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Vidyādevīs Goddesses of Knowledge
In the middle of the world there are countless continents and oceans with auspicious names (like) Jambadvipa... There are seven zones here
in Jambudvipa: Bharata, Haimavarta... In the centre of Bharata is mount Vaitadhya... On its northern and southern slopes...are
two rows of vidyadhara cities... 'I am the Master's slave, you two are his servants.
As the fruit of service to him I give you lordship over the vidyadhara. Know that it has been obtained only by the service to the master...' After enlightening them (Nami and Vinami) in this way he (Dharanendra)
gave them the 48000 vidyās. He instructed them 'Go to Vaitadhya, found two rows of cities here, and establish imperishable sovereignty'.
-Trişastişalakāpuruşacaritral
Jf all conceptions prevalent in Jain iconography, none is quite so original as the conception of the vidyādevis - 'goddesses of learning'. Vidyās are the arts, the mantra or magical chants. Vidyâdevis are the personifications of these chants.
Vidyādevis are sixteen in number, far more numerous than in other religious traditions of India. The conception and imagery of the sixteen vidyādevis resembles closely those of Jain yakşis, and may have been modelled after them.15
The above citation refers to Nāmi and Vināmi, two former servants of tirthankara Rşabhanātha. They began to worship him when he was engaged in meditation. To restrain them from disturbing the Master, Dharanendra, king of the någas, appeared and ordered them to found cities on Vaitadhya mountain and become the master of sixteen classes of vidyādharas, the holders of vidyā. The prescriptions prohibit the use of the vidyā to offend a jina or his followers. Until about tenth century, the number and names of sixteen vidyādevis (or Mahāvidyās as they are also called) varied in literature. Only after that time, like those of other gods and goddesses, the attributes and features of the Mahavidyās were clearly described and fixed.
The sixteen vidyadevis are described below. The description of the vidyādevis varies somewhat in the Svetămbara and the Digămbara traditions. What follows is a description according to the Svetămbara tradition.
1929
