The painting shows the 12 animals that symbolise each of the 12 heavens – kalpas – of the Upper World.
They are depicted in three rows of four in the standard sequence. Looking from top to bottom, left to right, they are as follows:
There are several differences between the animals in the painting and the names in the text, namely:
|
Animal in painting |
Name of animal in the text and meaning |
Heaven |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
black antelope |
miya – antelope |
Saudharma |
2 |
buffalo |
mahisa – buffalo |
Īśāna |
3 |
boar |
varāha – boar |
Sanatkumāra |
4 |
tiger |
sīha – lion |
Māhendra |
5 |
goat |
chagala – goat |
Brahmaloka |
6 |
frog |
sālūra – frog |
Lāntaka |
7 |
horse |
haya – horse |
Śukra |
8 |
elephant |
gaya – elephant |
Sahasrāra |
9 |
snake |
bhuyaṃga – snake |
Ānata |
10 |
unicorn-rhino |
khaggī – rhinoceros |
Prāṇata |
11 |
bull |
vasaha – bull |
Āruṇa |
12 |
white antelope |
viḍima – a 'kind of antelope' in printed editions, but huḍūma here |
Acyuta |
The bottom of the right margin contains the number 18, which is the folio number.
The illustration takes up most of the page while the text is on the right. The text contains two languages. The larger script is the Prakrit text used for the sūtra or verse while the smaller script above and below it is almost a literal translation in Gujarati.
These animals represent the 12 heavens of the Upper World, which is one of the three worlds in Jain cosmology. The Vaimānika gods live in the Upper World. Their name comes from the Sanskrit word for 'palace' – vimāna. Although they are found in the heavenly Upper World, Jain deities can live in any of the three worlds.
Animals often feature in dreams as meaningful symbols. Dreams were taken very seriously by Jains and feature in many key tales.
This manuscript of the Saṃgrahaṇī-ratna contains the Prakrit verses followed by a commentary in Gujarati. Such writings have generated many commentaries in Sanskrit or the vernacular languages. A rich pictorial tradition has also grown up round the Saṃgrahaṇī works, as visualisation is part of the transmission of knowledge on the Jain universe and is helpful as a means of understanding.This manuscript is a carefully executed artefact with a large panel of paintings and charts.
Jain cosmology is complex. Human beings live in the Middle World, which is the smallest of the three worlds that make up world space – loka-ākāśa. In world space all the souls live in the different body-forms they take according to their rebirths, in the various worlds. Outside world space is the non‑world space – aloka-ākāśa – which is endless. However, the Middle World is the most important area from the spiritual point of view because it is the only part where human beings can live.
Jains cannot advance spiritually without understanding and meditating upon cosmological theories so understanding them is crucial. Certain key religious concepts run through these theories. These include the notion of a physical soul shedding karma by moving through the cycle of rebirth to eventual omniscience and liberation, along with the cyclical nature of time, the interconnectedness of the universe, and the importance of symmetry, repetition and balance.
Prāṃṇateṃ geṃḍā nu cihna 10
- ga 9 khaggī
Āraṇa vṛṣabha nū cihna 11
- 10 vasahā 11
Acyūta iṃdra mīḍhā nu cihna 12
- huḍū [?] 12 māiṃ
e cina jāṃṇavā 11
- ciṃhnāiṃ 11
Saudharma iṃdra Iśāneṃ ineṃ neṃ 84 hajā 80 hajāra
- cūlasii a
Sanatakumāreṃ iṃneṃ 72 hajāra
- sii bāvanna
There are five numbers in the text. The numbers 9, 10, 11, 12 in lines 1 to 3 refer to the number of the animals in the sequence.
In line 4 the 11 is the stanza number, which, as usual, is given at the end. Note that the 11 stands for 111 because it is usual to miss out the digit specifying hundreds or thousands.
British Library. Or. 13454. Śrīcandra. 1644
With commentary by Dharmameru. British Library. Or. 13456. Śrīcandra. 1812
Victoria and Albert Museum. IS 2-1984. Unknown author. 1630
British Library. Add. Or. 1814. Unknown author. 19th century
With commentary by Dharmameru. British Library. Or. 13456. Śrīcandra. 1812
British Library. Or. 2116 ms. C. Śrīcandra. Perhaps 16th century
British Library. Or. 13454. Śrīcandra. 1644
With commentary by Dharmameru. British Library. Or. 13456. Śrīcandra. 1812