This paper examines Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā, the Gaṇḍavyūha and the Pañcarakṣā. The Cambridge Aṣṭasāhasrikā with its illustrations of famous images has been well studied, but always in isolation from manuscripts of other religious traditions. This essay proposes that it and related Buddhist examples should be considered along with Jain palm leaf manuscripts that similarly illustrate famous images and sites, a practice that seems to have been quite popular across the sub-continent and across religious divides. The discussion of the Gaṇḍavyūha likewise suggests that a consideration of Jain manuscripts can help to explain illustrations on the Buddhist manuscripts that have not been understood. A close reading of the Pañcarakṣā texts offers new insights into its manuscript illustrations. In the concluding comments on some Jain paper manuscripts the essay suggests that in considering the relationship of text to image, we need also take into account the frequency of errors and the possibility of misplaced images.
目次
I. Introduction 15 II. The Manuscripts 19 1. The Cambridge Library Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā 19 2. The Cleveland Gaṇḍavyūha 30 3. The Nayapāla Manuscript 41 4. The Rāmapāla Manuscript in the Cleveland Museum 51 III. Conclusions 57
