Mahavira Plucks Out His Hair: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript
Upon arriving in the forest, Mahavira descends from the palanquin and sits beneath an asoka tree on high ground marked by the rock formations below and, attended by a kneeling Shakra, discards his princely attire and jewels (according to the text, they are gathered up by Kuvera, god of wealth) and plucks out his hair in three clumps (collected in an diamond urn by Shakra) as an expression of renunciation. Preserving his discarded jewels and hair would seem to be an allusion to the memory of the practice of relic worship, which is not otherwise acknowledged in Jainism, though it was central to early Buddhist worship.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mahavira Plucks Out His Hair: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript
- Date: 15th century
- Culture: India (Gujarat)
- Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Overall: 4 3/8 x 10 5/8 in. (11.1 x 27 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1955
- Object Number: 55.121.38.17
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.