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 Arts
beautiful Jaina miniatures and many characterstics of the fifteenth century seem to have developed in the later half of the fourteenth century, except of course the Persian influence and the increase in the element of border decorations and use of many costly colours. A typical beautiful specimen of the end of fourteenth century is the paper ms. of Parsvanathacarita Mahākāvya dated 1398 A.D., (Cat.no.443, p. 73) from Patan. Colour reproductions of two miniatures from this ms. given by Sarabhai Nawab in Pavitra Kalpa-sutra (ed. by Muni Punyavijaya) figs. 60-61, are noteworthy. The figure of Padmavati (in fig. 61 of Pavitra Kalpa-sutra) is very important since it shows that this form and style had already developed in Patan as early as the end of 14th century A.D.
A paper ms. of Kalpa-sutra in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Bombay, Collection, noted by Nawab, was dated in 1424 V.S. as shown by the colophon published by Nawab.40 Nawab notes that the ms. contained ten paintings but published only one of a Jina which probably is not fully representative of the style.41 But the six minitures of the palm-leaf Kalpa-sütra from Ujamphoi Dharmaśälä, Ahmedabad, and the 1439 V.S. Kalpa-sutra from Pālitānā, the 1403 V.S. Kalpa-sutra of Punyavijaya collection, and the 1381 A.D. Kalpa-sutra from Khajanchi collection, referred to above, prove the well-advanced state of the fourteenth century A.D.
There is one more undated paper ms. of Kalpa-sutra, recently acquired in the L. D. Institute, as no. 27291, (See Cat no. 473, p. 77, where the age is printed as sixteenth century V.S. through mistake). This ms. has many beautiful miniatures. Since the script, format etc. agree with the 1403 V.S. ms. of Kalpa-sutra, it is reasonable to assign it to the end of fourteenth century A.D. or at the most to c. 1400-1405 A.D. (see figure 30).
Before we refer to some manuscripts listed in our catalogue of exhibition, we would further like to mention here an undated paper ms. of Kalpa-sutra from
Pavitra Kalpa-sutra, figs. 57-58. fig. 58 shows the last page with the colophon and date. There are two dates, 1424 and 1427 but a careful reading shows that 1424 V.S. is the date of copying of this ms.
41Some years back, when I went to see the ms., it could not be traced in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. Probably Muni Jinavijayaji who seems to have owned it, took it away with him along with his Tärä bronze from Sirpur (now in Los Angeles museum) etc., when he retired from the Institution. The present whereabouts of the ms. are not known.
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