Padmavati (Jainism)

Padmāvatī is the protective goddess or śāsana devī (शासनदेवी) of Pārśvanātha, the twenty-third Jain tīrthāṅkara, complimenting Parshwa yaksha in Swetambara and Dharanendra in digambar the shasan deva.^[1] She is a yakshini (attendant goddess) of Parshwanatha.^[2]

Padmavati
Padmavati, 10th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Genealogy
Spouse	Dharanendra

Jain biography

There is another pair of souls of a nāga and nāginī who were saved by Parshwanath while being burnt alive in a log of wood by the tapas kamath, and who were subsequently reborn as Indra (Dharanendra in particular) and Padmavati (different from sashan devi) after their death.^[3] According to the Jain tradition, Padmavati and her husband Dharanendra protected Lord Parshvanatha when he was harassed by Meghmali.^[4][5] After Padmavati rescued Parshvanatha grew subsequently powerful in to yakshi, a powerful tantric deity and surpassed other snake goddess Vairotya.^[6]

Legacy

Worship

9th century Padmavati relief in Chitharal Jain Monuments

Goddess Padmavati along with Ambika and Chakreshvari are held as esteemed deities and worshipped by Jains along with tirthankaras.^[7][8] Ambika and Padmavati are associated with tantric rituals. Both Padmavati and Dharanendra are revered exclusively as powerful intercessor deities.^[1] These tantric rites involves yantra-vidhi, pitha-sthapana and mantra-puja.^[9][6] Friday of every week is a particularly popular day to worship the Goddess.^[10]

In literature

• Bhairava-Padmavati-Kalpa written by Mallisena in 12th century is tantric text to worship Padmavati. The text discusses rites connected with Padmavati, namely, stambha, vasya, akarsana, nimitta-jnana, garuda tantra etc.^[11]
• Adbhuta-Padmavati-Kalpa is Śvetāmbara text composed by Shri Chandra Suri, 12th century.^[11]
• Padmavati-astaka composed by Śvetāmbara scholar Parshvadeva gani is commentary of various tantric rites.^[11]
• Padmavati-catusadika composed by Jinaprabha suri.^[11]
• Padmavati-Pujanama, Padmavati-strota, Padmavati-sahasra-nama-strota, Rakta-Padmavati-Kalpa are tantric text dedicated to Padmavati.^[11]

Iconography

A snake's hood covers her head, and she sits on a lotus flower. Often a small image of Parshvanatha is placed in her crown. She may be depicted as four-armed, carrying noose and rosary (japa mala), elephant goad, lotus and a fruit.^[4] Her mount, or vahana, is the rooster.^[12] Yaksha-Yakshi pair sculptures of Padmavati Ambika and Dharanendra are one of the most favoured along with Gomukha-Chakreshwari and Sarvahanabhuti-Ambika.^[13]

• 
  'Mandala of Padmavati', bronze, Walters Art Museum, 11th century
• 
  Sculpture of Goddess Padmavati in Akkana Basadi, 12th century
• 
  Sculpture of Padmavati in the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh. Chola dynasty, 13th century
• 
  Goddess Padmavati at Walkeshwar Jain Temple
• 
  Padmavati at Shri Mahavirji
• 
  Goddess Padmavati at Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir, Jabalpur

Main temples

• Padmakshi Gutta in Warangal, Telangana
• Padmavati temple, Humcha, 7th century temple

• 
  Padmavati Basadi, Karkala, Karnataka
• 
  Padmavati temple, Humcha
• 
  Bale Padmavati Temple, Padmavati Temple Vadanbilu, jog falls Karnataka

See also

• Humcha
• Hanumantal Bada Jain Mandir

References

Citation

1. Cort 2010, p. 186.
2. Cort 1987, pp. 235–255.
3. Babb 1996, p. 33.
4. Jain & Fischer 1978, p. 21.
5. Sūri, Raval & Shah 1987, p. 267.
6. Shah 1987, p. 221.
7. Krishna 2014, p. 68.
8. Chawdhri 1992, p. 128.
9. Tiwari 1989, p. 29.
10. Dundas 2002, pp. 213–214.
11. Shah 1987, p. 277.
12. "Jain Goddess Padmavati | India (Gujarat)". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
13. Tiwari 1989, p. 13.

Source

• Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-26605-5
• Shah, Umakant P. (1987), Jaina Iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-208-6
• Jain, Jyotindra; Fischer, Eberhard (1978), Jaina Iconography, Leiden: Brill Publishers, ISBN 978-90-04-05259-8
• Cort, John (2010). Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199739578.
• Babb, Lawrence A. (1996). Absent Lord: Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520203242. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
• Tiwari, Dr. Maruti Nandan Prasad (1989). Ambika in Jaina Art and Literature. Bharatiya Jnanpith.
• Krishna, Nanditha (2014). Sacred Plants of India. Penguin UK. ISBN 9789351186915.
• Chawdhri, L. R. (1992). Secrets of Yantra, Mantra and Tantra. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 9781845570224.
• Sūri, Padmasundara; Raval, D. P; Shah, Nagin J (1987). Padmasundarasūriviracita Yadusundaramahākāvya. L. D. Series 105 (in Sanskrit). Ahamadābād: Lālabhāī Dalapatabhāī Bhāratīya Saṃskṛti Vidyāmadira.
• Cort, John (1 January 1987). "Medieval Jaina Goddess Traditions". Numen. 34 (2): 235–255. doi:10.1163/156852787x00047. ISSN 1568-5276.

External links

• Media related to Padmavati (Jainism) at Wikimedia Commons