Padmāvatī Mataji (Padmavati) in Śvetāmbara Jainism

• Identity: Padmāvatī is the yakṣī (goddess attendant) of Parśvanātha, the 23rd Tirthankar. She is revered as a powerful śāsana-devī (goddess of the teaching) who protects and supports Parśva’s mission. In both major Jain sects she is considered a prominent goddess, often connected with wealth and protection.

• Vehicle (vāhana):

- Śvetāmbara tradition often depicts Padmāvatī with a snake-hood canopy and also sometimes with a cock as her vehicle. - Digambaras show various iconographic forms; the vehicle may be a snake in some depictions, but there is substantial variation in hands and symbols across temples.

• Common iconography ( Śvetāmbara emphasis):

- Four hands is common in ancient images. - Right hands may hold a lotus and a noose; left hands hold a fruit and a goad. - She is often shown rich in ornaments and standing or sitting with the emblematic serpent canopy above Parśvanātha.

• Distinctive notes between Digambar and Śvetāmbara:

- Both traditions venerate Padmāvatī as Parśvanātha’s yakṣī, but her exact iconography, vehicle, and number of arms can differ. - Śvetāmbara sources typically emphasize the snake-hood canopy and the pairing with Parśvanātha; Digambar depictions vary more in form, but Padmāvatī remains her/his yakṣi.

• Worship and significance:

- Padmāvatī is one of the most important deity dévī figures in Jain worship, invoked for protection, prosperity, and to aid in the spiritual path. - Temples and shrines dedicated to Padmāvatī exist across India, with particular devotion in Karnataka and southern Jain centers, and she is venerated in many Śvetāmbara places of pilgrimage.

If you’d like, I can help summarize specific verses or prayers to Padmāvatī from Śvetāmbara texts and explain their meanings in a simple way. You can read more about Padmāvatī in Jain tradition details here.