Leaf from a Jain Manuscript: Colophon page, Kalpa-sutra and The Story of Kalakacharya of Devachandra: Monk Teaching Lay Disciple (verso), late 1200s. As is the case in many of the earliest surviving manuscripts of the Jain tradition, the paintings do not illustrate the content of the text. The Sanskrit text tells the story of a prince during the time of Mahavira who followed the Jain path of severe austerities, died, and was reborn as a supreme god in the Heaven of the Highest Bliss. The painting on this page depicts a Jain monk seated on a throne giving teachings to another monk and lay women and men in postures of veneration along the bottom of the composition. The monks wear plain white robes and carry whisks for sweeping the ground where they walk, so they will not harm any insects. They prevent accidental inhalation of insects by holding a piece of cloth in front of their mouths.