Jain Chitrakalpadrum - Book Summary

This is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Chitrakalpadrum" by Sarabhai Manilal Nawab, based on the provided pages. The summary focuses on the initial sections, particularly the "Prastavana" (Preface) and the introduction to "Bharatiya Jain Shraman Sanskriti ane LekhanKala" (Indian Jain Monk Culture and Writing Art).

Jain Chitrakalpadrum: A Summary

The book "Jain Chitrakalpadrum," authored by Sarabhai Manilal Nawab, delves into the rich artistic and literary traditions of Jainism. The initial pages, particularly the Preface and the commencement of the main text, establish the foundation for understanding Jain artistic expressions, with a significant emphasis on the intertwined development of Jain writing art and its visual manifestations.

Preface (Prastavana)

The preface, written by Muni Punya Vijay, addresses a potential question: why a book on Jain art ("ChitraKala") would extensively discuss writing art ("LekhanKala"). The answer lies in the fact that the illustrations presented in the book are primarily derived from illuminated manuscripts. Therefore, the development of Jain art is intrinsically linked to the evolution of Jain writing.

The preface then proceeds to provide a detailed, yet concise, overview of Jain writing art and its various facets. The author highlights that the study primarily focuses on the Jain Śvetāmbara tradition, specifically examining the vast collections housed in their knowledge repositories. While the Śvetāmbara sect is divided into Murtipujak (idol-worshipping) and Sthānakavāsī (temple-less) groups, this discourse specifically centers on the Śvetāmbara Murtipujak tradition. The Sthānakavāsī tradition is noted as being more recent and adhering to only a core set of Jain Agamas, lacking the extensive ancient heritage and unique characteristics found in the Murtipujak knowledge repositories. Consequently, knowledge repositories of the Sthānakavāsī sect in regions like Kutch, Kathiawad, Gujarat, Rajputana, and Punjab are not mentioned.

The preface also touches upon the Digambara tradition, noting their knowledge repositories are located in Mumbai, Idar, Nagar, Jaipur, Saharanpur, Arrah, and various places in South India. A key observation made about the Digambara collections is the prominent display of sectarianism, contrasting with the Śvetāmbara approach, where sectarianism is set aside in favor of broader literary and philosophical acceptance. The Śvetāmbara Acharyas are noted for their openness to adopting and commenting on numerous works from both Digambara and non-Jain traditions, and for extensively collecting such literature. Conversely, Digambara Acharyas are described as giving precedence to their own sectarian concerns, with limited engagement with non-Jain literature or even Śvetāmbara literature, a fact reflected in the rarity of Śvetāmbara texts in Digambara repositories.

The author emphasizes the unparalleled diversity and antiquity of the knowledge repositories of the Śvetāmbara Murtipujak Jains in terms of collecting and presenting Indian literature and the art of writing. This heritage, which includes knowledge of script, manuscript preservation, and scholarly research, is detailed in the essay on Jain writing art within this book. The preface concludes by expressing hope that the current Jain community will overcome the growing ignorance of ancient scripts, aversion to reading handwritten books, and carelessness in manuscript preservation. It calls for the adoption of the broad-minded approach of ancient Jain Acharyas, who, rather than being confined by narrow sectarianism, embraced a universal perspective to enrich Indian art, culture, and architecture.

Introduction to Bharatiya Jain Shraman Sanskriti ane LekhanKala (Indian Jain Monk Culture and Writing Art)

This section sets the stage by discussing the significant contribution of Jain Śramaṇa culture to the overall development of Indian Aryan culture. Despite its relatively smaller population compared to other cultures, Jain culture has sustained its existence through its universal development. The text highlights that the Jain Śramaṇa culture, devoted to the path of renunciation, once spread across India, reaching a population of potentially forty million in its peak, though the author suggests a possible exaggeration of a single zero. The vastness of this population, the author argues, reflects the profound internal renunciation and austerity of its influential propagators and preachers.

