Śāsanadevatā

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Śāsanadevatā. 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 Śri Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, and Amba, the guardian of the jina Neminātha. Under the name of Sachika, Durgā, the slayer of Mahiṣa, is revered (mainly in Rājasthān). Yakṣadampati, pairs of attendant yakṣas and yakṣis, are often found in carvings without any further identity beyond that of the jina whom they serve.