The Ramayana narrates the epic saga of the valiant Prince Rama and his dutiful wife, Princess Sita, who was abducted by Ravana, the arrogant ten-headed King of Lanka (probably modern Sri Lanka), during Rama's unjust fourteen-year forest exile from his capital of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. To rescue Sita, Rama and his faithful brother Lakshmana assembled a great army of monkeys and bears led by the Monkey-King Sugriva and his Monkey-General Hanuman. After several magical battles, the princess was freed, and the happy couple triumphantly returned home to rule their kingdom.
This painting illustrates two episodes from Book 6 (Yuddha kanda). On the right, Rama and Lakshmana lie on the ground after being struck down with numerous arrows by the demon Indrajit. Curiously, the arrows piercing the heroes are not depicted, nor is the blood streaming from their wounds. They are surrounded by four mourning monkey leaders and the Bear-King Jambavan (Ramayana 6:36:1-7). On the left, Sita is again imprisoned in the Forest Grove and guarded by two ogresses after being flown over the battlefield by the Demon-King Ravana to see the fallen Rama and Lakshmana (Ramayana 6:37:36-37).
This painting, and its series mates M.74.5.11, M.77.19.22, M.83.105.9, and M.87.278.2, are from the widely dispersed large series known as the “Shangri” Ramayana, so called because it was formerly in the ancestral collection of the Shangri branch of the royal family of Kulu, Himachal Pradesh.
