The first Shinran dennne 親鸞伝絵 was produced by Kakunyo 覚如, but the first book was lost. He revised the book many times and there are 5 revised editions extant. Among these 5 revised editions, the Rinna-bon 琳阿本 and the Takada-bon 高田本 are early revised editions, but it is not yet confirmed which is the first. For the title of honor given to Shinran, the Rinna-bon uses Shōnin 上人 to refer to Shinran as a student of Hōnen, and Shōnin 聖人 to refer to him as Hōnen’s successor. On the other hand, the Takada-bon uses both Shōnin 上人 and Shōnin 聖人 like the Rinna-bon, but from the scene Inadakōbō 稲田興法 （下巻 第二段） onward uses only Shōnin 聖人. In the Kōei-bon 康永本, held to be the complete edition among the 5 revised editions, only Shōnin 聖人 is used in all scenes. Does the use of only Shōnin 聖人 from the scene Inadakōbō onward in the Takada-bon indicate a transitional form to the Kōei-bon, or is it an accidental result?
It may be incidentally noted that the Mōsu 帽子 garment is one of the characteristics of Shinran. In the Kōei-bon, Shinran wears a Mōsu from the scene Inadakōbō onward, so Kakunyo recognized the importance of the scene Inadakōbō. Accordingly, the use of only Shōnin 聖人 from the scene Inadakōbō onward in the Takada-bon points not to an accidental result but an intentional usage of Kakunyo, and indicates a transitional form to the Kōei-bon. Consequently, the first revised edition of the Shinran denne produced by Kakunyo is the Rinna-bon that does not involve the transitional form to the Kōei-bon.
