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Vidyādevis
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and fruit (or water-vessel). Sometimes vajra is shown Svetāmbara tradition, holds vajra and musala respectively in the lower right hand, while the upper right hand bears in the right and left hands, which however, in one fruit. It is apparent from the above-noted details that example, are juxtaposed. The later works visualise her iconographic form was settled at the site in the Gāndhāri as four-armed and carrying the varada and eighth century A.D. which continued in the later centuries the abhaya-mudră in addition to the usual vajra and without further advancement. Mahākāli in the collective musala. renderings of the Säntinātha temple, Kumbharia, and Vairotyā, the 13th Mahāvidyā, appears to have of the Vimalavasahi is likewise depicted with varadākṣa enjoyed a favoured position in Jainism, who also is vajra, ghanta and fruit.
conceived as the Yakși of Vimalanātha. The goddess, Gaurī, the ninth among the Mahāvidyās, is always shown four-armed, is represented by eight represented by five instances, two on the mukhamandapa examples at the site, of which two are carved on the of the main temple and the remaining ones on the mukhamandapa and the gūdhamandapa of the main devakulikās. The four-armed figure on the main temple temple, whereas the remaining ones are on the rides bull and bears fruit, lotus, lotus and kamandalu. devakulikās. She invariably rides a snake. The figure The two-armed figure on the main temple shows her on the mukhamandpa of the main temple bears sword, with traditional mount godhā (iguana) and carrying two snakes in two hands) and shield, while the figure long-stalked lotus and fruit in right and left hands. on the gūdhamandapa shows shield and snake in the However, in the devakulikā examples the goddess is upper and lower left arms, with lower right resting on both two-and four-armed and always rides an iguana. thigh. The devakulikā figures are identical with the The two-armed goddess bears long-stalked lotuses in figures on the main temple. However, in one solitary both hands, whereas the four-armed goddess, carved on instance, carved on the doorway of the devakulikā the devakulikā No. 3, carries lotus, manuscript and fruit No. 1, the goddess holds snake in all of her four arms, in three surviving hands. The figures correspond to the which is not supported by any of the available dhyānas. Svetāmbara texts only in respect of the vāhana-iguana It appears that the iconographic form of the goddess and lotus. The figures on the devakulikās, however, was standardised at the site in c. eighth century A.D., follow the earlier Svetāmbara tradition enjoined by the which corresponds with the available dhyānas. It is Caturvimšatikä and the Nirvāņakalikā,which depict the interesting to find Vairotyä in the group of the sixteen goddess with iguana and bearing the varada-mudrā, Mahāvidyas at the Santinātha temple, Kumbharia, who musala (or danda), lotus and rosary. One of the figures holds the same set of attributes which are noticed in on the main temple, however, appears to have followed case of the figures of the gūdhamandapa of main temple. the Mantrādhirājakalpa (3.11), wherein she is described the example from the rangamandapa ceiling of the as riding on a bull. The association of bull with Gauri Vimalavasahi also shows similar attributes except for is reminiscent of Brahmanical Śiva. This is further the fruit substituting a snake. reinforced by the instance carved in the rangamandapa The 14th Mahāvidyā Acchupta, in eleven examples, ceiling of the Vimalavasahi, where the four-armed Gauri one on the north facade of the gūdhamandapa and the is provided with bull and varadāksa, lotus (twice) and remaining on the devakulikās, happens to be one of the fruit as attributes.
most favoured Mahāvidyās at the site. Her iconographic The tenth Mahāvidyā Gāndhārī, represented here form, fully corresponding with the Svetāmbara tradition, by four figures, invariably sits on a lotus and possesses was standardised at the site in eighth century A.D., as two hands. The goddess, in conformity with the is evident from the figure of the goddess on the main
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