Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

Author(s): Umakant P Shah, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Notes on Art
Cambay. The system of numbering folios by letters is noteworthy. Catalogue no. 391.5
Fig. 5 again is an important document on paper of a text called Ridattācariya in Prakrit language, and assignable to in c. V. S. 13th century. The size is 20 x 6 cms. Preserved in the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad.
Fig. 6 shows the last folio of a palm-leaf ms. from Cambay, of Dharmabhyudaya-kavya. This is a document of historical importance as it was transcribed in V. S. 1290 1233 A. D. by the famous minister Vastupala of Gujarat who was a patron of learning. Script of Jaina manuscripts of this period is typical and can be well studied from this document. Catalogue no. 95. p. 12.
Some manuscripts are noteworthy as autograph copies prepared by authors themselves. Fig. 7 illustrates one such specimen of Kathamahodadhi copied by its author Pratiṣṭhāsoma in V. S. 1504 1447 A. D. Catalogue no. 318, p. 38.
Fig. 8 is another early document on paper of Santinātha-boli, copied in V. S. 1350 1293 A. D. The document is noteworthy both for its size ( 21 x 8 cms.) and for its script. Preserved in the collections of the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad.
Fig. 9 again is an early paper ms. of Rudraṭālankāra, copied in V. S. 1455 1398 A. D. Size: 22.5 x 8.3 cms., preserved in the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad. Cat. no. 239, p. 29,
In copying manuscripts, scribes sometimes displayed their artistic skill and taste. For example, in Fig. 10 we find some letters in each line written in red ink with the rest in black in such a way that the red ink portions form a letter or a motif or a design.
Sometimes lines and letters are written leaving some intervening blank spaces in such a way that the left out blank or white spaces go to form a design or a symbol. See fig. 11
Catalogue no, and p. refer to the entry no. and page no. in the Catalogue of antiquities printed at the end of this book. This is a list of exhibits in the exhibition referred to above. Fig. nos. unless specified refer to illustrations in this book.
Cambay Cat, no. refers to the number given to the manuscript described in the Catalogue of Palmleaf manuscripts in Sri Santinatha Jaina Bhandara, Cambay, edited in two volumes by Muni Sri Punyavijaya and published as G. O. Series, Baroda, nos. 135 and 145.
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