Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c10.41

c10.41

नारायणयनमइत्ययमेवमएंसंसार घोरदिसमेदरणायामत्र।एवंउमर्वछन शोषदिताखुरागौरठोइमराखपदिणाम् हसईवाक॥१७॥निशिपरमंमश्राजक प्राणदविमंगलविशचिताश्रीबालगो पालछति।इतिमाघराणेलगवहाकये viz., patrā, hairikā (and not āhāivikā as suggested by Dr. Coomaraswamy) and bindujā, “Leaf,” “Hatching”, and “Dotted”. Defining them, the Viṣṇudharmottara says, “The leaf-shading is done with lines (patravartanā), like those of a leaf; that which is faint (sūkṣmā) is hairika vartanā; while that done with an upright brush is dot-shading.” Discussing vartanā Dr. Coomaraswamy observes: “There can be scarcely any doubt that vartanā means shading, not of course shading intended to reproduce effects of light and shade, but that kind of shading of receding areas which produces an effect of roundness or relief, and is actually to be seen at Ajaṇṭā (where the use of highlights on projecting areas is also met with) and still survives in a limited way in the early Rājpūt paintings. Now as to the kind of shading, I cannot find the use of lines (rekhā) at Ajaṇṭā but it is common in Pahāṛī paintings where grassy surfaces are represented. The dotted shading (bindujā) is constantly found in early Rājpūt painting, where it is used to indicate armpit shadow. The faint or subtle shading designated by āhairikā or āhāivikā (airikā in the Kramrisch version is certainly mistaken) etymologically inscrutable, can only logically refer to a wash or tone such as is constantly used at Ajaṇṭā to create the relief effect, and survives to a small degree in Rājpūt painting.”²⁵ The correct reading of gairika vartanā in the printed edition of the Viṣṇudharmottara, and its emendations suggested by Dr. Coomaraswamy and Dr. Stella Kramrisch, is, however, hairika, as I have found out from an ancient manuscript of the Viṣṇudharmottara in the Sarasvati Bhawan, Benares. If the reading is correct, then hairika-vartanā means shading by hatching.