Kalpasutra (Jain)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on
Jainism

Image:Swastik4.GIF

History of Jainism
Dharmic religions
Timeline of Jainism
Jainist councils

Foundations
Ahimsa · Moksha
Brahmacharya
Asteya · Satya
Nirvana · Aparigraha
Anekantvada

Key Concepts
Kevalgnan · Cosmology · Dharma
Samsara · Karma
Reincarnation
Swadhyay

Major Figures
Lord Rishabh
Parshvanath
Mahavira · Acharyas
Other Tirthankars
Ganadhars
Siddhasen Divakar
Haribhadra

Practices and Attainment
Four Stages of Enlightenment
Paramis · Meditation

Jainism by Region
India · Western

Sects of Jainism
Svetambara · Digambara
Terapanthi · Early schools
Sthanakvasi · Bisapantha
Deravasi

Texts
Navakar Mantra · Kalpasutra
Agama (text) · Tattvartha Sutra
Sanmatti Prakaran

Comparative Studies
Culture · List of Topics
Portal: Jainism

This box: view  talk  edit


Kalpasutra is a Jain ancient text book containing the biographies of the last two Jain Tirthankars, Parshvanath and Mahavira. It contains detailed life histories with illustrations. Adinath (or Ajitanath) and Neminath are two other tirthankaras briefly mentioned in the text, with Adinath depicted in some of the illustrations.

The book is considered to be written by Bhadrabahu I, and it is considered written about 150 years after Nirvana of Mahavira.

[edit] Importance of the text as of today

The book is read and illustrated in an eight day long festival of Paryushan by Jain monks for general people.

[edit] Origin of Illustrations

Harinegamesin Takes the Embryo of Mahavira from Devananda and Brings it to Queen Trisala, Folio from a Kalpasutra (Book of Sacred Precepts) Date circa 1450, from Collection of LACMA.
Enlarge
Harinegamesin Takes the Embryo of Mahavira from Devananda and Brings it to Queen Trisala, Folio from a Kalpasutra (Book of Sacred Precepts) Date circa 1450, from Collection of LACMA.

The Kalpasutra art has its origin acclaimedly in the 5th century. It is further claimed that the Kalpasutras, though on a different medium, were part of the same sectarian art tradition as were the ancient murals of Ajanta, Bagh and other monasteries. However, the earliest known Kalpasutras do not go beyond the 10th century and the number of the reported ones from the period from the 10th to 13th centuries is very small. The greater bulk of Kalpasutra paintings emerges from 14th to mid-16th centuries. These Kalpasutras are mostly from Western India, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the western region of Malwa. The Mandu (Malwa, now in Madhya Pradesh) Kalpasutras of 1439 and some of their contemporary renderings from Gujarat and western Rajasthan, Mewar and Marwar, are all masterpieces of Indian miniature art.

[edit] References