Artwork Page for Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience, folio 2 (recto) from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri

Details / Information for Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience, folio 2 (recto) from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri

Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience, folio 2 (recto) from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri

c. 1275–1300

Western India, Gujarat

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Medium
Gum tempera and ink on palm leaf
Measurements
Overall: 6.7 x 32.4 cm (2 5/8 x 12 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1971.125.a
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The book on the stand is called "substitute teacher" and refers to the monk's legitimate lineage of knowledge.

Description

The scene of a senior monk teaching his disciple emphasizes the importance of oral transmission of stories and knowledge. Both wear the white robes of the Shvetambara sect, have whisk brooms for clearing the ground of living things, and hold shields in front of their mouths to prevent harm to insects that might fly in while they speak. Between them, on a tripod, rests a sacred manuscript with letters written on the side and flowers placed on top. Below, two women and two men, possibly the donors who paid for the production of the manuscript, press their hands together in veneration.
A horizontally oriented tempera and ink painting on a fragmented palm leaf features columns of dense black script separated by red vertical lines. To our right, an illustration on a vibrant red background depicts figures with light skin tones, including one in white robes seated on a platform gesturing toward a smaller figure. Below them, four smaller figures stand in a row. A square cutout sits within the script near the center.

Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience, folio 2 (recto) from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri

c. 1275–1300

Western India, Gujarat

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