The story of ShravanaKumar
Title The story of ShravanaKumar
Accession Number 47.110/188
Title2 A folio of Adhaytma Ramayana
Museum Name National Museum, New Delhi
Gallery Name Paintings
Object Type Painting
Main Material Paper
Medium Natural colour
Artist's Nationality Indian
Origin Place Jaipur-Datia
Style Jaipur -Datia mixed style
School Rajasthan
Period / Year of Work Mid 18th century CE
Dimensions 31.5 x 43 cm
Brief Description

The story of Sravan Kumar, a devoted son of blind-parents, has been depicted here in three panels. The top panel shows in the centre a shikargah with Raja Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya and the father of Rama. On the one side of the river the king's hunting party has been portrayed as have descended down its horses, and on the other side, Shravana Kumar is fetching water for his old parents. Raja Dasharatha came here to practice the skill of aiming at an unseen target and shoot it locating it merely by its sound. He heard a gurgling sound of water and thought it might be the sound of a wild animal, perhaps a deer drinking water in the river.

The mistaken Dasharatha shot his serpent-like poisonous arrow at the source of the sound but when heard the shriek of a human being, he realised that not a deer he had shot at a human being, no other than Shravana Kumar. Hearing his shrieks, the king realized his mistake which was too late. Raja Dasharatha rushed to the spot where Shravana Kumar revealed his name, and also that his parents were thirsty and he should do the favour of taking the water to them. Raja Dasharatha carried not only the water but also the tragic news to the blind parents. On the right of the central panel are shown the blind parents of Shravana Kumar waiting to for their son went to fetch water to quench their thirst and raja Dasharatha bowing before them with apologies.

They said to raja Dasharatha that without their son they could not survive and vowed to die on their sons' pyre. As he had done everything in ignorance Shravana Kumar's father said that he would curse him to lose like them his son in the old age and the pain of the loss would kill him as it was killing them, and it turned out to be true, when Rama left for exile Dasharatha lost his life. In the third panel Shravana Kumar's parents chose to be burnt alive in the burning pyre of their devoted son rather than leading a miserable life without him. On the right side of the panel are shown Sravan Kumar and his parents on their way to heaven. In this remarkable painting artist painted the whole story with various shades of green. The inscription in light red is written in fine handwriting.