Jain Dharm Me Deviyo Ka Swarup - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Dharm me Deviyo ka Swarup" (The Nature of Goddesses in Jainism) by Pushpendra Sharma, based on the provided PDF excerpt:

The book "Jain Dharm me Deviyo ka Swarup" explores the multifaceted role and depiction of goddesses within Jainism, highlighting their integration into the tradition and their artistic representation throughout history.

Core Tenets and Practices:

Temple-Centric Worship: Jainism is primarily a religion of temples, where worship is a significant aspect. Jain temples serve as museums housing images of deities, Tirthankaras, goddesses, and Yakshas. Unlike in Hinduism, Jain devotees do not typically install deities' idols in their homes but visit temples for worship.
Influence of Hinduism: The presence of many Hindu deities in Jain temples suggests an influence from Hinduism, particularly concerning the establishment of divine figures.
Development of the Divine Pantheon: From the 6th and 7th centuries CE onwards, the divine community in Jainism expanded significantly. Texts detailing idol creation and consecration exist. Some deities are worshipped exclusively by either the Shvetambara or Digambara sects.
Categorization of Goddesses: Ancient Jain texts classify goddesses into three main groups:
1. Prasad Devis: Goddesses whose idols are consecrated in temples and are widely found.
2. Kul Devis: Tantric goddesses worshipped as family deities, often with mantras provided by a guru. Examples include Chandi and Chamunda.
3. Sampradaya Devis: Goddesses associated with a specific sect or caste, such as Amba, Saraswati, Gauri, Tripura, and Tara. This categorization suggests the absorption of Tantric goddesses into Jainism. Tantric goddesses like Kali, Chamunda, Durga, Lalita, Kurukulla, and Kalratri are primarily associated with the Shvetambara sect.

Classification Based on Iconography (Image Characteristics):

The text further categorizes goddesses based on their sculptural attributes into three types:

Shasan Devis: These goddesses protect the Jain faith or the Sangh (community) and remove obstacles for devotees. Their idols are often found alongside Tirthankaras in temples. There are 24 such goddesses, with Chakreshvari and Ambika being prominent examples.
Vidya Devis: These are the presiding deities of knowledge, numbering sixteen. They are also known as Shrutadevis. Saraswati, Kali, and Jwalamalini are key figures in this category. The worship of Vidya Devis is considered a unique characteristic of Jainism, with only the Jain pantheon featuring sixteen such deities.
Yakshini Devis: Yakshas and Yakshinis hold the status of deities in Jainism. They are primarily associated with wealth. Bhadrakali, Bhrkuti, and Tara are important examples.

Artistic Representation and Evolution:

Conscious Artistic Creation: Sculptors paid meticulous attention to the specific attributes and iconography of each goddess (Shasan Devi, Vidya Devi, or Yakshini) when creating their images.
Historical Continuity: Jain goddess sculptures have been available from the Mathura period to the present day, with artists consistently striving to keep sculptural traditions alive.
Syncretism and Adaptation: Many Jain goddesses share similarities with their Hindu counterparts in names, forms, and attributes. However, some have distinct Jain characteristics while still adopting Hindu iconography, indicating a process of adaptation and assimilation.
Artistic Excellence: Many of these sculptures are considered magnificent works of art, showcasing high emotional content, posture, and expression.

Prominent Goddesses and Their Iconography:

The book then delves into the specifics of several key goddesses:

