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 Western India, Gujarat

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

Overall: 6.7 x 32.4 cm (2 5/8 x 12 3/4 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1971.125.a

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

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.