Bhima Slays Jarasandha: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

1520-01-01T00:00:00Z

Jarasandha, the mighty and evil ruler of Magadha, had imprisoned ninety-five kings, but he could not be defeated, as he was an invincible general and, because of a boon from the gods, could not be harmed by weapons. To bring about his downfall, Krishna tricked him into initiating a wrestling match with Bhima, who tears Jarasandha in half (upper register). At right, Krishna and Arjuna look on. Below, Bhima embraces Krishna and two of the imprisoned kings appear at left. As is typical of painting of this period, no attempt has been made to create pictorial depth and the interacting figures are shown in profile.