Background
This episode is not in the text of the Kalpa-sūtra but it belongs to the oldest Śvetāmbara Jain tradition. It is known from chapter 22 of the Uttarādhyayana-sūtra, which is one of the most famous books of the Śvetāmbara Jain canonical scriptures. Here it is told in a few stanzas:
With such pomp and splendour the hero of the Vṛṣṇis [= Prince Nemi] started from his own palace. On his way he saw animals kept in cages and enclosures, overcome by fear and looking miserable. Seeing them on the point of being killed for the sake of their flesh, and to be eaten afterwards, the great sage spoke to his charioteer thus: ‘Why are all these animals, which desire to be happy, kept in cages and enclosures?’ Then the charioteer answered: ‘Lucky are these animals because at thy wedding they will furnish food for many people’. Having heard these words, which announced the slaughter of many animals, the great sage, full of compassion and kindness to living beings, meditated thus: ‘If for my sake many living beings are killed, I shall not obtain happiness in the next world.’ Then the famous man presented the charioteer with his pair of earrings, his neck-chain and all his ornaments.
translation by Hermann Jacobi
The Kalpa-sūtra is the most frequently illustrated Jain text of the Śvetāmbara sect. It is read and recited by monks in the festival of Paryuṣaṇ, which takes place in August to September each year.
The first part of the Kalpa-sūtra deals with the lives of the Jinas, especially Mahāvīra, Pārśva, Nemi and Ṛṣabha. It features almost identical stories of their births, lives as princes, renunciation, enlightenment and emancipation.
The second part – Sthavirāvali – is a praise of the early teachers of Jainism. The third part – Sāmācārī – deals with particular monastic rules to be followed during the rainy season.
Glossary
Description
On the top left is a finely dressed lady sitting in a kind of pavilion. On the top right a man riding a richly caparisoned horse makes his way towards her.
On the bottom left is a pen holding numerous animals – the paśuvāḍa of the right-hand margin caption. The animals are here shown as different kinds of antelopes. Turning his back to them is a large male figure seated in his chariot, pulled by a vigorous horse directed by a smaller charioteer.
The woman is Rājīmatī, the fiancée of Prince Nemi. From a young age Nemi has wanted to renounce the householder life to become an ascetic. After much persuasion from his family and friends he has overcome his reluctance to marry. The top right panel shows him riding his horse to the palace of his future in-laws.
When Nemi sees all the animals penned up ready to be killed to feed the wedding guests, he is deeply troubled and repulsed. He decides to pull out of the marriage and renounce worldly life.
The upward sweep of Nemi’s horse makes the viewer feel the strength of his reaction.
This episode is a famous episode dear to the Jains’ hearts. This is in part because it underscores the repulsion towards violence and taking life if it can be avoided and thus the importance of vegetarianism. It is a major step in the spiritual journey of Neminātha or Lord Nemi, who is often called Ariṣṭanemi. He later becomes the 22nd Jina.
The long protruding eye is a typical feature of Western Indian painting. Its origin is unclear.
Other visual elements
As with many Kalpa-sūtra manuscripts, there is a clear intention to make the manuscript a valuable and remarkable object in itself.This aim is signalled by:
- the shape and style of the script, which is close to calligraphy
- the profusion of gold in the paintings
- the blue arabesques in the margins
- the three circles filled with red ink and surrounded by blue and gold ornamental motifs.
The three circles along the central horizontal plane are symbolic reminders of the way in which manuscripts were bound at one time. Strings through three holes in the paper were used to thread together the loose folios so the reader could turn them over easily. The circles are in the places where the holes would once have been.
Script
The elaborate script used for the main text is the Jaina Devanāgarī script, in a form which recalls calligraphy. It is used for writing numerous Indian languages, here for Prakrit.
There are a few notable features of this script:
- it is an old type in the way the sounds e and o are notated when used with a consonant, known as pṛṣṭhamātrā script
- the red vertical lines within the text divide the long sentences into smaller parts, but are not necessarily punctuation marks.
