Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c7.14

c7.14

The right half of the panel on the reverse depicts the march of Kumuda-chandra and party (Figs. 197–198), and the painter has quite successfully depicted the gloom covering the entire scene. There are a few warriors and musicians accompanying, but they seem to be without any enthusiasm, treading their way cautiously. Beginning from the extreme left is a palanquin carrying Kumuda-chandra, accompanied by a number of parasol-bearers and preceded by two warriors equipped with swords and shields, and a trumpeter. In the way is shown the Sābarmatī river, on whose opposite bank may be seen a banyan tree with a platform encompassing its root; a cobra is shown passing nearby. This ill-omen greatly perturbed Kumuda-chandra, and its immediate results are shown on the extreme right. Here Kumuda-chandra, after reaching Pāṭan, is making an attempt to meet the Queen Mother but is stopped from doing so by the gatekeeper, who, in the first panel, is shown pushing him aside uncere-moniously. In the second panel is shown the palace with the Queen Mother conversing with a companion. This desire of Kumuda-chandra to see the Queen Mother may be attributed to the fact that Mayaṇallādevī, the mother of Siddharāja, was a princess from the south and her father’s side had partiality for the Digambaras. Kumuda-chandra also hailed from the south, and, therefore, the Queen Mother had great regard for him as a compatriot. It seems that Kumuda-chandra went to visit the Queen Mother privately to concoct some scheme with her, in order to ensure his victory in his coming discussion with Devasūri.⁸