Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

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

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Treasures of Jaina Bhandāras
this document contains three miniatures on folio 439, one of them being ten-armed Mahişāsuramardini whom the Jainas are worshipping as Sacciyā-Mātā or Saccikādevi in a shrine at Osiã in Marwad.27 The figure of Pārsvanātha on this folio has plaintain trees represented on two sides whereas the representation of Satruñjayatirtha on folio 438 also shows another tree with small leaves, besides miniature representations of Jaina shrines. All the miniatures of this manuscript, dated in V. S. 1352= A. D. 1295, have red background, and are noteworthy for the style of late thirteenth century A. D.
No. 220 of śāntinātha Bhandāra, Cambay, is a manuscript of PāņdavacaritraMahākāvya (Cat. no. 404, p. 64), assigned to first half of fourteenth century V. S.c. 1245-1295 A. D., containing nine paintings-4 of Tirthankaras, 1 each of Ambikā, Padmāvati and Lakşmi and 2 of Pandavas. Miniatures of this manuscript, especially the one of Yudhisthira with Draupadi (figure 20) and the other of Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva (on folio 263) show long eyes, narrow with pointed ends. Treatment of faces with typical noses is precursor of fourteenth century paper ms. of Kalpa-sūtra, such as the one dated in V. S. 1403 = 1346 A. D. in Muni Punyavijaya collection, L. D. Institute, published by Moti Chandra and U. P. Shah. In the thirteenth century miniatures, however, we also find another idiom of rendering the eyes as small and roundish, especially in representations of Tirthankaras.
Of perhaps the last quarter of the thirteenth century is preserved a page of Jñātādharmakathā in the late Sri Rajendra Singh Singhi's collection which he obtained from the late Muni Jinavijaya who possibly obtained it from Jesalmer. It is a beautiful miniature of Ambikā with mango trees on two sides. 28 A manuscript of Satapadi, copied in Pātana in V. S. 1328 = 1278 A. D., from Pravartaka Sri Kāntivijaya collection, Jñāna-mandira, Baroda, is recently described by U. P. Shah.29 The miniatures of this ms. are especially noteworthy since the place of copying is given which gives us definite idea of the style at Patan in the thirteenth century.
21Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art, fig. 71 and p. 33 28 More Documents of Jaina Paintings, figs. 23-24 A. 39 Ibid., p. 8, fig. 18. Of about the same age there is one more ms. of Satapadi, in the Santinātha Bhandara, Cambay Cat. no. 199, having three miniatures.
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