In the Jaina _Purânas_, legends are given to account for the
connexion of the Yakshas and Yakshîs with their respective Tîrthakaras:
thus, in the case of Pârśvanâtha, we have a story of two brothers
Marubhûti and Kamaṭha, who in eight successive incarnations were always
enemies, and were finally born as Pârśvanâtha and Sambaradeva
respectively. A Pâshaṇḍa or unbeliever, engaged in the
_panchâgni_ rite, when felling a tree for his fire, against the
remonstrance of Pârśvanâtha, cut in pieces two snakes that were in it;
the Jina, however restored them to life by means of the
_pañchamantra_. They were then re-born in Pâtâla-loka as
Dharaṇendra or Nâgendra-Yaksha and Padmâvatî-Yakshiṇî. When
Sambaradeva or Meghakumâra afterwards attacked the Arbat with a great
storm, whilst he was engaged in the _Kâyotsarga_ austerity—standing
immovable, exposed to the weather—much in the way that Mâra attacked
Śâkya Buddha at Bodh-gayâ, Dharaṇendra's throne in Pâtâla thereupon
shook, and the Nâga or Yaksha with his consort at once sped to the
protection of his former benefactor. Dharaṇendra spread his many hoods
over the head of the Arhata and the Yakshṅî Padmâvatî held a white
umbrella (_śveta chhatri_) over him for protection. Ever after
they became his constant attendants, just as Śakra was to Buddha. The
legend is often represented in old-sculptures, in the cave-temples at
Bâdâmi, Elura, etc., and the figure of Pârśva is generally carved with
the snake-hoods (_Śeshaphaṇi_) 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 Rânpur in Godwâr, in the temple of Rishabhanâtha is a finely
carved slab representing Pârśvanâtha in the Kâyotsarga position,
attended by snake divinities,—_Archit. and Scenery in Gujarât and
Râjputâna_, p. 21. The story has variants: conf. _Ind. Ant_. vol.
XXX, p. 302.]
Other legends account for the attachment of each pair of Śâsanadevatâs
to their respective Jinas.
The Śvetâmbaras and Digambaras agree generally in the details
respecting the different Tîrthakaras; but, from information furnished from
Maisur, they seem to differ as to the names of the Yakshiṇis attached
to the several Tîrthakaras, 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 Vidyâdevis or goddesses
of knowledge among the Yakshiṇîs, whilst the other sect include
scarcely a third of them.
These Vidyâdevîs, as given by Hemachandra, are—(1) Rohiṇî; (2)
Prajñaptî; (3) Vajrasṛińkhalâ; (4) Kuliśânkuścâ—probably the
Ankuśa-Yakshî of the Śvetàmbâra fourteenth Jina; (5) Chakreśvarî;
(6) Naradattâ or Purushadattâ; (7) Kâli or Kâlîkâ; (8) Mahákâlî;
(9) Gaurî; (10) Gândhârî; (11) Sarvâstramahâjvâlâ; (12) Mânavî;
(13) Vairoṭyâ; (14) Achchhuptâ; (15) Mânasî; and (16) Mahâmânasikâ.
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