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128
Jaina Iconography
a man but holds a rosary, vajra, Abhaya mudra and bell.1 The Digambara form of Mahākālī is to be represented as standing on a corpse and bearing in her hands a bow, sword, fruit and weapon."
Though the Yakṣiņi of the like name, the Svetambara one of Sumatinatha and Digambara one of Suvidhinatha, exists in Jain Iconography, the Vidyadevi named Mahākālī partakes more of the nature of Kali of Brahmanism than of the same Yakṣiņi. The symbols of sword, bell, rosary, etc., are sufficiently tantrik in character, the corpse at the feet of the goddess being a true mark of Kāli. The Digambara book states that the goddess grants religious trance (Samadhi) to her worshippers.
Gauri
She of the Svetämbara type rides on an alligator (T) and bears four hands equipped with Varada, club, rosary and water-lily. In Digambara form, too, Gauri has an alligator as her vehicle and holds lotus as her symbol.4 There is also Gauri, the Digambara Yakṣiņi of Śreyāms anatha. Some of her symbols, such as lotus, Varada, are identical with those of this Vidyadevi. As an alligator is mythologically associated with a form of Brahmāṇī, Gauri or Durgā, we have reason enough to infer that the goddess, model came after her. The alligator and some of the symbols such as water-lily and urn indicate her connection with the goddess Ganga of Brāhmaṇism.5
I.
महाकालीं देवीं पुरुषवाहनां चतुर्भुजामक्षसूत्रवज्जान्वितदक्षिणकराम् प्रभयघण्टालङ्कृतवामभुजाम् ।
Nirvanakalika.
2. चक्रेऽधिकां साधुषु यः समाधि तं सेवमाना शरमाधिरूढा । श्यामा धनुःखङ्गफलाऽस्त्रहस्ता बलि महाकालि जुपस्व शान्त्यै ॥
Pratisthāsāroddhāra.
3. गोधासनसमासीना कुन्दकर्पूरनिर्मला ।
4. गौरीं देवीं गोधावाहनां चतुर्भुजां वरदमुसलयुतदक्षिणकरामक्षमालालङ्कृत
वामहस्ताम् ।
5. गोधागता हेमरुगव्जहस्ता गौरि प्रमोदस्व तदर्चनांशैः ॥
Nirvanakalika.
Pratisthāsāroddhara.
