There is no text on this page. Sometimes Jain manuscripts have purely decorative pages, such as this one, either before the text starts or after it has finished. Such pages are like covers. Here it is the opening cover, before the text starts.
As a rule, such pages do not depict any scene. They demonstrate ornamental motifs created using several geometric shapes. The shape on this page does not show any special item or holy symbol. It cannot be said to have any specific relationship with the text on the following pages. However, it functions as an auspicious symbol. Decorative motifs are often intricate, as if to underline the idea of abundance and wealth. Colours – here red and yellow – are lavishly used in harmonious patterns. Here the main forms evoke the shape of flowers.
On the left and right are the margins, which border the inner space where the text is written on the verso side of this folio.
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 and then their 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.
The pages or folios under this shelfmark belong to different manuscripts. The folios show a variety of handwriting, language and artistic style and are on noticeably different paper.
The folios are from four separate manuscripts, as follows:
There is also a manuscript holder made for an unknown manuscript.
It is not known what has happened to the rest of each manuscript.
Copies of the Kalpa-sūtra and Kālakācārya-kathā are often made in a single manuscript, which may be why these folios were bundled together. At some point in the past these folios and the manuscript holder were put into a box at the British Library and labelled ‘Frags. of Jain Mss. Skt. / Pkt.’ meaning 'Fragments of Jain manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit'. However, it is important to remember that they do not belong together.
This manuscript of the Kalpa-sūtra is fully digitised on the Gallica Bibliothèque numérique website, part of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France) in Paris. Though the website is available in English, the information about the artefact is in French.
Victoria and Albert Museum. IS 46-1959. Unknown author. Late 15th to 16th centuries
Victoria and Albert Museum. IM 8-1931. Unknown author. Second half of the 15th century
Victoria and Albert Museum. IM 12-1931. Unknown author. Circa 1490
British Library. Or. 14262. Unknown author. Perhaps 15th century
British Library. Or. 2116 ms. C. Śrīcandra. Perhaps 16th century
British Library. Or. 13700. Unknown author. 1445
British Library. Or. 2116 ms. C. Śrīcandra. Perhaps 16th century
With Gujarati commentary. Victoria and Albert Museum. IS. 35-1971. Śrīcandra. 18th century