Bhutamata, " 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.
SivadutI 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
Jyeshtha or Jyeshtha-Lakshml, so called on account of her LAKSHMI." being supposed to be the elder sister of Lakshmi, 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 vasikdbandha. 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 (suchi) in the left. On the corre- sponding left side of Jyeshtha, 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-Jyeshtha. The goddess Jyeshtha 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 Jyeshtha appears to have been once quite familiar in the Tamil country. Like the shrines of Pidari, her shrines were also exempted from taxation, as stated in early Chola records. From an inscription on a pillar in the rock- cut temple of Subrahmanyasvamin at Tirupparangunram near Madura, we learn that about the eighth century A.D. a shrine
1 A SivadutI of eight arms is mentioned among the Nityaklinnadevatas of the Lalitopakhyana .
2 Nirriti is the name by which this goddess of ill-luck, Alakshmi, the elder sister of Lakshmi, is mentioned in the Padinoltarakhanda. She is said to reside in the pi pal -tree. Consequently also this tree is not to be touched except on Saturdays when, Lakshmi coming to see her sister, makes the tree auspicious.
3 South- Indian Inscriptions^ Vol. II, p. 60.