Fourteen lucky dreams, from a manuscript of the Kalpasutra (Book of Ritual)

The Kalpasutra, a religious text on the lives of the early leaders of Jainism, centers on the birth and life of Mahavira. A contemporary of the Buddha (approx. 400s BCE), Mahavira too 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 these paintings are a part.

These paintings depict a scene related to the birth of the last of the early Jain leaders, Mahavira. On the night of Mahavira's conception his mother, Queen Trishala, had fourteen wondrous dreams. Every dream centered on an auspicious sign, each with its own symbolism but all of them signifying that her son-to-be was destined to be a pious man, a great leader, and a spiritual guide.

The top painting shows Queen Trishala reclining in her sleep. Two of the auspicious dreams—the moon and sun—are depicted above her. The remaining twelve signs are represented in the lower painting.
• 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