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Yaksas and Sasana-Devatās
with strong grounds that as the Yakṣas and Yakṣinis were leader disciples of the Jinas, they had been chosen from the rich mercantile class and some of them had represented as bankers. In actual images, we find them decorated in rich jewels and characterised with the symbol of money-bag etc. Apart, however, from this historical background, some quasi-mythological incidents exist in the Jaina literature to explain the origin of some of the Yakṣas, as for instance, Dharanendra and Padmavati in the case of Parsvanatha. We, now, proceed to discuss the iconographic points of each and every Yakṣa or Safana Deva.
Gomukha
As first in order of the Yakṣas, Gomukha is attached to Rṣabhanatha. The texts of both the branches of Jainism concur generally in respect of his attributes. His hands hold the l'arada Mudrā and a rosary and left hands hold a Pasa (Digambara Parasu or Axe). His riding animal differs from an ox according to some texts, to an elephant according to others. His colour is golden. The Digambara books assign in addition a Dharma
1.
चतुर्भुजः सुवर्णाभो गोमुखे वृषवाहनः । हस्तेन परशु ं धत्ते बीजपूराक्षसूत्रकम् । वरदानपरः सम्यक् धर्मचक्रञ्च मस्तके |
Vasunandi's Pratiṣṭhā-sāroddhāra (MSS. Jaina Siddhānabhuvana. Arrah). Cf. सव्येतरोर्ध्वकरदीप्रपरश्वधोक्षसूत्रं तथाधरकराङ्कफलेप्टदानम् ।
प्राग्गोमुखे वृषमुखं वृषगं वृषाङ्क भक्तं यजे कनकभं वृषचक्रशीर्षम् ॥ Pratisthā sāraddhāra by Asādhara, P. 66
Also Cf. स्वर्णाभो वृषवाहनो
चतुर्बाहुभ
Again
...
Acāra-dinakara.
वराक्षमालाशालिभ्यां दोर्भ्यां दक्षिणपार्श्वयोः । मातुलिङ्गपाशभृद्भ्यां वामदोर्भ्यां च शोभितः ॥
67
हेमवर्णी गजरथः etc., Trisasti salākā purusa-carita. Further, प्रथमजिनस्य गोमुखो यक्षः स्वर्णवर्णो गजवाहनः
Pravacana-Sāroddhāra (MSS. Chāni Jaina Bhandara. Baroda).
ऋषभ गोमुखो यक्षो हेमवर्णो गजाननः ।
वराक्षसूत्रपाशञ्च बीजपूरं करेषु च ॥
Sutradhara Mandana's Västu-sastra (MSS. No.. 1351. Jaina Collection jñāna Mandir, Baroda. Cf the details in the Mandira - pratistha-ridhāna MSS. Jaina Siddhāntabharana, Arrah.
