________________
The Jains have given a special place to Sarasvati in their pantheon as head of the Sruta-devatās and the Vidyadevis, and she is known to them by many names: Srutadevi, Sarada, Vägisvari. As Srutadevi she presides over the śruta, the preaching of the tirtharikaras.
Sarasvati is depicted in Jain art - miniature paintings, bronze and stone images with two, four or eight arms. In Svetāmbara images, as in her other depictions, she rides a swan; in Digambara art and icons, she rides a peacock. Her traditional attributes are the lotus, the vina, the book, and the rosary. These are sometimes replaced by a kamandú. 'water pot', the varada, or abhayamudra, or the noose. In some images of Sarasvati, a miniature jina figure appears over her head distinguishing them from her Hindu images.
Purity and transcendence are the most predominant attributes associated with Sarasvati. She is believed to be pure white like the snow, the moon or the kunda flower, shining brilliantly like a thousand moons. This is also expressed in her mount, the swan; all spiritual masters who have transcended the delusions of the phenomenal world are called paramahansa, 'sublime swan'. "Her realm is one of beauty, perfection and grace; it is a realm created by artistic inspiration, philosophic insight, and accumulated knowledge, which has enabled human beings to so refine their natural world that they have been able to transcend its limitations. Sarasvati astride her swan beckons human beings to continued cultural creations and civilized perfection."10
The Jains and Hindus celebrate festivals honouring Sarasvati especially at jñāna pañcami in the month of kārtika, and on śruta pancami in the month of jyestha. Special hymns are sung in her honour, and all instruments of creation - of music, writing, painting - and books and gurus are especially worshipped on these occasions.
In a corridor ceiling in the Vimalavasāhi temple, there is an image of sixteen-armed goddess Sarasvati sitting in lalitāsana.
She holds a lotus, a danda, a noose, a conch, vīņā, varadamudra, abhayamudra and a lotus in the right set of hands, and a lotus, vina, another musical instrument, a goad, a fruit, abhayamudră with akşamala, a book and a pitcher in the left set of hands. On either side of the figure are a six-armed dancer and a drummer. Below the image is a figural band depicting a goat, a boar, etc. Above the image is a sculptural panel depicting GajaLakşmi in the centre and four divinities on her both sides.
