ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 278

Their presence had a purely magical value that served to augment the mystical truths expounded in the text as well as to protect it. These miniatures played an esoteric rather than aesthetic role in the manuscript. The Digambara Satkhandāgama (scripture of six works) of 1112 is the earliest illustrated manuscript to show a preaching scene, a Jina, the goddess Cakreśvarī and some decorative motifs. Mahāvīracarita dated 1183, and the tenth canto of Trişaştisalākā-puruşacarita dated 1237 also depict the figure of Jina, monks and lay people. The Nemināthacarita of 1241 depicts the Jina Neminātha, the goddess Ambikā, and laywoman. Similarly the Kalpasūtra-Kalakācārya-kathā dated 1278, also bears paintings of iconic interest only. Most of the illustrations are not related to the text.
Jain miniature paintings continue to progress along established lines until the end of 13th century. At this time, a new development occurs when the narrative content of the texts begins to receive attention. The pictorial narration of legends such as battle of Bharata and Bāhubali or disputation between the two monks Kumudacandra (a Digambara monk) and the Śvetāmbara monk Vādideva which took place at Patan in the time of Jayasimha Siddharāja (1094 - 1144) of Gujarat. Similarly, Jinanāthasūri (1122 - 54) is also represented on book covers. The ancient Indian narrative tradition is used in these paintings. However, the palm leaf manuscripts seldom show such representations. The illustrations of narrative nature moreover, construct a progressive narrative by compressing two or three episodes in the same miniature and showing the person involved in those episodes as many times. Perspective of these innovations and the format of the paintings remained the same. The scheme of illustrations continued to be conservative. In the treatment of human figures stylistic changes are discernible. The angular rendering is exaggerated further and the protrusion of the farther eye becomes pronounced. The washes of colour along outlines have lost their meaning and become more clichés.
Towards the end of 13th century a new approach becomes visible in the manuscripts such as Subāhu-kathā, the story of Tirthamkara Pārśva and other tales. Subāhu-kathā is the earliest manuscript to establish a relationship between illustration and text. The Subāhu-kathā and the manuscript depicting the story of Pārsvanātha have a number of illustrations that was very rare in the earlier manuscripts. Also, the compositions became more complex. They are no longer confined to iconic representations of divinities. They include descriptive details of landscape or architecture to indicate the locale of the scene that is being depicted. In outdoor scenes hills and trees indicate the landscape and in indoors pavilion is shown with furnishings and objects of everyday use. By the end of the 13th century the drawing takes a
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