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the above view as the earliest known sculptures of Ambika do not date prior to c. 550 A.D. The earliest known images of this pair are available on a bronze sculpture of Rsabhanatha set up by Jinabhadra himself and obtained in the Akota hoard. An early image of the goddess Ambika, preserved in the Meguti temple at Aihole, dates from c. 634 A.D.
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Worship of this pair, which resembled Jambhala and Hariti of the Buddhists, became very widespread all over India and the Jaina caves of Ellora, contain some beautiful specimens. About the beginning of the 11th century, four-armed figures of Ambika came into vogue, the amralumbi being repeated in her two extra hands. At a later stage in the mediaeval period of Indian history, symbols like the noose, the goad, the varada, etc. replaced the extra mango-bunches.
The evolution of the iconography of Padmavati is equally interesting. Firstly, in all early representations of Parsvanatha, before c.900 A.D., she hardly figures as the Yaksi of this Jina. Alongwith Dharanendra, she is known as a snake-deity standing and adoring Parsvanatha or holding an umbrella over the head of Parsvanatha. Scenes of attack (upasarga) of Kamatha on Parsvanatha during his meditation, are very popular in the Deccan in the Jaina caves at Ellora, Dharasiva, etc., and even further south at Chitharal, Vallimalai, Kalugumalai and so on. In all these representations, Dharanendra is shown as protecting Parsvanatha with his snake-hoods and adoring him, along with his queen Padmavati. It is indeed surprising to find that in the canonical lists of chief queens of Dharanendra Padmavati is not mentioned at all. It is, therefore, difficult to label this attendant queen of Dharanendra as Padmavati in the representations at Ellora, etc. (She may be Vairotya).
Vairotya, the thirteenth Jaina Mahavidya is an earlier Jaina snake goddess. Lists of Mahavidyas are definitely earlier than the hitherto known list of the 24 Jaina Yaksas and Yaksinis and Arya Nandila is associated with the worship of Vairotya in Jaina traditions. Very probably, the snake-goddess in the Ellora relief was known as Vairotya.
Padmavati gradually replaced Vairotya in popular worship during the mediaeval period form c. 1000 A.D. Next to Ambika, she is the most popular Yaksi and a snake-diety, but her role in the Jaina tantra is greater than that of the Ambika. Works like the Bhairava-Padmavatikalpa, Adbhūta-Padmavati-kalpa, etc. were composed. Four-armed, she usually carries, the lotus, the goad, the noose, etc. and rides on the composite mythical Kukkuta-Sarpa.
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