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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s3.t9: (8) Jakkhamahā

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c14.s3.t9

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(8) Jakkhamahā

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The worship of the Jakkhas was most common in ancient India and so every important city had its own shrine dedicated to the Jakkha 210 We are told that by practising self-restraint one is born among the Yaksa 211 and the Yaksas including the Devas, the Dānavas, the Gandharvas and the Kinnaras pay veneration to those who practise celibacy 212 Reference is made to the Jakkha Gaṇḍiṭinduṅga of Vārāṇasi, who guarded the great sage Mātanga in the Tiṇḍuga garden. 213 Bihelaga was another Jakkha who paid reverence to Lord Mahāvīra when the latter was engrossed in meditation. 214 The Nāyādhammakahā speaks of another Jakkha of beneficent character, viz., Selaga This Jakkha had the appearance of a horse (āsarūpadhārī) and on every caturdasī, aṣṭamī, amāvasyā and pūrṇamāsī helped people He is said to have saved the two merchants from the clutches of a cruel goddess and carried them on his back to Campā 215

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The Jakkhas were believed to be the presiding deities of the expectant mother The Vivāgasuya refers to Gaṅgadattā who had no issue She took plenty of flowers, clothes, scents, garlands, and ornaments and in the company of her friends and relatives visited the shrine of Umbaradara Jakkha There she cleaned the image with a brush of peacock feathers sprinkled it with water, wiped it with woollen cloth pumbale and dressed it nicely. Then she worshipped the Jakkha with flowers etc. and prayed to the deity to bless her with a child. 216 Then we hear of Subhaddā, who promised the Surambara Jakkha one hundred buffaloes if blessed with a son 217 Bhaddā was another woman who waited upon

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208 Nāyā 8, p 97 f. for the Buddhist conception of a Jakkha 209 Āva Nir. 335 Ti p 385 This legend may be compared with the Bauddh Muchilinda, the serpent king, sheltering Buddha against wind and rain (See op cit. pp 102-4, 126) 210 Even now such deities or Jakshas are regarded as protectors of the village and are worshipped by men of all castes and creeds believing that they protect each village from epidemics of diseases (Dist Gaz of M.P) The following thirteen Jakshas are mentioned: Punnabhadda Manibhadda Subhadda, Haritabhadda, Sumanobhadda, Vyatpūtakabhadda, Subhadda Sarvabhadda, Manusvavaksa Vanādhipau, Vanāhāra, Rūpajakkha and Jakkhottama (Abhidhāna Rājendra Kosa under "Jakkha") The first two Jakshas according to the Mahāmāyūrī, were brothers and were the presiding deities of Brahmavati (The Great contents of the Mahā by Dr Sylvain Levi, tr V S Agrawal, J of U P H Vol. XV, Pt. II) Manibhadda is also mentioned in the Mahābhārata (II. 10) 211 Uttarā Sū 3 14f 212 Ibid .16, 1n 213 Ibid 12 and the com p. 173a. 214 Āva. Nir. 487 215 9, p. 127 : cf Valāhassa Jātaka (II. No 196) p 129, the ship-wrecked men are rescued by a winged horse 216 7, p. 42 f; also cf. Hatthipāla Jātaka (IV, No. 509), p. 474.

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of Caṇḍiyā with the sacrifice of goats, buffaloes and human beings to please the low type (*appasattha*) of god.²⁵⁹ According to the Commentator the peaceful goddess Durgā is called *Umā* who stands like Kūṣmāṇḍinī. The same goddess Durgā²⁶⁰ when rides on a buffalo is called *Koṭṭavī*.²⁶¹

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²⁵⁹ p 61

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²⁶⁰ The goddess Devī is worshipped in various forms according to her imagined age. When she is worshipped as an old baby she is known by the name of Sandhyā of two years Sarasvatī, of seven years Caṇḍikā of eight years, Subhadrā of nine years Durgā of ten years Bhadrakālī of thirteen Vaiṣṇavī of sixteen, Iḍā (Gopinath Rao, *Elements of Hindu Iconography*, p 532 f)

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²⁶¹ Āy-kkuḍi, p 105a

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