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Śâsana-Devatās
217
Jina
DT
ТР
PS
HT
20. Manisuvrata
Sidhai
Aparăjitā
21. Nami
Bahurūpiņi
Bahurūpiņi
Naradatta Sugandhini Cämunda
Gandhari Kusumamălini Amra-Küş-mandini Ambikä Padmavati
Padmavati Siddhayini
Siddhāyikā
22. Nemi 23. Pārsva 24. Mahavira
Ambāyika Padmavati Aparajitā
Kūşmandini Padma Siddhayini
A later set of yaksis is obtained in the Barabhuji Cave, Khandagiri, Orissa, As Debala Mitra has shown, these figures "may even be as late as the eleventh-twelfth century A.D."91 The Navamuni cave, near the above cave, has reliefs representing only seven śasanadevatās and contains an inscription dated in the reign of Somavamsi king Udyotakesari,ø2 assignable to c. eleventh century A.D. The reliefs in the Navamuni cave are however earlier in age and may be assigned to c. ninth-tenth century A.D. The Mälädevi Jaina temple at Gyaraspur, M.P., also shows that the twenty-four different yakşin Is were already evolved in the ninth century A.D. We obtain there, on the pedestal of an image of Mahavira, the figure of yaksi Siddhãyika. The earliest reference to the separate sasanadevatás is obtained in the Harivamsa of Jinasena (783 A.D.) who speaks of śasanadevatās of great prowess, like Apraticakra and others, paying respects to Vrsabha, the Dharmacakravartin. It is therefore safer to conclude that the different śāsanadevatās were evolved in the eighth century A.D., but did not become very popular till about the tentheleventh century A.D.
Debala Mitra has listed and identified the Tirthařkaras with their cognizances and yaksinis in the Navamuni and the Bārābhuji caves. They are as follows:
The Navamuni Cave, Khandagiri, Orissa
Tirtharkara 1. Rşabha (on back wall) 2. Ajita ( ” ” ) . 3. Sambhava (" " ) 4. Abhinandana (" " ) 5. Vasupujya (" " ) 6. Pārsvanātha (" " ) 7. Neminātha (" " ) 8. Pärśvanātha (right wall) 9. Rşabhanátha (right wall) 10. Candraprabha (" ")
Cognizance Bull Elephant Horse (damaged) Monkey Buffalo (damaged) Någa (snake) Conch Snake Bull Moon
Yaksi Cakreśvari Robini Prajñapti Vajraísokhalā (Vaişņavi ?) Gandhāri (Kaumari ?) Padmavati Ambikā or Amra
X
The Bāräbhuji Cave, Khandagiri, Orissa
Tirthankara 1. Rşabhanatha 2. Ajita 3. Sambhava 4. Abhinandana 5. Sumati 6. Padmaprabha 7. Supärsva 8. Candraprabha
Cognizance Bull Elephant Horse (broken) Ape (indistinct) Lotus Six-petalled flower Moon
Yakşi Cakreśvari Rohiņi Duritāri or Prajňapti Vajraśpókhala ? Käli? Puruşadattā ? Manovega ? Kāli? Jválini ?
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