FORTY-FIVE PAGES OF A KALPA SUTRA

Description:

India, Gujarath, 17th c.
11,2 x 26,7 cm
45 Double pages, ink and colours on paper. The Kalpasūtra is one of the most important and popular texts in the Śvetāmbara tradition of Jainism. It is formed of a first part which deals with the lives of the Jinas (especially Mahāvīra, Pārśvanātha, Neminātha and Ṛṣabhanātha). The Jinas were all born as princes who renounced their worldly privileges to become mendicants and seek enlightenment through ascetic discipline. The second part includes the praise of early Jain teachers and the monastic rules for the rainy season. Many versions of the text exist, with commentaries of various length and character also in regional languages such as Gujarati and Hindi. The Kalpasūtra is used in daily practice and also read and recited by monks in the Paryuṣaṇa festival of August-September. This ceremonial use explains why Kalpāsutra manuscripts are very often beautifully crafted and richly illustrated.
South German private collection, according to a note bought February 17th, 1975 in Jaipur - Traces of age