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Jaina Iconography-- A Brief Survey
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she has a man as her vāhana, while the bell seems to be her chief recognition symbol. Four-armed and dark in complexion, she shows the vajra the fruit, the bell and the rosary.
In the Digambara tradition, she holds the bow, the fruit, the khadga and the arrow and rides the fabulous animal called Sarabha (or sometimes the astăpada).
The S've. Maha-Käli may be compared with Käli of the Brahmanical Pantheon who is black in colour and below whose feet is shown the body of S'iva. An image of Mahakali from a Jaina temple at Patan (N. Gujarat) actually represents her human vahana lying prostrate below her left leg.
The eighth Maha-Vidyā is called Gauri by both the sects. White or golden in complexion and of a voluminous form, she has the all gator as her vahana and carries the lotus which seems to be her chief symbol. She is either two-armed or four-armed or multi-armed. When four-armed, in the S've. tradition, she rides the godha (or sometimes the bull) and shows the pestle, the varada mudra, the rosary and the lotus. In the Digambara worship, she carries the lotus in one or more hands, whether two-armed or tour-armed.
The Jaina Gauri is similar to the Brahmanical Gauri in name as well as in form the lotus and the godhā vāhana seem to be chief distinguishing symbols of the Brahmanical Gauri and her different forms like Umā and Savitri as described in the Rüpamandana.
The Jainas were more generous than the Buddhists in their treatment o Hindu deitiessince the Brahmanical Gauri,Hari-Hara and other deities received scant courtsey in Buddhist worship. We find Gauri under the feet of the Buddhist god Trailokyavijaya, alonng with her consort S'iva.1
Gauri is one of the four ancient Mahävidyäs known in Jaina traditions recorded by Jinadāsa Mahattara and Haribhadra Süri. Gauri and Gandhāri are also referred to in the Brhat-Kalpa-Bhāşya. According to NiSitha Bhāsya, Gauri and Gāndhāri are Mātangavidyās. Matargi, Cändāli, Gauri and Gandhāri could have been originally borrowed from cults of non-Aryan Indian masses. The second Jaina canonical text known as the Sütrakstānga-sūtra includes Kalingi, Damili, Gauri, Gandhäri, S'vapäki, Vetäli and others amongst sinful sciences (päpaśruta). ***
The tenth Mahavidyā is known as Gandhäri and a commentarry on S'obhana-stuti says that Gandhärī is so called because she was born in Gandhara in a previous birth.
1. Bhattacharya, Benoytosh, Elements of Buddhist Iconography (first ed.) pp. 146 ff.
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