Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 331

Yakşa-Yakși or Sāsanadevată
309
two arms. This we find in the independent figures as well as in the examples where the Yakşa is carved with Neminātha images at its right extremity. The figure of Yakși Ambikā is carved on the other extremity. The rendering of elephant mount and goad and noose in hands was popular mainly at Svetāmbara Jaina sites which have yielded the highest number of figures of the Yakşa including independent examples.
The earliest example of the rendering of the Yakṣa is found from Akota (Gujarat, c. 6th-7th century A.D.). The elephant mount and money bag were shown up to at least 8th 9th century A.D. and goad and noose were added only from 10h century A.D. when the Yaksa became four-armed. In some of the examples from Kumbharia and Delvada mace, manuscript and fruit like attributes are also shown in addition to one hand being in varada or abhaya-mudra. In the 11-13th centuries examples from Kumbharia (Säntinātha, Mahāvīra and Neminātha temples), Taranga and Delvada (Vimala- vasahi and Lunavasahi), the four-armed Yaksa with elephant mount, usually sitting in lalitāsana, shows abhaya or varada-mudrā, goad, noose and money-bag.
A beautiful independent image of the Yakşa (from Chittor, Rajasthan) with the small figure of the Jina carved overhead is preserved in Government Museum, Udaipur (Acc. No. 117). The two-armed pot-bellied Yaksa (10h century A.D.) riding on elephant holds a fruit and money bag (PL. 180). The modelling is full of animation and plasticity while decorated mukuta, necklaces and other ornaments show dexterity. In other examples from Digambara Jaina sites, the Yaksa with two jewel pots (nidhi pătra) is usually two-armed and exhibits fruit (or abhaya or varada-mudrā) and money bag. However, in some cases where the Yakşa is four- armed, lotus and pitcher are also shown in two additional hands.
The popularity of Kubera or Sarvānubhuti Yaksa and Ambika Yakși both in independent examples and in Neminātha images reminds us of the ancient Jaina tradition of the worship of Manibhadra-Purnabhadra
Yaksa and Bahuputrikā Yaksi.
(ii) Ambikā Yakși–The popular worship of female principle as 'Mother', representing fertility cult, was adopted by the Jainas in the form of an early Yaksi Bahuputrikā (one having many children). Towards the close of 6h century A.D., she was transformed into Yakşi Ambikā, the Sasanadevi of 22nd Jina Neminātha. Thus Ambikā in Jaina context is a clear cut example of the assimilation of popular belief of the Mother goddess in Jaina worship to formulate the form of one of the most favoured Yakşis, who is shown with two sons. Her popularity doubtlessly was mainly due to her symbols of fertility such as a pair of sons and the amralumbi (bunch of mango fruits) and Mango tree. As a consequence, people propitiated her for begetting children.
The general assumption is that Ambikā, also called as Amba, Kuşmändini, Baladevi in Jainism, is borrowed from the Brahmanical pantheon. But the Jainas have a mythology of their own. Ambikä in Jaina iconographic art rides a lion and holds in her four hands āmralumbi, noose, child and ankuśa, and she is thus the Jaina opposite of Durgā, one of whose early appellations is Ambikā. Sometimes she is shown accompanied by seven dancing female figures, who may be the Jaina adaptations of the Sapta-matrkās. The Jaina conception of this goddess is thus an amalgam of different ideas.
in one of the Jaina Tantrika passages (Ambika tādarka, c. 134h century A.D.), it is clearly stated that, by the worship of Ambikā, the devotees are blessed with children (putram labhate). At a later stage between the 10th and 13th century A.D. some features of Sakti were also induced in Jaina Yakşi Ambikā, as is evidenced by the details available in different iconographic texts wherein she is conceived with some such attributes as goad, noose, thunderbolt, ghantă (bell), sword and disc to manifest her Sakti or power aspect. The terrific forms of Ambikā, propitiated in a number of Tantrika rites such as Santika, paustika, stambhana, mārana etc. are also enunciated in some of the stutis and the stotras
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