International Jain Conference 1985 3rd Conference

Author(s): Satish Jain, Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Ahimsa International

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Jaina Sarasvati has also some bearing of Brahminic Saraswati which is conceived as the consort both of Brahma and Vishnu. This closeness can be established on account of their common attributes, like Pustaka, Vina, Aksamala, Kamandalu, Sruk, Ankusa and Pasa. The Acaradinakara (A. D. 1412) however, envisaged the same sets of symbols for Srutadevata and Brahmani. The four-armed Brahmani here is visualized like Sarasvati as riding on Hamsa and holding Vina, Pustaka, Padma and Aksamala. The rendering of Sruk with Sarasvati although never prescribed by any Jaina text is noticed in good number of Jaina Sarasvati figures which happens to be an invariate feature of Brahma.
The early Jaina works conceive Sarasvati only with two hands and as holding either a book and a lotus or a water-vessel and a rosary, and riding a swan. The Saraswati-yantra-puja of Subhacandra, however, describes the two armed Mayura-vahini with three eyes and holding a rosary and a book. The four-armed Sarasvati appears to have enjoyed the highest veneration among both the Svetambara and Digambara sects. The four-armed goddess in both the sects bear almost identical attributes, except for the Vahana. Svetambara works invariably conceive her with Varda-mudra, a lotus, a manuscript and a rosary. The Sarasvatikalpa of Bappabhatti Suri (10th-11th century A.D.) however, gives two sets of symbols for four-armed Saraswati; the first showing her with Abhaya Mudra, Varada-Mudra, a Pustaka and a lotus while in other the Abhaya and VaradaMudra have been replaced by a Vina and a rosary. The Bharati-Kalpa of Mallisena (11th century A. D.) renders the Dhyana of goddess showing Abhaya-mudra, Jnana-mudra, rosary and manuscript. It was only sometime after 9th century A.D. that Srutadevata became the goddess of music as well and was consquently provided with a Vina, replacing the Varada-mudra. As she became the goddess of music, peacock, symbolic of dance and music, was associated with her. The Jainendrakalyanabhyudaya refers to Sarasvati as holding a Pasa in place of Vina. According to the Nirvanakalika of Padalipta Suri (III) (A. D. 900), Sarasvati bears a book, a rosary, a lotus, the Varada-mudra and various other symbols in her numerous hands.
The earliest representation of Sarasvati is known from Mathura (A. D. 132 or 149). The two-armed goddess, seated squatted on rectangular pedastal, holds a manuscript in her left hand while her mutilated right hand was in the Abhayaksa. The Hamsa Vahana is not carved in the present instance. Deogarh (Lalitpur U.P.) a prolific Digambara Jaina site, has yielded a number of independent figures of Sarasvati, datable between 9th to 12th century A. D. Sarasvati in Deogarh, riding either a swan or a peacock, has been represented with two or four arms. The rendering of Sarasvati twice in the group of 24 Yaksis is particularly interesting. These figures, carved on the facade of temple No. 12 (A. D. 862) at Deogarh. represent her as Yaksi respectively of Jina Abhinandana and Jina Suparsvanatha with the labelling Bhagavati Sarasvati and Mayuravahini.
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