Mahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

Mahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mahavira as a liberated soul (siddha), having departed this life for the highest celestial heaven, isatpragbhara, is represented by the inverted crescent moon of "pure white gold." All siddhas, foremost among whom are the jinas, reside there in perfect bliss. A pair of flower buds emanates from behind Mahavira's crown, which may be read as a mark of siddha-hood. Flowering trees reverently incline toward the jina.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptMahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptMahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptMahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra ManuscriptMahavira Sitting at the Top of the Universe: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.