Rama Killing Kumbhakarana (A Painting Showing Successive Stages of the Event)

One of the most dramatic events from the Rama-katha – the story of Rama’s life involving a lot of suspense, the folio portrays Rama killing Kumbhakarana, brother of Lanka’s demon king Ravana towards the climax of the Rama-Ravana Yuddha – war. The folio illustrates phased progress of the event which culminates with Kumbhakarana’s death at Rama’s hands, and jubilation by gods and sages on his elimination. If not a folk, the folio reveals folk touch, or at least lacks classicism of more developed miniature styles, but in its portrayal of the event and its various stages it adheres to the Ramayana, a timeless classic and the inexhaustible source of Rama-katha and thus represents a strange synthesis of folk and classicism.

Not sudden or in a single stroke, elimination of Kumbhakarana had taken place in many stages, four of them being more significant. After he had sustained several injuries at the hands of monkeys, soldiers of the Kishkindha’s monkey king Sugriva, an annoyed Kumbhakarana picked Sugriva and fled to Lanka with him. While Kumbhakarana was moving around in Lanka’s streets rejoicing his success, Sugriva pondered how to escape from his grip. Under his scheme he mounted Kumbhakarana’s neck and with his sharp nails and teeth attacked his ears and nose and cut them. Kumbhakarana’s figure with bleeding ears and a face without nose illustrates this part of the event leading to his elimination.

Annoyed Kumbhakarana rushed back to the battlefield and in desperation began rampaging, destroying and swallowing whoever fell at his hands, a monkey or one of his own demons. This completely demoralized Rama’s forces and despite that monkey chiefs like Angad, Nala, Nila or even Sugriva tried to boost their morale they began fleeing from the battlefield. Finally, Rama rushed to their rescue. As Kumbhakarana was plundering havoc with his hands Rama shot his arrows at him and cut first his right hand, and then, left. Kumbhakarana without hands was no less potential. He moved his figure to and fro and in circles and with his body-weight began crushing Rama’s battalion. Thereupon Rama cut both his legs with his arrows; however, this, too, could not render him ineffective. More desperate than ever, he opened his abyssal mouth and began swallowing all creatures, even those on his side. Now with no option left, Rama mounted on his bow consecutively crescent-like shaped two arrows and removed his head from his torso bringing his end.

For revealing successive stages of the event the artist has repeated figures of Rama and Kumbhakarana in quick succession. Rama’s two repeated figures mounting arrows on his bow illustrate his act of twice shooting his arrows at Kumbhakarana. Kumbhakarana’s figure without nose and ears on the extreme left, and with hands removed and lying on his right and left, illustrates how Rama removed his hands first. The figure in the middle without legs, and legs removed from the body lying around, portray how consecutively his legs were cut. The last figure, the headless torso, and the head without it, illustrate the final stage of his elimination. Under his body lie crushed hundreds of monkeys, and two bewailing demons, heading back, proclaim Kumbhakarana’s end.

Rama’s side consists of the fair complexioned Lakshmana just behind him, the regally attired Vibhishana, monkey king Sugriva, his minister Jambavan, Hanuman and other monkey chiefs. A band of holy ones in the sky with drums in hands hail his victory. As the myth has it, Kumbhakarana’s figure has been conceived with a massive form. The miniature, rendered against a plain opaque background using eighteenth century Mandi idiom of Pahari art style, and that of Mewar in Rajasthan, for iconography of figures, especially Rama’s, is unique in its folk painting like simplicity. Faces, even those of monkeys, are exceptionally expressive.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

---

Free Shipping. Delivered by to all international destinations within 3 to 5 days, fully insured.

---