Manuscript Illustrations Of Uttaradhyayana Sutra

Author(s): W Norman Brown
Publisher: American Oriental Society

Page 71

THE STORY OF SAMUDRAPĀLA
31 register of the first painting (fig. 81) Samudrapāla sits in a balcony, beside which flows a river, and looks down upon the lower scene, which shows the condemned man being led along by the executioner. The victim is stripped of his ornaments and upper garment, his hands are bound and his hair undone; and the executioner has a sword and a small round shield like that of a Rajput soldier. The lower register of the second painting (fig. 82) has a monk standing before a layman, who sits on the ground pulling out his hair, and is evidently Samudrapāla renouncing the world and taking initiation in the traditional manner of Jains.
22. THE STORY OF RATHANEMI This chapter deals with the story of Aristanemi (Neminātha), the twenty-second Tirthamkara," and the story of his elder brother Rathanemi. Prince Aristanemi of Sauryapura was betrothed to Rājimati, and when the time came to claim the bride he went for her on his elephant. On his way he saw a number of animals in pens, frightened and miserable, on the point of being slaughtered for the wedding feast. The sight filled him with pity for all creatures, and at once he gave his ornaments to his charioteer (!) and forsook the world to become a Jain monk, going to mount Raivataka (Girnar) to practice austerities. When Rājimati heard of this, she in her turn became a nun, and also set out for mount Raivataka. While she was on her way a heavy rain fell and drenched her, and she entered a cave, where she removed all her clothes to dry. While she was there naked Ariștanemi's elder brother named Rathanemi chanced to find her, and begged her to accept him as her lover. He had previously sought her love, but she had replied by vomiting up a sweet drink which she had just had and offering it to him. He refused it in disgust. She then pointed out that she had as good as been vomited by Ariştanemi, yet Rathanemi wanted her. Thus she had converted him to monkhood. Now, when he again asked her love, she went on to preach him a sermon, which was so effective that he was re-established in his monk's duties, and in time both Rājimati and he obtained full enlightenment and reached the state of blessedness.
HV (fig. 83) has, in the upper register, Aristanemi in his chariot being awakened to the religious life by the sight of the penned animals, which appear in four tiers at the lefthand side of the scene. In the lower register Rājimati sits under a tree plucking out her hair, which the god Sakra (Indra) receives in two of his four arms.
The painting of JM (fig. 84) is in three registers. At the top Rājimati is seated in the marriage pavilioh waiting for Ariştanemi, who is approaching in his chariot. In the middle register Ariştanemi is driving way from the penned animals. In the bottom register Rājimati is plucking out her hair, which Sakra is receiving.
JP has three paintings, one of which (fig. 87) is incorrectly placed in the manuscript with Chapter 20. In the first (fig. 85) there is a walled enclosure containing the animals, with a cowherd at the gate holding a crook. Aristanemi, by the use of the artistic device
1 This story is frequently illustrated in the Kalpasūtra MSS; see BrKS figs. 108, 109, 110. 2 The confusion between elephant driver and charioteer is common in this story; see BrKS 47. • See note to Chapter 20.
Aristarcher lover. Hehe had just has good