Saraswati: Depicted with two, four, or more arms. Typically shown holding a book, with a swan as her vehicle. Examples include an 8th-century statue from Rajasthan and a four-armed statue from Banswara with a Shiva image in the crown. Other notable mentions are from Achalgarh (with a peacock vehicle) and Bikaner (a standing, serene figure). The Vimal Vasahi temple in Mount Abu features both a four-armed and a sixteen-armed Saraswati.
Ambika: Worshipped since ancient times, considered the goddess of the Jain tradition, akin to Tara in Buddhism. Though associated with the 22nd Tirthankara Neminatha, her idols are found with all Tirthankaras. The oldest statue is from Mathura, made of red stone. She is often depicted under an आम्र (mango) tree, with Neminatha in her crown, and her vehicle is a lion. Her images are found in various caves and sites, dating back to the 3rd or 4th century. Unlike later depictions, these early statues portray her as an independent deity.
Jwalamalini: A Yakshini associated with the 8th Tirthankara Chandraprabha, worshipped in the Digambara sect. Her vehicle is a buffalo, and she has eight arms holding weapons. Her appearance is often described as fiery. Statues vary, with some showing her with two arms and a lion seat. The goddess Mahajwala is similar, often depicted with eight arms holding various weapons and a fiery visage, resembling Hindu Mahakali. Jain muni Helacharya is credited with popularizing her worship in the 9th century.
Siddhayika (Yakshini): Depicted in Tamil Nadu as a female deity in battle, seated on a lion, wielding a bow and arrows, and other weapons. Her lion is shown subduing an elephant.
Padmavati: Worshipped in Karnataka since ancient times, with evidence from 9th-10th century inscriptions. While the Yakshini of Parshvanatha, she is also worshipped independently. Her worship gained significant prominence between the 10th and 15th centuries, with many texts and folklores dedicated to her. Independent temples for Padmavati exist, including one in Nagda. She is frequently depicted with Parshvanatha, her crown often featuring his image. She is associated with serpents and the netherworld, and sculptures clearly depict both serpents and lotuses.
Mahakali: In the Shvetambara sect, she sits on lotuses, has four arms, and holds a varadamudra, ankusha, pasha, and lotus. She is a Yakshini and a Vidya Devi, sometimes depicted on a rooster with a forest and a lotus. In the Digambara sect, she is known as Vanashrinkhala, with a swan as her vehicle and serpents, a mala, and fruit in her arms.
Chakreshvari: Identified as the Shasan-Devata of the first Tirthankara Rishabhanatha. Both sects describe her as a chakra-holder and Garuda-rider. Shvetambaras depict her with eight arms holding a bow, arrow, mace, vajra, shula, chakra, and varada mudra. Digambaras show her with four or twelve arms, with eight of the latter holding a chakra. Her iconography shows significant influence from the Hindu goddess Vaishnavi.
Yakshi: The British Museum houses a statue of a seated Yakshi. Another eight-armed Yakshi is named Sulochana, with beautiful eyes and attributes like a mala, chakra, and varada mudra.
Shri Lakshmi: In the Digambara tradition, she is the goddess of wealth, depicted with four arms holding lotuses and flowers, and described as golden-complexioned. In the Shvetambara sect, she is Lakshmi, with a Gaja vahana (elephant vehicle) and lotuses in her hands. Her worship in Jainism dates back to ancient times, particularly on Dhanteras. While similar to Hindu Lakshmi, the key difference is her elephant vehicle compared to the lotus seat of the Hindu counterpart.
Yoginis: Jain texts mention 64 Yoginis as fierce deities acting under the Tirthankaras' command. Primarily Tantric, they are also worshipped as protectors of sacred spaces. Their worship is often accompanied by mantras and hymns.
Shanti Devi: A newly introduced deity in Jainism, not found in Buddhism or Hinduism. Believed to protect and promote the Jain Sangh. Depicted as golden-complexioned, seated on a lotus, with four arms holding a mala, kamandalu, varadamudra, and a pot.

Concluding Remarks:

The text emphasizes Jainism's liberal and tolerant approach towards other religions, evident in the incorporation of Hindu deities like Sita, Lakshmi, and Durga as subsidiary deities. The widespread worship of goddesses indicates the significant impact of Shaktism (goddess worship) on Jainism. As a popular religion, Jainism assimilated this cultural trend. The special worship of Vidya Devis highlights the valuable contributions of Jain scholars to Indian knowledge traditions. The text also laments the unfortunate tendency to misclassify many Jain Yaksha-Yakshini idols due to a lack of classical knowledge and calls for greater dissemination of literature on Jain sculpture to preserve its archaeological heritage.

The text concludes by mentioning that each Tirthankara is canonically associated with a Yaksha and a Yakshini as Shasan-Devatas, with a list of 24 Yakshinis provided by the Tiloypannatti. It also mentions Lakshmi being seen in the 16 dreams of Tirthankara mothers and Saraswati as the goddess of intellect and wisdom. Various virtuous women like Brahmi, Sundari, Sita, and Draupadi are accepted as Satis (virtuous women) in Jain tradition.