Queen Trishala dreams, from a manuscript of the Kalpasutra (Book of Ritual)

This painting depicts a scene related to the birth of the last of the jinas, the original teachers in the Jain religion, Mahavira. When Mahavira descended to earth, he entered the womb of the wife of a brahman priest, the most elite group in the Indian caste system. However, while Mahavira could be conceived by a brahman, it was decreed that he could not be born to a brahman. Thus, the commander of the celestial army—represented as a man with an antelope's head—removed Mahavira's embryo from the brahman woman's womb. In the painting, the commander of the celestial army is shown transferring Mahavira's embryo to the womb of a woman of the warrior caste while she sleeps.

The Kalpasutra, a religious Jain text on the lives of the jinas, centers on the birth and life of the historical Mahavira. A contemporary of the Buddha (approx. 400s bce), Mahavira renounced a privileged lifestyle to become an ascetic and pursue enlightenment. The Asian Art Museum is fortunate to house the complete Kalpasutra manuscript of which this painting is a part.
• TOP ROW: an elephant, a bull, and a lion
• MIDDLE ROW: a garland of flowers, the goddess Lakshmi, and a large flag
• BOTTOM ROW: a silver urn, a lotus lake, a celestial chariot, a pile of jewels, and a smokeless fire