Jains Yaksa Worships in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Lakshmi's form and worship emanates from a former Yaksi worship". In almost every century of their existence in Tamil Nadu, at least one event seems to show bias against the community. When she saw him approaching them in the forest, afraid that he might harm her, she killed herself, leaving her children and thus became a Yaksi. When the children saw her in this form, they were frightened. She told them she would assume the human form when visiting them. The story of the Jaina Yaksi or Ambica and her antecedents first appears in the Sripuranam. Incidentally, her story almost lives in the narratives of the Tamil Jain women. After Seivakacinatamani, this is the most famous Jain story among Tamil Jains. Now Ambica was the wife of a Brahmin named Somasarama from north Girinagara, who had two sons and a woman who helped Avon in the house. She visits her children. Thus, Somasarana asks her how Yaksi forms. Ambica is also called Dharmadevi, and incidentally, she has a shrine dedicated to her in the Jain temple Jaina Kanchi. The Jain believes this image was originally part of the Kamaksi temple complex at Kanchipuram which they believe was originally a Jain temple converted during the time of Adi Sankara. Ambica is portrayed as holding a mango leaf, a child, and a staff member. She is supposed to be a powerful deity in her own right and a giver of boons.