In this particular folio there are occasional rings over the writing. These notate the nasalised vowels and are used instead of simple dots. There are examples above the first line.
- Source:
The British Library Board
- Shelfmark:
Or. 13959
- Author:
unknown
- Date of creation:
1639
- Folio number:
71 verso
- Total number of folios:
113
- Place of creation:
Rājanagara (modern Ahmedabad), Gujarat
- Language:
Ardhamāgadhī Prākrit in Devanāgarī script
- Medium:
opaque watercolour on paper with gold
- Size:
28 x 12 cms
- Copyright:
CC0 1.0 (Creative Commons Public Domain)
- Image Copyright:
Nemi turns away from his wedding feast
- Source:
The British Library Board
- Shelfmark:
Or. 13959
- Author:
unknown
- Date of creation:
1639
- Folio number:
71 verso
- Total number of folios:
113
- Place of creation:
Rājanagara (modern Ahmedabad), Gujarat
- Language:
Ardhamāgadhī Prākrit in Devanāgarī script
- Medium:
opaque watercolour on paper with gold
- Size:
28 x 12 cms
- Copyright:
CC0 1.0 (Creative Commons Public Domain)
- Image Copyright:
Description
On the top left is a finely dressed lady sitting in a kind of pavilion. On the top right a man riding a richly caparisoned horse makes his way towards her.
On the bottom left is a pen holding numerous animals – the paśuvāḍa of the right-hand margin caption. The animals are here shown as different kinds of antelopes. Turning his back to them is a large male figure seated in his chariot, pulled by a vigorous horse directed by a smaller charioteer.
The woman is Rājīmatī, the fiancée of Prince Nemi. From a young age Nemi has wanted to renounce the householder life to become an ascetic. After much persuasion from his family and friends he has overcome his reluctance to marry. The top right panel shows him riding his horse to the palace of his future in-laws.
When Nemi sees all the animals penned up ready to be killed to feed the wedding guests, he is deeply troubled and repulsed. He decides to pull out of the marriage and renounce worldly life.
The upward sweep of Nemi’s horse makes the viewer feel the strength of his reaction.
This episode is a famous episode dear to the Jains’ hearts. This is in part because it underscores the repulsion towards violence and taking life if it can be avoided and thus the importance of vegetarianism. It is a major step in the spiritual journey of Neminātha or Lord Nemi, who is often called Ariṣṭanemi. He later becomes the 22nd Jina.
The long protruding eye is a typical feature of Western Indian painting. Its origin is unclear.
Other visual elements
As with many Kalpa-sūtra manuscripts, there is a clear intention to make the manuscript a valuable and remarkable object in itself.This aim is signalled by:
- the shape and style of the script, which is close to calligraphy
- the profusion of gold in the paintings
- the blue arabesques in the margins
- the three circles filled with red ink and surrounded by blue and gold ornamental motifs.
The three circles along the central horizontal plane are symbolic reminders of the way in which manuscripts were bound at one time. Strings through three holes in the paper were used to thread together the loose folios so the reader could turn them over easily. The circles are in the places where the holes would once have been.
Script
The elaborate script used for the main text is the Jaina Devanāgarī script, in a form which recalls calligraphy. It is used for writing numerous Indian languages, here for Prakrit.
There are a few notable features of this script:
- it is an old type in the way the sounds e and o are notated when used with a consonant, known as pṛṣṭhamātrā script
- the red vertical lines within the text divide the long sentences into smaller parts, but are not necessarily punctuation marks.
In this particular folio there are occasional rings over the writing. These notate the nasalised vowels and are used instead of simple dots. There are examples above the first line.
Kalpa-sūtra and Kālakācārya-kathā (I.O. San. 3177)
The British Library Board I.O. San. 3177 unknown 1437
Kalpa-sūtra (IM 08-1931)
Victoria and Albert Museum IM 8-1931 unknown second half of the 15th century
