Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain, Others
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 424

402
Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
his beloved Kusumavalli. The king was disturbed with the cries of birds and shot them with his arrow. The souls of these birds passed into the womb of queen Kusumavalli to be born as twins - Abhayaruci and Abhayamati.
One day the king Yaśomati, on his way to forest for hunting expedition, passed through a Jaina monk Sudatta (Pl. 286). Failing to find any game that day the king was returning to his palace when he again encountered the monk Sudatta. Concluding that the monk is an ill-omener, the king set his dogs on the monk, but the dogs stood still close to the monk. The king tried to kill the monk himself. But he was informed that the monk is none else than king of Kalinga who renounced his kingdom. King Yasomati bowed in reverance to monk and in repentance considered to cut off his own head. The monk advised him not to do so. Influenced by the monk, the king desired to know the whereabout of his parents and grandmother. He was informed by the monk that his father and grand mother were born as his own children, Abhayaruci and Abhayamatī, while his mother was suffering in the hell. Upon hearing this the king Yasomati decided to renounce the world.
The illustrated manuscripts of Yaśodhara-carita, on paper, are known from different collections. The important ones are Śrī Digambara Jain Atiśaya Kśetra (Sri Mahāvīraji), Jaipur, Sena Gana Mandira, Karanja, Śri Ailak Pannalal Digambara Jaina Sarasvati Bhavan, Beawar as well as private collections from different places. The manuscripts show the different episodes from the narrative such as the capital of kingdom, the city of Rajapura with a number of buildings, the seated figure of king Haridatta with male and female attendants. Another painting represents the figure of the kāpalika Bhairavanand sitting in front of a king, while a Jaina monk is standing behind him. The lower register of the painting shows a horse and warriors. The scene pertaining to the episode of queen Amritmati and her lover represents king Yasodhara pulling and beating his queen
Amritmati. One of the illustrations represents the sacrifice of a cock in front of the Candamāri's temple. However, the attendants of the king are also present in the scene. Another example represents the death of Yaśodhara due to poisonous food served by Amritmati. Amritmati is lying at Yaśodhara's body as if she is in grief.
The painting illustrating the Jaina monk Sudatta and his disciples' arrival in the city of Rajapura represents the apprehention of the two kşullakas Abhayaruci and his sister Abhayamati from the samgha of Sudatta. Both of these kşullakas were brought to the Candamārī's temple as the human pair for the sacrifice. They are shown standing in front of the goddess with the soldiers. The painting also shows the presence of the king to whom the kşullakas are blessing.
There are paintings from the manuscript which represent some of the rebirths of the king Yaśodhara and his wife Candramati. In one scene Yasodhara as a peacock mother, with her child peacock, is shown on the hill in search of food while a hunter is aiming to shoot them. Other part of the scene represents the hunter carrying the dead body of the peacock mother while the child peacock is alive. Another scene pertains to hunter's wife who is looking after the young peacock. In one illustration the king Yaśodhara as peacock is attacking Amritmati's lover while he himself was attacked by Candramatī, the dog. In another rebirth king Yasodhara as a snake and Candramati as porcupine were born. Porcupine is killing the snake while a big figured animal is killing the porcupine in the painting.
in their other rebirths they were born as a fish and a crocodile. In the painting the crocodile (Candramati) chased the fish to kill but caught the leg of maid in place of the fish. The other illustrations from the manuscript show the hunter killing the goats, fight between horse and buffalo, the order of king to roast the buffalo alive, cock and hen in a cage, birds in the cage, king in the way for hunting, his meeting with a Jaina monk, the king setting his dogs on the monk thinking him an ill-omen, dogs are standing close to
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