Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/236

BhūtamātāBhūtamātā, " the mother of goblins " has her seat under a pipal-tree and is followed by numerous demons, goblins and demi-gods. She has two hands in which are held a linga (or, sometimes a sword) and the shield. She rides on the lion and has dishevelled hair.

SivadūtīSivadūtī has a dejected appearance, emaciated body and the face of a jackal. She wears a garland of skulls, is fearful and is surrounded by serpents. She may have four or more arms, ^[1] holding in the former case, a vessel of blood, the sword, the trident and a flesh-pot.

IX

Jyēshthā or
Jyēshthā-
Lakshmī.Jyēshthā or Jyēshthā-Lakshmī, so called on account of her being supposed to be the elder sister of Lakshmī, ^[2] is a black goddess with hanging lips, stunted nose, pendant breasts and a big belly. She revels in blood. In one hand she holds a lotus made of iron while the other hand rests on her seat. But sometimes she is seen holding lotuses in both her hands. The legs of the goddess are stretched and hang down from the seat, in the so-called European fashion. Her parting curly hair is made up in the form vāsikābandha. A pair of crows represents her banner. On her right side is seated a bull-faced figure said to be her son, holding a staff in the right hand and exhibiting a pointing finger (sūchi) in the left. On the corresponding left side of Jyēshthā, is seated her daughter, said to be a fair lady (fig. 135). Sometimes the goddess is represented as red in colour and then receives the name Rakta-Jyēshthā. The goddess Jyēshthā with the hanging belly, attended by women on either side and wearing a red cloth, is generally installed outside villages. Her following consists of goblins, demons and spirits. She is the goddess of ill-luck.^[3]

The worship of Jyēshthā appears to have been once quite familiar in the Tamil country. Like the shrines of Pidāri, her shrines were also exempted from taxation, as stated in early Chōla records. From an inscription on a pillar in the rock-cut temple of Subrahmanyasvāmin at Tirupparangunram near Madura, we learn that about the eighth century A.D. a shrine

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1. A Sivadūtī of eight arms is mentioned among the Nityaklinnadēvatās of the Lalitōpākhyāna
2. Nirriti is the name by which this goddess of ill-luck, Alakshmī, the elder sister of Lakshmī, is mentioned in the Padmōttarakhanda. She is said to reside in the pipal-tree. Consequently also this tree is not to be touched except on Saturdays when, Lakshmī coming to see her sister, makes the tree auspicious.
3. South-Indian Inscriptions, Vol. II, p. 60.