Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 353

Other Jaina Gods and Goddesses
story of the previous existence of Brahmaśānti Yakṣa who was formerly known as the Sulapāņi Yakṣa who created hindrances in the meditation of Mahāvīra. Subsequently he became the devotee of Mahāvīra and thereafter he was known as Brahmaśānti Yakṣa. The earliest iconographic reference to Brahmaśānti Yakṣa is enunciated in the Nirvaṇakalika (of Padalipta Sūri III-c. 900 A.D.) and Stuti-Caturviṁśatika (of Sobhanamuni- A.D. 973). According to Jinaprabhasüri, the Brahmasanti Yakṣa was in existence at Satyapura (Saccaura or Sacor, Rajasthana) in Vikram samvat 1081 (A.D. 1024).
A number of independent figures of Brahmasanti Yakṣa are encountered at different Śvetambara sites in Western India. These figures, belonging from 10th to 13th century A.D., come from Ghanerav (Mahavira temple, 10th century A.D.), Kumbharia (Mahavira and Śantinātha temples, 11th century A.D.), Sevadi (Mahāvīra temple, 11th century A.D., Rajasthan), Osian (eastern Jaina devakulikā, 11th century A.D.) and Vimalavasahi (devakulikā 54 - ceiling and navacauki - 12th century A.D.) and Luna-vasahi (close to rangamandapa ceiling - 1231 A.D.) in Delvada (Mount Abu - Rajasthan). He is also shown in paintings of Kalpasūtra at Patana (Chāṇī palm-leaf miniature and Vardhamana - Vidyapata of Vikram samvat 1470 = A.D. 1413). The Chānī palm-leaf miniature represents him fierce in appearance and yellow in complexion. He carries umbrella in right upper, the book in right lower and wooden laddle (sruk) in left upper hands while left lower hand shows the varada-mudra. He sits in lalitasana on a big cushion with swan as vehicle. In the painting of Vardhamana Vidyapata the vahana is bull and the Yakṣa also carries a trident which are the features of Śiva images. The figure however is distinctly labelled as Brahmasanti.
The Nirvaṇakalika conceives the four-armed Brahmasanti Yakṣa with frightful appearance and jaṭāmukuta and wooden sandal. He sits on bhadrasana and holds rosary and staff (danda) in right hands while the left hands carry chatra (umbrella) and water-vessel
331
(21.1). The Stuticaturviṁśatikā also envisages the same attributes for four-armed Yakṣa.
The earliest known figures of Brahmaśānti Yakṣa are procured from the Mahavira temple at Ghanerav which depicts four-armed pot-bellied Yakṣa with beard and jaṭāmukuta. The Yakṣa sitting on lotus in lalitasana shows varadākṣa (boon conferring gesture-cum-rosary), lotus, chatra and water-vessel. The four-armed figure on the eastern devakulika (southern vedībandha) at Osian shows swan as mount and varada-mudra, sruk (sacrificial laddle), manuscript and water-vessel as attributes. Kumbharia and Delvada have yielded the highest number of Brahmaśānti figures whereat he is provided with either swan or an elephant as mount. In all the five figures of Kumbharia, the pot-bellied, fourarmed and bearded Yakṣa sits in lalitasana and bears varada-mudra, lotus, manuscript and water-vessel. Sometimes he wears karanda mukuta and carries varada (or varadākṣa), umbrella, manuscript and fruit (or watervessel). The figures from Vimalavasahi and Lūṇa-vasahi show identical details except for the fact that sometimes the Yakṣa is six-armed and is flanked by the figures of two fly-whisk bearing attendants. The six-armed figure in the Vimalavasahi is carved in the ceiling close to rangamandapa, wherein the Yakṣa stands in tribhanga and is accompanied by swan as vāhana (Pl. 210). The Yaksa here carries umbrella, lotus, manuscript and watervessel in four hands whereas two hands are in varada and abhaya-mudras. The identical six-armed figure in the Luna-vasahi shows even sruk and thunderbolt in place of manuscript and umbrella.
Apparently, the iconographic features of Brahmaśānti Yakṣa reveal the impact of Brahmanical deity Brahma in respect of swan mount, sruk, lotus and manuscript. However, the presence of umbrella as found both in literature and art is suggestive also of the bearing of Vamana form of Viṣṇu. KAPARDDI YAKŞA
Like Brahmaśānti Yakṣa, Kaparddi Yakṣa was also popular mainly in the Svetambara tradition. The