambara texts is provided with peacock mount and fruit, spear (or trident), muşundhi (made of wood with iron nails) and lotus in hands (Nirvaṇakalika18.17) and Acaradinakara - 34, p. 177). The Digambara
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(i) Yakşendra or Khendra Yakṣa- Both the traditions are unanimous in conceiving Yakşendra as twelve-armed, six-faced and three-eyed with conch mount. The attributes are also more or less the same in both the traditions. The Yakṣa bears fruit, arrow, sword, shield, spear (or vajra), goad, noose, mudgara, nakula, bow, rosary and abhaya-mudra (Nirvanakalika18.18 and Pratisthäsäroddhara - 3.146). The Manträdhirajakalpa (3.42) and Devatamurtiprakaraṇa (7.50-51), however, speak of bull and seșa (snake) vahana respectively. The south Indian texts are greatly in agreement with the north Indian Digambara tradition with the mount being peacock. The Yakṣa sometimes also holds snake and trident. The iconographic form of Yakṣendra apparently has the fusion of a number of Brahmanical deities, namely Kärttikeya, Indra and Śiva.