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Jaina-Rupa-Mandana
Archaeological evidence also supports the conclusions drawn above. In earlier images of Pārsvanatha dating from periods earlier than the ninth century, it is Ambika, and not Padmavati, who is the yakşi accompanying Pārsvanatha (cf. figs. from Dhank, Rohtak etc.). The most notable example of this tradition is supplied by the group of Jaina caves at Ellora, all of which date roughly between the eighth and the tenth centuries A.D. Here there is no sculpture of Padmavati as yakṣiņt even though quite a large number of figures of the yakşı Ambika and also representations of the scene of Pärsvana tha's austerities and the attack of Kamatha are found in these caves. However, only one separate figure of a standing Padmavati is found carved on one side of the doors leading to the upper floors of the cave adjoining the Jagannatha Sabha and is perhaps a later addition without plan. An eight-armed form was intended. All the symbols are not clear, but the lotus, the bow and the arrow can be recognised.287 In fact Parsva and Gommata are the most popular figures in these as well as the other Jaina caves like those of Badami and Aihole. The only yakşa and yakşi met with are the common type of the Kubera-like yakşa and Ambika who were unfortunately miscalled Indra and Indrani. In fact, these represented the earlier examples of yakṣa and yakşini pair in the Jaina Pantheon.
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Once Padmavati was introduced in Jainism, she tried to usurp with success the place of the only important snake-goddess in early Jainism, namely, Vairotyä. That Vairotya was popular is shown by the fact that both Bappabhatti and Sobhana invoked her in their works. Besides, the Jaina traditions associate Vairotya with Arya Nägila Suri who flourished in the early centuries of the Christian era.288
While the Vimala Vasahi at Abu as well as the Kumbharia temples contain a large number of sculptures of Vairotya of different iconographic varieties, Padmavati is practically absent or thrown into backgrounds which fact clearly shows that at least in the eleventh century A.D., Vairotyä remained more popular amongst Jainas of Western India. Such a goddess as Padmavati could never have been underrated by Vimala Saha, Tejapāla and others had she obtained, in the age of Vimala Saha, the status which she now holds in Jaina worship. But Padmavati seems to have been more popular in other parts of India since 8th-9th centuries A.D.
Padmavati offers interesting comparison with snake deities of Hindu and Buddhist pantheons. Manasă,289 the popular snake-goddess in Bengali folklore and worship, is always represented with snakehoods over the crown, and with a huge snake as vähana. Figures of Manasa, however, usually show a child in the lap or on one side, and two snakes in her two hands. There are other forms also, with the swan as the vehicle and showing the book, rosary, varada and pot. In this form Manasă is similar to Sarasvati,290 But the literature on Manasä only shows the unsettled nature of her origin as well as iconography. Some scholars suggest that Manasa has an affinity with the Buddhist snake-goddess Janguli,291 who "appears to have been the divinity of the aboriginal tribes of India".292
Others are of opinion "that the goddess Mancha of the Dravidians has obtained in Bengal the semiSanskritized name of Manasa" 293 Still others have shown that the Manasă cult first obtained a footing in Aryanised Bengal in the 10th-11th century.294 The attempts to identify Manasa with Jaratkaru of Mahabharata have proved less convincing, and the subject still remains a controversial one. The account of Manasă however shows certain outstanding facts: firstly, her enmity with the famous Brahmanical goddess Candi, and secondly, her origin from the lotus wherefrom she derived her name Padma. She was called Manasa as she was born from Siva's mind. Taking into consideration these two main facts, her origin should be sought from the (non-Brahmin and) Jaina snake-goddess Padmavati who had already become popular in the 10th century A.D. Both have snake-hoods over their heads and both have a snake as the vahana. Besides, the antipathy between the followers of the Jaina and the Brahmanical traditions is well-known. The story of Manasa is possibly reminiscent of the struggle for supremacy and popularity as the most powerful goddess between Padmavati and Candi.295 The former became victorious and was introduced into the Brahmanical worship although in a somewhat modified form.
It is of interest to note that the Jaina texts emphasise Padmavati's association with padma or the lotus. She is called variously as Padma, Padmahasta, Padmasamstha, Padma-katini, Padmavadana, and Kamalavati which shows that the goddess originally perhaps held the lotus symbol only, and that the form
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