Science and Art of Calligraphy and Painting

Author(s): S Andhare
Publisher: Indian National Science Academy

Page 39

४कामाणे चरिमाना तिजमणा विवागासि विवागाराला
Hamari Jean
क
दाम
и и
CHICKENSOR
मायाला ला
यावदपजावान सायरि छायायारा तिथे लामाला ४० नवाना क मायामा वयानवदा
grabake
craze afirun
Fig 30 Palm leaf folios, inkwells, and boru pens
या
ofteamscanronpa
3.1
Jain Nagri script and
implements of writing
The contributions of Muni Shri Panyavijayji and Dr. Moti chandra on this subject remain of paramount significance. The auther desires to acknowledge their researches which forms e basis of this study.
19
The growth of Jain Mss. in Western India on palm leaf and their painted bookcovers is simultaneous. to that of the Buddhist Mss. in Eastern India. The script used in Western India is an early form of Nagri. with certain characteristics that mark it out as Jain Nagri. It has special forms of certain letters and diphtongal signs before the letters e of o. This early script is identified as Padi matra in local jain terminology. This elegent and monumental script remained characteristic of the Jain. literature until the 18th Century.
1.
Before we deal with the implements for writing, let us make a note of an interesting shloka quoted by Muni Punyavijayji'. The shloka is in Sanskrit and reads as under:
"कुंपी, कज्जल, केश, कंबलमहो, मध्येच शुभ्रं कुशं । कांबी, कब्म, कृपाणिका, कतरणी, काष्म तथा कागणम् ॥ कि कि, कोटरी, कल्मदान, क्रमणे, कहि स्तथा कांकशे ।
एतै रम्यक काक्षरैश्च सहितः शास्त्रच नित्यं लिखत ||१|| "
Muni Punyavijayji. "Bharatiya Jain Shramana Sanskriti ane Lekhana Kala" (Gujarati) Sarabhai Nawab, Ahmedabad, 1950 P. 55