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Not currently on display at the V&A

Sangrahanisutra

Manuscript Page
18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Sangrahanisutra is a cosmological text composed in 1136 by Shrichandra that includes Jain ideas about the structure of the universe and the mapping of space. The manuscript, made in the eighteenth century, includes illustrations and cosmic diagrams.
The verso shows planetary bodies and the distances between them. At the top, from right to left, Saturn(?), Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, the moon, the sun and stars can be seen.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Sangrahanisutra (series title)
  • Trailokya dipi (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Painted in ink and paint on paper
Brief description
Manuscript page, Sangrahanisutra, planetary bodies, ink and paint on paper, Western India, 18th century
Physical description
Page verso, ink and paint on paper, from a complete illustrated manuscript of the Samgrahanisutra or Sangrahanisutra, a Jain cosmographical text in Sanskrit composed in A.D.1136 by Shrichandra Muni, whose name appears on f.52 of this copy. The work is also named at the end as the Trailokya dipi, which is more usually applied to the Sangrahani Sutra of Jinabhadragani Kshamashramana, the earliest work of this class. The work is accompanied by an interlinear text in smaller devanagari script, which is possibly the commentary of Devabhadra. This manuscript is written on 56 oblong folios of paper of which two folios (10a and 12a) are not numbered, the last numbered folio being 54. The outer folios are of double thickness and decorated with a central ogee medallion and floral motifs on their outer faces. The copy is undated but appears to have been written and illustrated in Western India during the 18th century. This folio (16) verso is illustrated with diagrams of the positions of celestial bodies.
Dimensions
  • Length: 25.4cm
  • Width: 11.7cm
Content description
Diagrams of the positions of celestial bodies.
Style
Gallery label
PAGES FROM TWO SAMGRAHANISUTRA MANUSCRIPTS CENTRE: PLANETARY BODIES Opaque watercolour on paper Western India, 18th century IS.35:16-1971 This page, the one below, and those to the right are from a later Samgrahanisutra manuscript. The text includes Jain ideas about the structure of the universe and the mapping of space.The illustrations on this page show planetary bodies and the distances between them. Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and other planets are depicted along with suns and moons.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The Sangrahanisutra is a cosmological text composed in 1136 by Shrichandra that includes Jain ideas about the structure of the universe and the mapping of space. The manuscript, made in the eighteenth century, includes illustrations and cosmic diagrams.
The verso shows planetary bodies and the distances between them. At the top, from right to left, Saturn(?), Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, the moon, the sun and stars can be seen.
Bibliographic references
  • Moti Chandra and U.P.Shah, ' New Documents of Jaina Painting'.
  • Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidalaya Golden Jubilee Volume (Bombay 1968), Pt. I, p.39.
  • Balbir, N. et al, 'Catalogue of the Jain Manuscripts of the British Library including the holdings of the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum'. London, British Library and Institute of Jainology, 2006. Vol 1, pp.38-39, Vol 2, pp.275-276, cat. no. 339.
  • Caillat, C. and Kumar, R. (Norman, R. tr.) The Jain Cosmology. Basel : Ravi Kumar, 1981.
Collection
Accession number
IS.35:16/2-1971

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Record createdSeptember 11, 2013
Record URL
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