However, as time progressed and internal renunciation and austerity waned, coupled with increasing philosophical, religious, and social competition and conflict, Jain culture had to adapt. To preserve its essence and dignity, it embraced progress in various fields such as science, literature, and art, in addition to the path of renunciation. The author expresses the intention to focus specifically on the seemingly ordinary subject of "writing art" to illustrate the profound and meticulous development Jain Śramaṇa culture achieved even in this domain. This focus, it is believed, will indirectly reveal the immense and astonishing progress Jain culture must have made in other significant fields like science, literature, and art, which have been less explored and perhaps not fully appreciated.

The purpose of writing about "writing art" is to acknowledge India's current phase of national revival, which encompasses social, religious, scientific, literary, and artistic advancements. In this era of printing, the author anticipates a future need to revive the unique, traditional writing art, its tools, and its master calligraphers. Therefore, the notes collected regarding tools and techniques are presented with the aim of being practical and serving this main purpose.

The section then proceeds to discuss the interconnectedness of the three major Indian cultures: Jain Śramaṇa, Buddhist Śramaṇa, and Vedic culture, and their collective contribution to the development of writing art. However, it reiterates that Jain Śramaṇa culture has made a unique mark in the development and preservation of this art and its tools, which is the subject of this essay, hence the title "Indian Jain Śramaṇa Culture and Writing Art."

Indian Writing Art and the Origin of Indian Scripts

Before delving into Jain writing art, the text briefly discusses the origin of Indian scripts and writing art. Citing Ray Bahadur Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha's work, it asserts that Indian Aryan civilization is ancient, and its script is equally ancient and independent. While the exact origin is difficult to pinpoint, historical evidence suggests that Indian scripts had reached a state of perfection by the 5th century BCE. The text refutes attempts by Western scholars to derive Indian scripts solely from Semitic scripts, presenting arguments to the contrary.

The text then references the Buddhist encyclopedia "Fa Yuan Lin" (compiled in Chinese), which lists 64 scripts according to the Buddhist text Lalitavistara. Among these, Brahmi and Kharosthi are mentioned first. The description of Kharosthi notes its invention by teachers with three divine powers, with Brahma being the most famous, whose script is Brahmi. Brahmi is described as being written and read from left to right, while Kharosthi is read from right to left. Kharosthi is classified as belonging to the "Semitic" group. The prevalence of Kharosthi in Punjab until the 3rd century CE is noted, after which it disappeared from India, being replaced by Brahmi.

The text further elaborates on the Jain perspective on the origin of Brahmi script, stating that Lord Rishabhadeva first imparted the knowledge of writing to his daughter Brahmi, hence its name. This section also includes details about various other scripts and mentions the gradual loss of the ability to read ancient Indian scripts, the compilation of lists of 18 different scripts, and the nature of scripts like Kautiliya, Muldevi, Ankalipi, etc., which are discussed as variations or encoded forms of existing scripts.

Key themes covered in these initial pages:

Interdependence of Art and Writing: The fundamental premise is that Jain art, particularly in illuminated manuscripts, evolved alongside Jain writing.
Focus on Śvetāmbara Tradition: The primary scope of the discussion is on the Śvetāmbara Murtipujak branch of Jainism.
Preservation and Diversity: The Śvetāmbara tradition's significant contribution to preserving and diversifying Indian literature and script is highlighted.
Cultural Adaptability: Jain culture's ability to adapt and integrate various aspects of Indian civilization is noted.
Origin of Scripts: The text begins to explore the historical and cultural context of the origin of Indian scripts, emphasizing the independence and antiquity of Brahmi.
Call for Revival: The preface implicitly calls for the preservation and revival of traditional writing practices in the modern era.

This detailed summary covers the essential points introduced in the initial pages of "Jain Chitrakalpadrum," setting the stage for the book's exploration of Jain writing art.