The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2150 page)

Jain spiritual beings who serve the
jinas
but who also respond as gods, at a popular level, to the devotion and prayers of humans. Frequently they are Hindu deities, and thus have afforded a way in which not only the natural human desire for God is satisfied, but also respect for those deities is made manifest in a Hindu context. Of particular importance are
ri
Lak
m
,
Sarasvat
, and
Amba
, the guardian of the jina
Nemin
tha
. Under the name of Sachika,
Durg
, the slayer of
Mahi
a
, is revered (mainly in R
jasth
n). Yak
adampati, pairs of attendant
yak
as
and yak
is, are often found in carvings without any further identity beyond that of the jina whom they serve.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search