Dharanendra

Dharanendra is the Yaksha (attendant deity) of Parshvanatha, twenty-third Tirthankara in Jainism. He enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains.[1] According to the Digambara tradition, when Lord Parshvanatha was a prince, he saved two snakes that had been trapped in a log in an Kamath’s fire. Later, these snakes were reborn as Dharanendra, the lord of the underworld Naga Kingdom, and Padmavati. They, then sheltered Parshvanatha when he was harassed by Meghalin (Kamath reborn).[2][3][4] Śvētāmbara tradition, however, does not list Padmavati among the main queens of Dharanendra.[5]

Dharanendra
Sculpture of Yaksha Dharanendra at Akkana Basadi, Shravanabelagola
AffiliationYaksha of Parshvanatha
ConsortPadmavati
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Western Ganga literature states that Dharanendra was worshipped for acquiring sons.[6]

  • The inside view of Akkana Basadi, Shravanabelagola(1181 A.D.); Parshvanatha (centre), Yaksha Dharanendra (left) and Yakshini Padmavati (right)
  • Image portraying Pārśvanātha sheltered by his yaksha Dharaṇendra at Kalugumalai Jain Beds
  • Dharanendra with Parshva, Kalpa sutra, 15th century

See also

Notes
  1. Jain & Fischer 1978, p. 20.
  2. Jain & Fischer 1978, p. 21.
  3. "Parshvanatha". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  4. Dundas 2002, p. 33.
  5. Shah 1987, p. 267.
  6. Adiga 2006, p. 264.

References
  • Adiga, Malini (2006), The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the early medieval period, AD 400-1030, Chennai: Orient Longman, ISBN 81-250-2912-5
  • Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), Routledge, ISBN 0-415-26605-X
  • Shah, Umakant P. (1987), Jaina Iconography, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-208-6
  • Jain, Jyotindra; Fischer, Eberhard (1978), Jaina Iconography, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-05259-8
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