Ahichchatra: Yudisthira fighting Jayadratha, Relief, Uttar Pradesh, 5th-6th Centuries A.D. Delhi, National Museum
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Hindu mythology is full of battles between the good and evil gods of the heavens and earth, Their very struggles reflect the turmoil man brings upon himself in his crude existence in this life, and each victory of good over evil symbolizes hope for man's salvation, each conquest reminding man that the gods are on his side, The esential task of the gods is continual triumph over the demons, but not to demolish them entirely, for then their job in protecting mankind and the good in the world would be finished, they would disappear, and thus the world would end, The story behind the present scene involves an intricate set of circumstances which caused a battle between a titan king, Jayadratha, and the Great Lord Siva himself, The former had acquired immense prestige in war and had challenged the latter in battle, Only with the help of numerous other devas (gods) was Siva able to overcome the tyrant and win his revenge, The carving of this relief is decidedly more vital than that in the stone reliefs of Buddha's life, which suggests that either the Indian artists were more talented at folk imagery or that the long tradition of mythological subjects had remained alive enough to them to inspire highly commendable work, Folk images are consistently richer in liveliness in either case and rendered with a fascinating amount of detail,
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Archives Series
Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.
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