The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.s2.71

v2.c16.s2.71

The Jains likewise regard this lotus lady as an auspicious one, and among "the fourteen most excellent, prosperity-foreboding, evil-destroying, wealth-conferring, fortunate, delightsome dreams" which Trisalā dreamt on the occasion when Mahāvīra was transferred to her womb from that of Devānandī, Mahālakṣmī, seated on a lotus with two elephants pouring water on her head, appears as the fourth. The dream is thus described in the *Kalpa Sūtra*, a work of the beginning of the 5th century (A.D. 411), which is esteemed as the most sacred of the scriptures of the Jains : "The fourth dream seen by her whose face was like a moon, was a vision of the goddess Lakṣmī, sitting on her lofty lotus throne. Her form was altogether excellent, one foot was firmly planted on the ground and seemed like a pillar of gold; it was elevated in the centre like the back of a tortoise, while the nails partly hid by the muscles of the toes, were stained with a brilliant dye. Her fingers and toes were soft and tapering like the leaves of the lotus; her well-formed legs were adorned with circular ornaments; her knee-bones were hid in the muscles, and her thighs tapering downward like the trunk of an elephant. Encircling her loins was an elegant zone of gold, while the circle of the navel resembled a cloud of black bees, being continuous, fine, ever-moving, soft, downy, large,elegant. The other three circles which are in the middle of the palms of her hands were also elegantly formed. Her whole body was adorned with various kinds of jewels, wholly faultless, and highly brilliant. In particular, she had a pearl necklace, intermingling with garlands of sweet-scented flowers. A circular pendant fell down between her breasts, and adorned her chest, on which it rested. She had also around her neck a string of grains and golden *dīnars* (coins). Two large earrings hung down from her ears, and illuminated the shoulders with [34] which they came in contact. Every thing about her was beautiful; her face had a noble aspect; her eyes were large and lovely, like lotus flowers; she held a water-lily, still dripping with water in her hand; and she was fanned by an agreeable wind, which set in motion her fine black braided hair. Such was the goddess, the queen saw residing in her lotus house, called Padmadraha, on the top of the Mount Himavat, and by whom stood the guardian elephant of that quarter of the heavens, bathing her with water from his trunk.''³⁶ The text thus has only one elephant, but in the plate given in Mr. Stevenson's translation, two elephants are shown standing each on a cup in the lady's hands.