Text, Folio 29 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra
1488
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1488
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Text, Folio 29 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra is a 1488 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a woman in a red robe sitting on a patterned rug, surrounded by three handmaids. She touches her belly while they lean in, listening. This is Queen Trishala, pregnant with Mahavira, who later founded Jainism. The story says he stopped moving in her womb so she wouldn’t worry. The artist shows her fear in simple lines and bright colors—no shadows, just flat shapes. Look up more paintings of western india, gujarat to see how this style spread.
This page discusses the pregnancy of Queen Trishala when she was anxious about why she could not feel the baby move. In the painting she addresses her handmaids: “Has the child in my womb been destroyed? Has he been killed? Have I suffered a miscarriage? The child used to move, but now he does not move.” The baby is Mahavira, who will grow to be the historical founder of the Jain religion. According to the text, he remained motionless out of compassion for his mother, not wishing to disturb her. Once he realized how worried she was, he made a little movement, and this filled her with joy.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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