[n.]endra or Nagendra-Yaksha and Padmavati-Yakshi[n.]i. When
Sambaradeva or Meghakumara afterwards attacked the Arbat with a great
storm, whilst he was engaged in the _Kayotsarga_ austerity--standing
immovable, exposed to the weather--much in the way that Mara attacked
['S]akya Buddha at Bodh-gaya, Dhara[n.]endra's throne in Patala thereupon
shook, and the Naga or Yaksha with his consort at once sped to the
protection of his former benefactor. Dhara[n.]endra spread his many hoods
over the head of the Arhata and the Yaksh[.n]i Padmavati held a white
umbrella (_['s]veta chhatri_) over him for protection. Ever after
they became his constant attendants, just as ['S]akra was to Buddha. The
legend is often represented in old-sculptures, in the cave-temples at
Badami, Elura, etc., and the figure of Par['s]va is generally carved with
the snake-hoods (_['S]eshapha[n.]i_) over him. [Footnote: _Cave
Temples_, pp. 491, 496; _Arch. Sur. Westn. India_, vol. I, p. 25
and pl. xxxvii; vol. V, p. 49; _Transactions, R. As. Soc._, vol. I,
p. 435. At Ranpur in Godwar, in the temple of Rishabhanatha is a finely
carved slab representing Par['s]vanatha in the Kayotsarga position,
attended by snake divinities,--_Archit. and Scenery in Gujarat and
Rajputana_, p. 21. The story has variants: conf. _Ind. Ant_. vol.
XXX, p. 302.]
Other legends account for the attachment of each pair of ['S]asanadevatas
to their respective Jinas.
The ['S]vetambaras and Digambaras agree generally in the details
respecting the different Tirthakaras; but, from information furnished from
Maisur, they seem to differ as to the names of the Yakshi[n.]is attached
to the several Tirthakaras, except the first and last two; they differ
also in the names of several of the Jinas of the past and the future
aeons. The Digambaras enlist most of the sixteen Vidyadevis or goddesses
of knowledge among the Yakshi[n.]is, whilst the other sect include
scarcely a third of them.
These Vidyadevis, as given by Hemachandra, are--(1) Rohi[n.]i; (2)
Prajnapti; (3) Vajras[r.]i[`n]khala; (4) Kuli['s]anku['s]ca--probably the
Anku['s]a-Yakshi of the ['S]vetambara fourteenth Jina; (5) Chakre['s]vari;
(6) Naradatta or Purushadatta; (7) Kali or Kalika; (8) Mahakali;
(9) Gauri; (10) Gandhari; (11) Sarvastramahajvala; (12) Manavi;
(13) Vairo[t.]ya; (14) Achchhupta; (15) Manasi; and (16) Mahamanasika.
The images of the Tirthakaras are always represented seated with their
legs crossed in front--the
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