More Documents of Jaina and Gujarati Paintings

Author(s): Umakant P Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 23

a Jina figure with full parikara. Secondly the miniatures in this newly discovered ma. nuscript are in a style different from the usual style found in hundreds of Jaina minia. tures dating from about 1157 A. D. to about 1550 A. D.
The format of the manuscript, the script etc., suggest a date c. 1600 A. D., or a little earlier. There is no colophon at the end giving the date or place of writing etc.
Fig. 44 from folio lb represents a Tirthańkara sitting and having on each side a standing gañadhara with folded hands.
Fig. 38 from folio 14a. Scene of music and dancing. This long panel painted on a red background is framed in yellow lines.
On the right end a princely figure wearing a long jāmā and crown is sitting on a throne with an umbrella and back-rest behind which is standing an attendant chaurie-bearer wearing a long coat held by a sash and a typical turban with red stripes. In front of the royal figure is a female dancer wearing green trousers, blue coli and a fine scarf. The pompons on the right arm may be noted. Behind her are a male drummer (playing on mydargam), a cymbal-player and a rabāb-player, all males wearing turbans and long coats. The mrdanga-player wears a blue jāmā and a white turban with red stripes, the cymbal-player a white jāmā having reddish design and a blue turban. The last figure playing on a rabāb-like instrument wears blue trousers, green jāmā and a white turban with red stripes. The full profiles with fish-like eyes, typical foreheads may be noted. The noses are not pointed as in the earlier Jaina miniatures of VasantaVilāsa, Kalpa-sútras etc.
The treatment of the scene reminds one of a similar treatment of the scene of music and dancing in the court of Indra depicted in the famous. Samgrahani dated 1583 A. D., painted in Mātar (Central Gujarat) by the painter Govinda. Size of miniature: 20.2 x 7.2 cms.
Fig. 39 from 46b represents King Paesi (Pradeśī) visiting Mahāvira. Long panel with red background and enclosed in a yellow frame. On the right end is sitting a Jaina ācārya discoursing with his disciple in front with the sthāpanācārya (crosslegged stand) between them. Both are sitting under a canopy hanging over them. In the left half of the picture is shown a king arriving in a chariot drawn by two horses and driven by a charioteer wearing a coat and a turban. All faces are shown in profile with only one eye. The monks wear fine white garments, the charioteer wears a blue coat while the king wears a pinkish jāmā. All the figures are shown with deep bright yellow complexion. Size of picture: 20.4 x 6.4 cms.
Fig. 40 from folio 62a (the last page) represents a Jaina monk sitting on a big stool and giving lessons to two disciples in front. All the figures are painted as having a bright reddish yellow complexion, and wearing white garments. The typical faces in profiles, with flat heads, fish-like eyes, are especially noteworthy. Red background. Size: 7.4 x 11 cms.
The figures of the monks in these miniatures are especially comparable with similar figures of monks in the Uttarādhyayana sūtra (Figs. 41,42,43) dated 1591 A. D.,