The Mahabharata

In these paintings, the attires of the characters have been designed as per the conventions under the given circumstances of that era, unless there is very strong artistic justification of deviating from that.

The Ganges cradles Karna to a sense of belonging.

Srī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna’s first meeting, Adiparva chapter 191

Srī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna out in a hunt in Khāṇḍavaprastha

ŚrīKṛṣṇa setting out as a peace ambassador

[based on a scene from Gajendrakumar Mitra’s epic ‘Pāñcajanya’] Matsya, circa 2000 BC. As ŚrīKṛṣṇa leaves for Hastinīpura as a Peace Ambassador, Draupadī tells Him, ‘Do ensure there IS a War.’ ŚrīKṛṣṇa knew, as did Oppenheimer, that a world war starts an unending chain reaction of worse enactments. That on the 18th night of war, Draupadī’s sons would be ambushed as Aśvatthāma would attack the civilian and juvenile camps, massacring men, women and kids. He looks at the focussed vengeful ignorant Draupadī. ‘You made the choice,’ he murmured as he left.

ŚrīKṛṣṇa's attire is partially reconstructed from Kuṣāṇa era depiction of Him on a coin, the earliest extant visual depiction.

"Kathaṃ māṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃbhrāntā sarvakṣatriyāḥ?"

A scene from Bhāsa's play Dūtavākyaṃ (What The Messenger Says), based on the Mahābhārata. This is a sequel to my last painting. ŚrīKṛṣṇa is scheduled to come to the Kuru royal court as the negotiator of a peace treaty. Duryōdhana, in his arrogance, has threatened his courtiers with a fine on whoever stands up in ŚrīKṛṣṇa's honour. Duryōdhana himself pretends to me engrossed in a painting depicting Draupadī's assault as an excuse not to notice ŚrīKṛṣṇa's arrival. After all this, ŚrīKṛṣṇa's first dialogue in the play is, 'Why are you all standing up? Why are you all scared of me? Relax!'

The Holiest Moment in World History

Based on Swami Vivekananda's notes. Nandalal Bose had painted a better depiction, I found out later.

(August 2023)

Lamenting over Abhimanyu's death

(July 2023)

(from left) Arjuna, ŚrīKṛṣṇa, Devi Uttarā, Devi Subhadrā, Abhimanyu.

1. The war camp has been designed in the manner of a Mongolian yurt, because that (modulo some evolution) is a tent structure closest in antiquity to ŚrīKṛṣṇa’s times; considering the fact that Mongolian Tengrism has Śaivaic roots (or rather, Indian Shiva cult and Central Asian folk beliefs have a common root, a preacher of what might have been the Kirāta who taught Arjuna how to yield a Pāśupāta missile).

2. In absense of any literary description other than the fact that they were made of rhinoceros skin, I have followed Mauryan rock reliefs for the armors. I understand that Mauryan armors must have had incorporated Grecian features in near years, but that’s a best approximation with a lot of error one has to opt for.

3. The script used is Indus hieroglyphs.

4. The carpet paintings are mostly from those times.