In Jain manuscripts, as in other Indian manuscripts, the end is the place to look for information on the title of the work, the author, the date of composition and so on. The colophon of the work is not necessarily the author’s creation. It is mostly written by the scribes who copy texts. Sanskrit is often the language of colophons, like here.
This colophon is an interesting example of a monastic lineage represented at several levels.
The main monastic leader is Gaja-sāgara. A monk is defined through his place in a lineage. Hence the name of his predecessor and teacher is mentioned, who is called Sumati-sāgara.
On the other hand, a monastic leader is also defined through his religious entourage. Gaja-sāgara’s entourage is represented, in hierarchical succession, by Lalita-sāgara, and by Māṇikya-sāgara. The latter is the one for whom the manuscript has been copied and is a monk of average rank, as suggested by the abbreviation ṛ, which stands for ṛṣi.
In addition, the monastic lineage is set within the larger frame of the Jain tradition of monastic teaching by the reference to Sudharma-svāmin. Sudharma is one of the 11 chief disciples of Mahāvīra. With the exception of one, all Śvetāmbara monastic lineages trace their descent from him. Also mentioned here is Jambū-svāmi, who was his pupil and who also figures in traditional monastic lineage accounts.
It is interesting to note that a large part of the section giving the monastic lineage has been written over yellow pigment. Yellow pigment is used as an eraser. This indicates that the manuscript originally had another recipient and has been reused and re-allocated to Māṇikya-sāgara. The present allocation shows the most frequent pattern in commissioning manuscript copies for a monk to read, which is when lay people club together to get a manuscript copied.
Jain monks have their official titles added to their names. These titles are also indicated by the respectful prefix śrī. These respectful terms are sometimes written more than once or implied as being repeated. The term śrī5 found in this colophon should be understood as adding the prefix śrī five times to the name, which denotes a very high level of honour.
Manuscripts show that the texts of the Śvetāmbara scriptures were copied without any interruption of the tradition through the centuries. This one is dated 1645 of the Vikrama era, or 1589 CE. Its interesting colophon mentions individuals who were involved in the commissioning and use of the manuscript, making it a noteworthy object.
The Jñāta-dharma-kathā is part of the Śvetāmbara canon. It is the sixth Aṅga, which is the first type of scripture in the canon. Like all the texts belonging to the Śvetāmbara canon, its language is the variety of Prakrit known as Ardhamāgadhī. The Prakrit version of the title of the work is Nāyā-dhamma-kahāo. The title as given in the left margin of the first folio is Jñāta-sūtram. The word sūtra is often used as an equivalent of 'sacred scripture'.
This work is narrative in character and composed of two main sections. The first one has 19 chapters, which contain different stories or parables. The second one has ten chapters, which are all repetitions of an initial story, but multiplied and modified, with changes in the names of persons and places.
The first section has rich narrative material and includes some stories which have become very famous in the Jain tradition. For instance, chapter eight is the first instance in the Śvetāmbara canon of a biography of Princess Mallī, who is destined to become the 19th Jina. Chapter 16 includes an early version of the story of Princess Draupadī, who wed the five Pāṇḍava brothers. It thus provides one of the first instances of a Śvetāmbara Jain version of the Mahābhārata epic. On the other hand, with the parable of the five rice grains entrusted to a man who must increase them, chapter seven has an Indian instance of a parable also known from the Bible.
This page has the final part of the colophon, which has, on line 1:
śrīr astu:// kalyāṇam astu: //
This means:
Prosperity // May there be good!//
This kind of wish for good fortune is extremely common. It is addressed to the reader or any person who will have the manuscript in his hands.
Then comes the part of the colophon which mentions those involved in the commissioning and use of the manuscript.
1. In the year 1645 [of the Vikrama era], in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the bright fortnight, on the ninth,
2. a Sunday // In the village [of] Navānagara, Mr Dhannā, Mr Jayamalla, Mr Mādhava, Mr Jodhā, Mr Jasū, Mr Vacharāja, etc.
