Jaina Granth Bhandars in Rajasthan

Author(s): Kasturchand Kasliwal
Publisher: Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Mandir

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Jaina Gantha Bhandats in Kajasthan.
13th Century. Manuscript written in 13th Century are good in number in some Bhandārs of Rajasthän as well as of Gujrāt. This shows that in 13th Century the paper industry was much developed. The paper was manufactured in various places of India and was widely manufactured in Rājputánā also The paper Industry was carried out at some places, such as Sänganer, and Bikāner. The manuscripts which are in the several Grantha Bhandats of Jaipur are written on paper which was prepared in Sängāner which is 8 miles from Jaipur City.
The manuscripts written on paper are of several size and also of various kinds. The leaves are numbered only on one side the corners of left and right of the several manuscripts are decorated with the various kinds of paintings in red and blue. Paper manuscripts are found writen in golden and silver ink. They are also sllustrated one Such manuscripts are found generally in Swetāmbar Grantha Bhandārs There is manuscript of Kalpasūtra written in golden ink and richly iltustrated which might cost about a lakh.
Manuscripts written on wooden plates and copper plates are few in But all the Yantras which are in the Jaina temples are written on copper
number plates.
There is a large Yantra Literature in Jaina temples. All the Yantras are either ou copper or bronze plate, Except these, there are silver and gold plates on which also Yantras and Mantra, are written and are placed in temples.
पट्टिकातोऽ लिम्बच्चमा मर्वदेवाभिधो गरिन । प्रात्मकर्मक्षयायाथ, परोपकृतिहेतवे
-Commentary of Uttaradhyayana by Nemi Candra (12th Century)
There is a Kastha Pattika in Jaisalmer Bhandár which is also illustrated
The copyists of the manuscripts used to write with special pens which were prepared by the experts Different kinds of pens were used in writing the manuscripts on palm leaves, paper or cloth. In Sanskrit we shall see the various types of pen described in the following lines:
FEMT ATT , Tamamfefufti árgat gaat a, transferat ingen
वेते सुग्वं विजानीयात्, रक्ते दरिद्रता भवेत् । पोते च पुष्कला लक्ष्मी., असुरीक्षयकारिणी ।।२।। चिताने हरते पुत्रमधोमुखी हरते धनम् । वामे च हरते विद्या, दक्षिणा लेखिनी लिखेत् ।।३।। अग्रग्रन्धिहरेदायुमध्यग्रन्थिहरेद्धनम् । पृष्ठग्रन्थिहरेत्, मर्व निर्गन्थिलेखिनी लिखेत् ॥४॥ नवागृलमिता श्रेष्ठा, अष्टौ वा यदि बाऽधिका । लेखिनी लेखयेन्नित्य, धनधान्यसमागमः ॥५॥