Ravana Attacking Rama's Army

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This miniature, modelled on a late l8th century Pahari masterpiece, a folio of the widely known Guler Ramayana set, depicts a scene of the battle of Rama against Ravana. Here Ravana is on an offensive against the army of Rama. Desperation and utter frustration born of the death of his eldest son Meghanath and all other sons and kinsmen in the battle are wide writ on his ten faces. The canvas surges not only with vitality and vigour, great action, multiple figures, brilliance of colours, minutest details and variety of forms but also with the reflections of moods and temperament of both armies and different persons on two sides. The painting renders the conclusive phase of the battle when Ravana, after all his sons, brothers and kinsmen had been killed, was left alone to lead his army against Rama and Rama was just on verge of winning the battle. Ravana's retaliation against Rama was full of disappointment and desperation and he was fighting with all hopes of victory lost.

The artist seeks no help from any text for elaborating this above war situation. He uses only his canvas for depicting the mood of the moment. It is not only in the tension on his ten faces or in his idly suspended arms but also in his indiscriminately shot arrows that the artist discovers Ravana's desperation. His arrows are targeted against trees, stone boulders and similar harmless and unconcerned objects. Ravana has a regular army saddled with vehicles and weapons. Rama's monkeys had neither weapons nor any kind of training. But trees that Ravana uproots or cuts with his mighty arrows serve them as their weapons. They pick them up and shoot them back on Ravana's army. Rama and Lakshman, on the other hand, are watching the scene with a cool undisturbed detached mind as they know the result of the battle. Vibhishana, Ravana's brother who is on Rama's side, is somewhat tense and susceptible. Dauntlessness on the faces of Hanumana, Sugriva, Angada and other monkey warriors is well expressed.

Ravana's army consists of fierce and wild beasts and animal-headed demons and that of Rama of monkeys and bears. Ravana's side is well equipped with swords, spears, tridents, maces, bows and arrows and several other kinds of weapons and with horses to ride. Rama's monkeys and bears are bare-footed and bare-handed. Their missiles consist of stone boulders, rocks and branches of trees. Ravana himself is riding a chariot driven by four horses. Rama, like his army, is on foot and is bare footed. Vibhishana, with his recent regal links, has his feet covered with long shoes of red colour. On the right top corner constituting the silhouette of Lanka's fort there is another contingent of Ravana's army consisting of drummers, standard bearers, horn blowers, pedestrians, elephant and horse riders and warriors in chariot. On the top left a contingent of Rama's army is retreating for safety from the rocks and boulders returned by Ravana with his celestial arrows. These stone missiles had been launched by Rarna's monkeys at Ravana who sent them back with his arrows. .

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.

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This miniature depicts a battle-scene. In the resulting turmoil two armies can be identified: the ten-headed Ravana is sitting on the right in his chariot pulled by horses and with his multiple arms shooting arrows at the opposite side. His army consists of wild, fierce animal and demon-headed soldiers, riding aggressively towards the enemy.

Rama's army of monkeys has pulled out trees from the earth and collected huge boulders with which to fight Ravana. Rama, Lakshmana, and Ravana's brother Vibhishana are watching the battle with apparent disinterest. They appear to be convinced that they will win. On the right, in the background, in front of the silhouette of the rampart of the city of Lanka, there are standard bearers, two drummers, and one horn blower, who are there to bolster the army's morale by playing martial music.

Reference:

Doshi, Saryu. Treasures of Indian Art: Germany's Tribute to India's Cultural Heritage, New Delhi, National Museum, 1998.