3. with their family, sons and grandsons got [this manuscript] to be written. The Jñātā-dharma-kathā is now completely finished. Now, in the lineage of Sudharma-svāmin, [there was] Jambū-svāmin, and progressively
4. there was Candra-sūri. In the Candrakula, in the monastic order [of] Vidhipakṣa, the monastic leader, the venerable Sumati-sāgara. In his lineage, [was] the monastic leader Gaja-sāgara.
5. [This manuscript was copied] in order to be read by the monk Māṇikya-sāgara, the pupil of the learned monk Lalita-sāgara, the pupil of Gaja-sāgara. //cha// prosperity // //prosperity// //74//
6. The number of grantha units should be known as being 5464// cha// // cha// prosperity// cha// cha// prosperity// homage to the teacher// cha//
This is the traditional and complete way of giving the date, in the Vikrama era. It is equivalent to 1589 CE.
Navānagara, the place name, has yet to be identified.
All the proper names in line 2 refer to merchants or businessmen. The term sāha is a title, which is the ancestor of the common modern surname Shah. Here what the text means is that several lay men in the same family jointly paid for the copying of this manuscript. In this case, no female member of the family is involved in the process.
Vidhipakṣa is another name of the Śvetāmbara monastic order known as Añcala-gaccha. Closely associated with the region of Kutch in Gujarat, this is a centrally organised monastic order headed by a pontiff with the title of sūri, sūrīśvara or bhaṭṭāraka. Sumatisāgara-sūri and the three other monks named here appear together in other manuscript colophons as well.
This page has the final part of the colophon, which has, on line 1:
śrīr astu:// kalyāṇam astu: //
This means:
Prosperity // May there be good!//
Then comes the part of the colophon which mentions those involved in the commissioning and use of the manuscript.
1. saṃvat 1645 vṛṣe Mārggaśīṣa-māsa-śukla-pakṣe 9 tithau
2. ravau vāsare // Navānagara-grāme sāha-Dhannā / sāha-Jayamalla sāha-Mādhava sāha-Jodhā sāha-Jasū sāha-Vacharāja-pramuṣa-pu
3. tra-pautrādi-sa-parivāreṇa laṣāpitaṃ // śrīJñātādharmmakathā-saṃpūrṇṇṇa-samāptāni // atha śrīSudharmasvāmi-paṭṭe Jaṃbūsvāmī tad-anu-
4. rameṇa śrīCandrasūrir abhavat tasmin Candrakule śrīVidhipakṣa-gacche bhaṭṭāraka-śrī5śrīSumatisāgara-sūrisvara tat-paṭṭe-śrī5śrīGaja-
5. sāgara-sūrīsvara tat-sīkṣa-paṃ5śrīLalitasāgara tat-sīkṣa-ṛ°Māṇikyasāgara-paṭhanārthaṃ //cha// /śrī// //śrī// //74// //
6. grathāgra-saṃkhyā // 5464// jñātavyaṃ// //cha// //cha// // // śrī // cha// cha// //śrī// // śrīgurubhyo namaḥ //cha//://
The Bodleian Library is part of the University of Oxford, the official university library with various specialist libraries. It boasts extremely extensive collections of books, newspapers, magazines, journals, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, and official and personal papers, both ancient and modern. With large Jain holdings, the Bodleian is a JAINpedia partner.
Art historian John Guy writes a brief essay on the development of Jain manuscript paintings in western India. A slideshow of folios held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, illustrates his points. The essay and slideshow are available on the website of the Met.
Also known as Śvetāmbara Jain Rāmāyaṇa. Beta 1689. Wellcome Trust Library. Hemacandra. 1601
Gamma 453. Wellcome Trust Library. Unknown author. 1512
Gamma 453. Wellcome Trust Library. Unknown author. 1512