________________
JAIN JOURNAL
is known as the Yakși of the eighth Jina Candraprabha. She is visaulized as eight-armed and riding a buffalo with an arrow, a disc, a trident, a noose, a bow, a fish, a sword and the carma in her hands. 31
The 21st Yakşi Manuja (Manuji-Cunningham) is provided with horse as vāhana and shows the varada-mudrā, a sword and a shield in her three surviving hands. However, in the Digambara tradition there is no Yakşi with this name. The Yakși of the 10th Jina Sitalanatha, in Digambara tradition, though called Manavi, rides, on the contrary, a boar and holds a fruit, the varada-mudrā, a fish and a noose.32 However, another Yakşi Manovega, associated with the sixth Jina Padmaprabha, although differs in name, but has atleast some concurrence with Manuja in respect of iconography. Like Manuja she is conceived with horse as vāhana and the varada-mudrā, a sword, a shield and a fruit as attributes.33
The 22nd Yakşi, without her name being inscribed, is accompanied by gaja-vyāla as vāhana and shows the varada-mudrā in one of her surviving hands. However, the identification of the Yakși is not possible.
The 23rd Yakşi Vajrasamkala (Vrijamsakala-Cunningham) is joined by a harsa as vāhana with the varadamudrā and a manuscript in her two surviving hands. The Yakşi is identifiable with Vajrasrnkhala, the Yaksi of the fourth Jina Abhinandana, who, likewise, rides a hamsa with one hand in varada and the rest holding a nāgapāśa, a rosary and a fruit. 34
It is hence apparent from the foregoing description that the figures of the Yakşis, in most of the cases, concur with the injunctions as envisaged by the Digambara texts, such as the Pratişțhāsārasamgraha, the Prațişthāsāroddhāra and sometimes also the Aparājitapịcchā, as to their names and distinct iconographic features. However, in other two identical instances of the collective renderings of the 24 Yakşis, known from Deogarh (Temple No. 12) and Khandagiri (Barabhuji cave), we do not find
81 ivalini mahisarudha devi sveta bhujastaka / kandamcakramtrisulam ca dhatte
pasam ca muska)sam-Pratisthasarasamgraha 5.32 ; candrojjvalam cakrasarasapasa carmatrisulesujhasasihastam-Pratisthasaroddhara 3.162 manavi ca haridvarna jhasahastacaturbhujah / krsnasukarayanastha phalahas
tavaraprada-Pratisthasarasamgraha 5.36. 38 turangavahana devi manovega caturbhuja / varada kancana chaya siddhasi
phalakayudha--Pratisthasarasamgraha 5.28 ; manovega saphalakaphalakhadgvararcyate-Pratisthasaroddhara 3.161. Varada hamsamarudha devata vajrasrnkhala / nagapasaksa sutroruphalahasta caturbhuja--Pratisthasarasamgraha 5.22-23. Also : Pratisthasaroddhara 3.159 : Aparajtaprccha 221.18.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
