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म० महावीर-स्मृति-ग्रंथ।
The Køetrapäla is the protecting deity of a ksetra or place. Every Village, town, city and even country can have a protecting deity and such refereaces are found in Jain literature as well. Belief 30 such deities 15 found in all folklores, and the worship of a ksetrapala must be regarded 26 the common heritage of all the sects from very early times. Objects of nature-the river, the mountain, the water, the fire, the rain and the thunderstorm, the tree or the forest--all were supposed to have a devata or a presid ing deity and the ksetrapāla may be a product of this primitive belief.
It was, therefore, natural that the human mind first thought-of propitiating the lord of the place in which a temple was erected or a rite was being performed
The Svetämbara text Nirvānakalıkā says that Ksetrapāla bears the - name of the place (where he is worshipped) Black in colour, he looks fierce with crooked teeth, round and tawny eyes and curly (P barbara) har. Wearing wooden sandals and naked, he wandere at will, carrying the mace (mudgara ), the goose and the damark in the right hands and the dog, the goad and the gadiki (?) in the left oue His image is to be consecrated on the right side of the Tirthankara, in the north-eastern quarter, with his face turned towards the south.
* The Acaredinakara, another Svetambara text, describes a twenty-armed form of the god. In his twenty long hands he carries the board, the speas, the bow, the arrow, the staff, the trident, the disc and such other symbols. He wears snake ornaments and 19 said to use the lion-throne (simhásąna)'
यस्याः क्षेत्र समाश्रिाय साधुमि. साध्यते किया। या क्षेत्रदेवता नित्य भूयान्नः सुखदायिनी ॥
Acăradsnakara IP 44 2 तथा क्षेत्रपाल क्षेत्रानुरूपनामानं श्यामवर्ण वर्षरकेशभावृत्तपिनयन विकृतदष्टं पादुकाधिरूढ नात कामचारिणं पहभुन मुद्गर-पाश-उमकान्वितदक्षिणपाणि श्वानाइकुशगेडिकायुक्तवामपाणि श्रीमद्भगवतो दक्षिणपाः ईशानाधित दक्षिणाशामुखमेव प्रतिष्ठाप्यमिति ।
Nirrânakalika, page 38. 3., समरदमरसजमोदामराडम्परादम्बलम्बोल्लसद्विशति .
प्रौढवाहपमामाप्तसाधिपालंकृतिः । নিষিক্ষটিনসচালাকুনিস্টেীৱীকাৱা।
च्छलीयटिशूलोस्वककमत्राजि हस्तावलि । अतिघनअनजीवनपूर्णविस्तीर्णसवर्णदेहयुवादिद्युति
भागमोगिहारोरलच्छटासगति । मनुनदमुजकीकसोत्त्मकेयूरवाडकरम्योमिकास्फार
पिण्यसिंहासनोल्लासमास्वत्तमा क्षेत्रपः ।।
Acāradınakara, II, page 181,
