Digambar Jain tradition places special emphasis on Yakshas and Yakshinis as benevolent guardian beings who accompany and protect the soul on its spiritual journey. Here are the core points in a simple, accurate way:

• Role and purpose

- Yakshas (male guardians) and Yakshinis (female guardians) are considered tutelary attendants of the Tirthankaras and of Jain mendicants, monks, and lay practitioners. - They are invoked in daily prayers and rituals for protection, auspiciousness, and help in overcoming obstacles on the path toward liberation. - They are not worshipped as independent gods but as protective, benevolent beings connected to the righteous life and spiritual progress of the practitioner.

• Digambar emphasis

- In Digambar temples and practices, there is strong attention to the presence and animated roles of these guardians in ritual spaces. Statues and shrines of Yakshas/Yakshinis are commonly found near the main sanctum or in dedicated alcoves. - The focus is on a personal, ethical relationship with these guardians as reminders of discipline, humility, and the protection of right conduct (samyak caritra) on the path. - Digambar ritual categories often highlight the purity, austerity, and renunciatory spirit of the guardians, aligning their symbolic function with the Jain ideals of non-violence, truth, and self-control.

• Typical features you may notice

- Distinctive, often highly stylized iconography that emphasizes protective power and virtuous attributes. - Offerings and daily puja that are directed to maintain spiritual clarity and ward off negative influences, rather than aims of personal gain. - Their presence is understood in the broader Jain cosmology as part of the supportive inner environment that helps a practitioner remain steady on the path.

• Differences with Shvetambar tradition

- Both traditions revere Yakshas/Yakshinis, but the emphasis and forms of worship can vary by temple lineage and local practice. - Digambar practice tends to stress the austere, guardian-figure aspect in tandem with the Digambar emphasis on renunciation and spiritual discipline; Shvetambar practice may incorporate additional local legends or devotional expressions tied to specific guardians.

If you’d like, I can share a few commonly cited Yaksha/Yakshini names that are featured in specific Digambar temple traditions, along with the general associations they have with particular Tirthankaras or temple sites.