Manuscript Painting 014

Painted on palm leaf, this page from one of the fundamental texts of the Jain religion is representative of the long tradition of medieval Indian manuscript illumination. It originally would have been bound by a string passing through the hole in the center of each page. The small painting is inset between lines of horizontal text written in Prakrit language in the Devanagari script that is still used in northern India today. It features a discourse between an important Jain monk, clad in white robes, and a king. The two nuns in the center of the lower register carry the accouterments of Jain ascetics, namely a whisk broom and handkerchief, which are used to prevent inadvertent harm to tiny creatures while walking or speaking.