Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 860

NEW DOCUMENTS OF JAINA PAINTINGS : 361
Group II
The Santinatha Caritra in which the folios measure 26.4 x 11.2 cm., bears a colophon which dates it in Samvat 1453 (1396 A.D.) This date however is doubtful, the colophon seems to have been added by a later hand. The format of the manuscript with 13 lines per folio must be of a later date as has been established by Prof. Norman Brown, though his theory requires certain revision. Even the style of the miniatures seems to be of a later date though it has preserved certain archaic features of the fourteenth century illustrated manuscripts. It is possible that somebody has copied the colophon of the earlier manuscript. It is evident from the style that the manuscript must have been prepared by the middle of the fifteenth century.
Like other manuscripts of the period there is hardly any distinguishing point in the illustrations of the Santinatha Caritra. The background is invariably red and the themes are usually confined to the dreams of the mother of Santinātha, to an assembly of a Jaina acarya and his congregation, the plucking of the hair, Vârşikidana (Fig. 6) Samavasarana, etc. It may be noted that in this manuscript the flesh. colour is indicated by shades of yellow and the draughtsmanship is not steady as in the 1346 manuscript of the Kalpa-sutra. It looses its stead!ness and has degenerated into a folk variety. The gold is conspicuous by its absence; it is only used for representing certain details of the ornaments. However shades of blue, both ultramine and indigo, are used. The composition follows the stereotyped Jaina technique, though there are certain innovations; for instance, the treatment of the cloud becomes more variegated and the stylised tree makes its rare appearance. However in certain scenes, for instance in the dream of Santinatha's mother, the dainty figures of the mother and her attendant are not of the later variety but seem to have been adopted from their fourteenth century prototypes.
The Kalpa-sutra dated V. S. 1547 (=1490 A. D.), copied at Vadnagar, seems to have less artistic merit and may be relegated to the general run of the Kalpa-sütra manuscripts which were mass produced for presentation to the Jaina monks by the laity. In this manuscript gold and blue have been used profusely (Colour plate II, Fig. III) but the drawing seems to be stereotyped and the treatment of human figures indifferent. The colours have also lost their pristine glory. Since we have not been able to examine all the paintings of this manuscript while noting down these observations, our conclusions may be treated. as tentative.