Text of the colophon:

1. Copied in the year 1834 of the Vikrama era, in the current year 1699 of the Śāka era, in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the bright fortnight, on the second day, a Monday. This sacred scripture was copied in order to conclude the fast called '45 Āgamas'.
2. This copy was commissioned by a group of lay women resident at Surat, at the instigation of the monk Uttamavijaya-gaṇi.
3. May there be prosperity to the mendicant community as long as [the] sun and moon will last. May this manuscript rejoice for a long time.
4. It was deposited in the library collection of Vijayadeva-sūri of the Tapā-gaccha. // cha// cha// cha// cha//

This colophon is fairly complete and contains:

• the full form of the date, with reference to two eras
• mention of a place connected with the manuscript production – Surat, an important town in Gujarat with several traces of the Jain presence over the centuries, in the form of temples, temple-libraries and so on
• information on the sponsors of the manuscript production – a group of Jain lay women who responded to a religious teacher’s suggestion
• details of the special occasion on which they sponsored this manuscript, which is when they completed the '45 Āgamas' fast
• information about the library collection where the manuscript was deposited, which is rarely given.

With regard to the fast marked by the manuscript, Jain women , in particular, make several specific vows or undertake fasts on various religious occasions. From the 17th century onwards special fasts and ceremonies have developed around the worship of the 45 canonical scriptures which Śvetāmbara Mūrti-pūjaks recognise as authoritative. These are a way of publicly asserting their sectarian identity against the Sthānaka-vāsins, who recognise 32 such scriptures. It is significant that the Mahā-niśītha-sūtra is the text copied here, since the Sthānaka- vāsin sect disputes its status.