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Jaina-Rupa-Mandana T.N. Ramachandran has referred to a form supplied by a palm-leaf manuscript in possession of the temple-priest at Jina-Kanchi. The ms. is titleless and bears no date. Ambika is here represented as dark-blue in complexion with two hands showing the fruit and the varada mudra. The vāhana as usual is the lion 107 Vasunandi, the author of the unpublished Pratisthāsārasamgraha describes Ambika-Amră as dvibhuji simhamårudhā Āmrädevi haritprabha. The Aparajitaprcchā of Bhuvanadevācārya prescribes the same form. According to it, Ambika has a dark-blue complexion, a child sits on her lap and another stands by. Her two hands show the fruit and the varada mudra.
A stone sculpture of Ambikä sitting, from Pancakūta Basti, Kambadahalli, Karnataka, published by Settar, shows yet another variety of form. 108 The symbol of the right hand, partly defaced, must have been a lotus-bud with stalk while in the left hand the goddess holds the citron. Both the sons are playfully riding on the lion vähana depicted on the pedestal. Similar symbols are held by a figure of Ambikā found at Mangadevanpatti, Tiruchi district, Tamil Nadu. This sculpture is somewhat earlier than the tenth century Kambada halli figure just discussed.
The Meguti tespit at Aihole, Karnataka, contains a beautiful early sculpture of Ambikā, assignable to 634 A.D., the daie of the temple-consecration. Ambikā sits with her right leg placed a little upwards on the pedestal and the left foot hanging (see figure 88 in this book). In front of the pitha is her lion mount and one of the two sons is looking towards the mother from behind the lion. The goddess is attended by three ladies on her right and two on the left side. One of the ladies on the right holds one of the sons of Ambika in her hand. Heads of the lady as well as the child in her hand are mutilated. Ambika's right arm, raised up at the elbow, probably held a lotus with a stalk. The left forearm is broken but the palm of the hand resting on the pitha would suggest that this variety of form of twoarmed Ambika should correspond with the Chitharal Ambika discussed above.
A sculpture of Ambika from Sembuthu, Puddukottai, Tamil Nadu, showing the lotus-stalk in the right hand raised at the elbow and the left resting on the lap further supports our inference about the form of Ambika in the Meguti temple (Fig. 202 in this book).
Of the variety showing the lotus-stalk in the right hand and the citron in the left, a fine lively miniature painting is preserved in one of the palm-leaves of the Dhavala tika at Mudabidri (Panorama of Jaina Art. fig. 408). In another miniature, the two sons playfully ride on lions, one on each side while Ambika sitting in the centre shows the abhaya mudra and the citron in her right and the left hands respectively (Panorama of Jaina Art, fig. 397 and fig 172. in this book).
Figure 196 in this book illustrates an interesting sculpture of two-armed Ambika from the Mathura Museum (Mu. no. D7). In her right hand the goddess held a bunch of flowers according to Vogel. 109 The symbol is partly damaged. With her left hand the devi holds one of her sons on the left lap. On top of the sculpture, in the centre is the Jina (Neminatha) sitting in padmāsana with Krsna standing on his left side and Balarama standing on the right. Near the right leg of the goddess is a figure of the second son standing beside whom is a small seated figure of Ganesa. On the corresponding left side is another small seated figure with the face and crown damaged. This figure represents Kubera according to Vogel's suggestion. This sculpture suggests the close relationship of the conception of the Jaina Ambika with the Brahmanical conception of the Durga-Pärvati (also called Amba) whose son is Ganesa and who also rides the lion.
Rock-cut reliefs at Anandamangalam in Chingleput district, Tamil Nadu, include a figure of Ambikā standing with the two sons by her side. The goddess stands on her lion vehicle. Her right hand rests on the kai while the left hand is placed on the head of a female attendant standing beside the goddess. The form is unusual (se: figure 48 in this book).
2. Four-Armed Variety
A striking feature of the four-armed variety of form of Ambika is that instead of showing the amra-lumbi in one hand the goddess holds it in three hands while the fourth hand as usual supports the child on the lap. This is an easy way to multiply the forms of Ambika.
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