Jain Spirit 2002 06 No 11

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 43

Padmavati - A Symbol of Hope And Courage
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and put it ceremoniously on the ground. He sat in front of the idol and started chanting her mantras. Soon panic set in the army of his adversaries and they ran for their lives without any regard for their mission. As a result, Jinadattaraya's faith in Jain religion was reinforced and he became fearlessly determined to walk through the forest to southern Madhure. He decided to take some rest in the forest and fell asleep. Padmavati appeared to him in a dream. She told him that the place was full of natural resources, nearby there was a deposit of gold and this was a very holy land. Furthermore, Padmavati told him in his dream that she would like to be consecrated under the tree he was resting. He followed her instructions and regularly started to worship at the place of the consecration of the image.
Soon Jinadattaraya with the help of his men found the gold deposits and built a city with the temple of Parsvanath and Padmavati. He also built other temples and a commemorative column. He then established an order whose head was given the title of Shree His Holiness Devendrakirti Bhattaraka. Even today, this most unique holy shrine is under the control of that order. There is no firm evidence about the reason and timing of the demise of Hombuja City. Today, a few sculptures assignable to the probable time of Jinadattaraya are the only relics of earlier art and architecture surviving in Hombuja. However, what is clear is that the arrival of Jinadattaraya together with the murti of Padmavati brought an enormous transfor- An original painting of mation to the area. The tribal Padmavati, being worshipped hunters of the forest became by Pandit Dhirajlal Tokershi craftsmen and part of the forest was turned into a new city. One school of thought states that any base metal placed near Padmavati's murti turned into gold (alchemy- parasmani).
In the last seven hundred years or so, there have been quite a few charismatic worshippers of Padmavati. In the fourteenth century, Jinaprabhasuriji became a very famous Jain acharya. He attained many insights into the worship of Padmavati. In Delhi, he earned great respect from the court of Sultan Muhammad ibn Tughluq and as a result he obtained protection for the holy sites of Girnar and Satrunjaya. Whenever Jinaprabhasuriji conducted
Padmavati's special prayers her presence (darshan) was felt and she always fulfilled the task she was assigned.
In the last century, one of the most devoted and outstanding exponents of Padmavati was Satavdhani Pandit Shree Dhirajlal Tokershi Shah (Panditji). Panditji concluded that Padmavati's poojas are performed in about twenty different names of Padmavati, amongst them Raktapadmavati being the most popular (rakta means red). On this basis Panditji had commissioned a painting of Padmavati, which he used throughout his life for his intense prayers (aradhna). The painting shows Padmavati seated in the padmasana posture on a lotus flower in the middle of a lake and at her back rises a serpent with its five-hooded canopy above her crown. Of the two hands on her right, the top hand is holding a noose (pasa) and the bottom hand is displaying a boon conferring gesture (varadamudra); of the two hands on her left, the top hand is carrying an goad
(ankusa) and the bottom hand is carrying a fruit (phala). She has three eyes, the third eye for extra sensory powers. She is wearing a crown and on top of the crown is an effigy of Lord Parsvanath. She is also wearing earrings and there is a ring on one finger on each of the top hands. There are bracelets and bangles on all the four hands. She is also wearing two necklaces and an ornamental waistband. On each of the four corners of the painting is the mantra Hrim (seed of energy and illusion). This painting holds power and tranquillity in equal measure.
During his life Panditji became well known for conducting poojas and he became one of the foremost authorities on Padmavati. He wrote many books in Gujarati on
various aspects of Jain religion. His book, Shree Parsvapadmavati Aradhna was first published in 1972. The later edition of the book contains for the first time the meanings and commentary on Padmavatistotra in Gujarati. This stotra describes her many virtues, abilities, powers in graphic detail. The book also sets out in meticulous details the preparation for the pooja and its whole conduct including mantras, aarti and the finale. Panditji worshipped this yakshini as Mahadevi Padmavatimata, the great angel.
Dinesh Z. Shah loves Jain wisdom and is a keen student. He lives in London, where he has a small home shrine.
June - August 2002. Jain Spirit
41