Mahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

India (Gujarat)

Not on view

Mahavira as a liberated soul (siddha), having departed this life for the highest celestial heaven, isatpragbhara, is represented by the inverted crescent moon of "pure white gold." All siddhas, foremost among whom are the jinas, reside there in perfect bliss. A pair of flower buds emanates from behind Mahavira's crown, which may be read as a mark of siddha-hood. Flowering trees reverently incline
toward the jina.

Mahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, India (Gujarat)

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