Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

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

Page 22

Notes on Art
galas (eight auspicious marks or symbols) or the fourteen dreams seen by a would be Jina's Mother. Fig. 165 (Cat. no. 378) is a specimen of fourteen dreams made of tiny pearls, while fig. 166 ( Cat. no. 386 ) shows the astamangalas also of tiny pearls. Palm-Leaf Manuscripts :
Of the illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts from W. India, the earliest dated, so far known, is the ms. of Ogha Niryukti from Jesalmer, dated in V.S. 1117 = 1060 A.D.10 Next in age are the decorative roundels filled up with floral and geometrical designs, in the palm-leaf ms. of Nisithacūrņi, painted in Bhrgukaccha, in V.S. 1157=1100 A.D., now preserved in the Samghavino Bhandāra, Patan. Then follows the Ms. of Jnāta and other Anga text from śāntinātha Bhandāra, Cambay no. 12 (Cat. No. 388, pp. 59-61), dated in V.S. 1184=1127 A.D., with miniatures of a Jina and Sarasvati which are well-known. There are some beautiful roundel decorations, one of which with a male and a female figure in it is illustrated here in fig. 1212, Cat. no. 388. Next in age are the partly preserved miniatures of Daśavaikālika Laghuvrtti, d.V.S. 1200 = 1143 A.D. 13 As we have shown elsewhere, 14 the Chāņi ms. of Ogha-Niryukti and other texts, assigned to 1161 A.D. by Brown, Nawab and Moti Chandra belongs to c. late 13th century, A.D. A ms. of Jivasamāsaprakarana-saţika from Cambay, no. 142, dated in 1165 V.S.=1108 A.D., contains on Folio 194 two nice decorative roundels (Cat. no. 11). Also, in the same Bhandāra at Cambay, no 87, in the ms. of Nihsesasiddhānta-paryāya, dated in V.S, 1212=1155 A.D. we have some notewrothy roundel decorations (Cat. no. 17). In
For astamangalas, see, Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art (Banaras 1954), pp. 109-112.
'For fourteen dreams, see, Ibid., pp. 105-108,
10Shah, U. P., More Documents of Jaina Paintings, p.2-4 figs. 6-8, 10. These illustrations, as we have shown, do not exhibit, the style with pointed nose and projecting farther eye. For some eleventh century and earlier examples of this style with extended farther eyes, from copper-plate grants, see, ibid., pp. 1-4, figs. 2-5. 11 Moti Chandra, Jaina Miniature Paintings from Western India. pp. 27-28, figs. 13-14.
For our note on the miniatures of this ms. see, Catalogue no. 388. pp. 59-61. 19Jaina Citrakalpadruma, 1 figs. 10-11, Moti Chandra op. cit p. 29. 14Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art, 32-33.