Mahavira Gives Away His Possessions

These typical western Indian Jain manuscripts both illustrate scenes from the Kalpasutra. In the top example, the Jina Mahavira, founder of Jainism, is seated on a throne, giving his possessions to an old man. This represents Mahavira's renunciation of title, position, vanity, and wealth in preparation for his life as an ascetic and teacher. The bottom page illustrates the adoration of a tirthankara, one of the twenty-four Jain saints, including Mahavira, whose righteous existence and fine example allowed them to escape the cycle of reincarnation.