Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 442

Appendix 1 CITTA-SABHĀ (Picture Gallery)
and CITTA-KAMMA (Art of Painting) The Jaina texts give a number of references of classes of men engaged in different professions according picture galleries and some of them are quite interesting to their respective castes. These portraits were in different The picture galleries were the places of royal amusement status of moods anger and appeasement). If persons places of judging the technical efficiency of painter as came to engage their services the courtesan asked them well as the place to judge the character and taste in
first to visit the citta-sabhā so that he could judge their arts of a person. The Jñätādharmakatha gives interesting
caste, taste in arts, character etc. details of the construction of a picture gallery. The
The Jñātadharmakathā refers to a jeweller Nanda crown prince of Mithila, Malladinna ordered the erection who ordered the construction of a citta-sabha with of a citta-sabhā (picture gallery) at the royal amusement hundred columns, which was decorated with kathapark. He entrusted the work of painting to cittagăra
kamma (wood work), pusta-kamma (stucco), citta-kamma senim (painters guild) asking them to paint the citta- (painting) and lepya-kamma (terracotta figures). The sabhā full of sensuous forms (rurehi). On the order of textual reference of citta-sabha or citra-Salā, is provided prince the painters proceeded to the proposed citta- in the Mahapuräna of Jinasena which confirms its sabha with their tulião (brushes) and vannas (colours). containing citra-bala, The painters before starting to paint prepared the ground
The Jaina monks were prohibited to live in the for painting (bhūmi-sajjei) and divided the wall surface
houses decorated with the paintings. Possibly, the reason for the purpose of painting. Among the group of painters was the sensuous appeal of the paintings which detached there were such master painters who could paint the the minds of the monks from meditation. The complete figure of man or animal even if he had only Uttaradhyayanasütra also states that the monks should his partial view. A painter painted the full portrait of keep themselves away from the houses decorated or princess Malli only having a glimpse of her toe while painted, fumigated or perfumed with incense and flower the princess was standing behind the curtain. The crown garlands. The Daśavaikälikasūtra prohibits the look of prince doubting the chastity of his sister banished the
a woman, either in a painting or in actual life, for a painter from his kingdom. One of the instance referred monk. to in the Avasyakatikā shows the technical efficiency
Citta-kamma (Art of painting) of a painter. A painter painted a peacock feather in such
In the Jaina texts the citta-kamma or the art of a realistic manner that the king who has engaged the painting is referred to as one of the noble professions. services of the painter to paint the picture gallery The cittara (painter) was counted among the silpäryas. touched the painted feather under the impression that The Jaina literary references attribute the origin of the it was real.
citta-kamma to the first Jaina Tirthankara Rsabhanätha. Brhatkalpasūtrabhäsva describing a citta-sabhā of Not only the art of painting but the symbology and a courtesan gives a story. The story runs that there was
sciences of mathematics are also said to have originated a courtesan well-versed in all traditional sixty-four arts. from Rşabhanātha. The Brhatkalpasūtrabhāsya prohibits He has a citta-sabhã portraying the portraits of all the Jaina monks and nuns indulging in the sacitta
Jain Education Intemational