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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
to bless with her vidyā only to Śrutadharas who carry Āgama tradition, but not to bless any haughty persons. Again in the 8th Adhyayana, 24 Tīrthankaras and Tīrthas are venerated and then Jinabhadra bowed down to Śrutadevī Bhagavatī55. Thus for the first time we find Śrutadevatā in the form of deity. In Pañcāsaka prakarana, Haribhadrasūri (eight century) included Śrutadevatā with other Śāsana deities - Rohini, Ambā, Mandapunyikā, Sarvasampadā, Sarvasaukhyā, Śrutadevatā, śāntidevatā, Kāli, Siddhāyikā who are nine Devatas in numbers 56. The Tīka of this scripture announces a special penance named as Srutadevatā austerity (Tapa) wherein the deity is worshipped on every Ekādasī continuously for eleven times practicing fast without uttering a word known as Mauna-vrataS7. According to Pañcāsaka Bhāșya, Śrutadevatā is a deity of Vyantara class. In Angavijja (2nd cent. A.D.) she is considered as a deity adore as Śri, Meghā and Kīrti58 In Paumacariam (2nd cent. A.D.) Vimalsūri also refers to her as a deity (3/51). Sarasvatī-kalpa composed by Ācārya Bappabhattasūri comprises the proper method of her adoration and chanting process of mantras. This kalpa is a stotra prayer of 12 ślokas, have four lines each, glorified her qualities and dignity and then mantras are given in detail with the process of chanting and right time for adoration. Here she is adored describing her various names with its splendour and the fruits of adoration. The stotra also contains the mantras for improving self and thus to become intellectual. As per the author, besides mantras some Guţikās and Yantras also have power to reduce problems and obstacles. Sri Hemcandrācārya worshipped the deity with her various names as per her qualities. With the blessings of Śāradā he composed three and half crores ślokas in many languages on various subjects.
55 ) एसा विज्जा सिध्दंतिएहिं अक्खरेहिं लिखिया एसा य सिध्दंतिया लीवी अमुणिय समय सब्भावाणं
सुयघरेहिं णं न पनवेज्जा तह य कुसीलाणं च - "नमो भगवतीए सुयदेवाए सिज्झउ मे सुयाहिया विज्जा"
- Maha Nishithasūtra, gth adhyaya, II) Jain S., an article on Sarasvatī, op. cit. 209. 56 रोहिणि अंबा तह मंदउण्णया सव्वसंपयसोक्खा। सुयसंतिसुरा काली सिध्दाईया तहा चेव।।
- Haribhadrasūri, Pañcāsaka prakaraņa 57 Pańcāśaka prakaraṇa and tikā. 58 Adyāya 58, pp 223
- Angavijja
