Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

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

Page 935

406 SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
(i. e. not in the usual parallel straight line) the following: (१) जीनी XX जो. This is then crossed out with black ink.
For the present we can only say that the illustrated manuscript should date not from V. S. 1765 (-1708 A.D.) but at least a few years earlier. Looking to the linguistic peculiarities of the Gujarati prose commentary available in this, it may either be the work of Vṛddhivijaya composed in V. S. 1723 (= 16676 A.D.) at Surat, or the work of unknown authorship whose manuscripts of V. S. 1666, 1694, 1732 and 1765 are available at Chani, Kheda etc. On comparison with this other Bālavabodha in the Hamsavijaya collection, U. P. Shah has however ascertained that the Devasano Pado manuscript contains, not this other Balavabodha of unknown authorship, but the Balavabodha of Vrddhivijaya.
The Upadesamālā has been very popular amongst the Svetambara Jainas for several centuries past, and because of the stories narrated by commentators in support of the didactic teaching, the text not only became very popular, but possibly began to be illustrated as well. An Upadesamala-vrtti on palm-leaf, dated V. S. 1291 (= 1234 A. D.) and preserved in Sri Santinātha Bhandara, Cambay, contains a few paintings of which one of Laksmi was published by U. P. Shah.52
Size: 26 x 12 cm.
Total folios: 210 Colophon : इति श्री उपदेशमाछासूत्रं संपूर्ण ॥ संवत १७६५ वर्षे आसु सुदि ५ तिथौ गुरुवासरे || oo. (Here ends the Upadeśamälä sútra. In the year. Samvat 1765, Asu (Aśvin) sudi 5 day, on Thursday, for the reading of Pandit Sri Khimāvijaya).
This manuscript contains 71 miniatures in all of which the first illustrates a Tirthankara without reference to any story. The rest refer to stories. In all 70 stories are given.
Motichandra believes that the miniatures cannot be much earlier than 1708 A. D. though Umakant Shah thinks that the last folio was possibly purposefully replaced when the manuscript came in possession of other hands. The manuscript, according to Umakant Shah, could be about twentyfive years earlier.
Folio 4 B: Drumaka attended by Arya Candana bālā and another nun. The story refers to Drumaka, who had accepted monkhood.
The scene is laid in a well decorated canopied room with green 52 Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art (Banaras, 1955), fig. 70 and p. 33.