Description

The caption in the left-hand margin says: Jasomati paṭṭavandhu – ‘Yaśomati’s coronation’.

In the centre a man sits on a throne atop a high platform, the ornate parasol above him indicating his royal status. Either side stands a figure holding aloft a jar.

The coronation of Prince Yaśomati is shown here. On each side is an attendant who carries a jug of sacred water used in the coronation ceremony. The ceremony is technically called ‘anointment’ – abhiṣeka – which implies the pouring of water.

The sacrifice of the cock made of flour and other experiences have created disgust for worldly life in the heart of King Yaśodhara. He therefore thinks of renouncing the householder life and becoming an ascetic. Before doing that he has to guarantee the preservation of the kingdom. He thus decides that time has come for his son Yaśomati – called Jasamai or Jasavai in the original language of the text – to rule as king.

The scene is a replica of Yaśodhara’s coronation shown on folio 20 verso.

The long protruding eye is a typical feature of western Indian painting. Its origin is unclear.

Other visual elements

This is a good example of an average manuscript. A red background is used for the painting but there is no use of gold, intricate design elements or elaborate script.

The bottom of the right margin contains the number 4, which is the folio number.

In the upper and lower margins there are syllables missing from the main text, or corrections. The number before them is the line number where they should be inserted.

Script

The script used for the main text is the Jaina Devanāgarī script. It is used for writing numerous Indian languages, here Apabhraṃśa Prakrit.