2-732-783 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Sthulabhadra as a Lion, c. 1475-1500. In the upper register two Jain nuns visit their brother, a monk named Sthulabhadra, who reached such a high level in his practice of yoga and meditation that he could perform miracles of transformation. He wanted to show his sisters how accomplished he had become, so he transformed himself into a lion with an elephant head. The sisters were terrified and ran to a senior monk named Bhadrabahu, shown at the lower left, who disciplined Sthulabhadra for his inappropriate, prideful display of his powers. Bhadrabahu sits in a cave, since the scene takes place during the monsoon season, when mendicant nuns and monks cease their wanderings and take shelter from the rain.