Or 12076

The last five books of the ‘Razmnama’, the Persian translation by Naqib Khan of the ‘Mahabharata’. Twenty-four attributed miniatures. Sub-imperial Mughal. AH1007=AD1598.

Illustrations:

• f.4v. Krishna and the Pandavas being told by the sage Vyasa where to obtain the horse for the sacrifice (‘asvamedha’). (Mohan ibn Banwari).
• f.7v. The discovery of the horse, Syamakarna, by Bhima who is sitting on the mountain above the city of Bhadravati watching the soldiers of the army of Raja Yauvanasva. (Narayan Khurd).
• f.13v. Bhima arriving at the castle of Dvaraka to invite Krishna to the ‘asvamedha’. Krishna who is with his wife Satyabhama pretends not to hear. (Bhawani).
• f.17r. The horse being taken to the ‘zanana’ so that Krishna’s wives and the Pandava ladies can see it. Krishna is drinking with Yudhisthira. (Bhagwan).
• f.20r. Anusalva who had stolen the horse being forced by Vrsaketu, Karna’s son, to bow down in submission before Yudhisthira and Krishna. (Lohanka).
• f.23v. The god Agni creating the fire to help his father-in-law Raja Niladhvaja of Malwa whilst Arjuna quenches the flames with magic arrows which produced springs of water. (Ahmad Kashmiri).
• f.26v. Arjuna trying to free the horse from the rock watched by the other Pandavas. Brahma, Visnu, Siva and Indra are in the sky. (Banwari Khurd).
• f.35b. Suratha, second son of Raja Hamsadhvaja, challenging Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna after the death of his brother Sudhanvan. (As ibn Mahesh).
• f.44r. Arjuna treating his son Babhruvahana with contempt in Manipur. (Khem).
• f.48r. Rama’s servant listening to the dhobi quarrelling with his wife. (Da’ud, brother of Daulat).
• f.5lar. Laksmana abandoning Sita in the forest on the orders of Rama. (Makar).
• f.56r. The battle between Kusa and Naga in which Kusa killed Naga’s elephant and then cut off Naga’s arm. (Dharmdas Lunj).
• f.62v. Kusa and Lava defeating Bharata, Laksmana and the monkey army. (As ibn Mahesh).
• f.67r. Babhruvahana decimating Arjuna’s army. (Bulaqi ibn Ghulam ‘Ali).
• f.71v. Battle between Babhruvahana, son of Arjuna, and the snakes in the nether regions. Babhruvahana used arrows which turned into the natural enemies of the snakes such as storks, peacocks and ants and obtained the jewel which saved Arjuna’s life. (Sangha).
• f.76r. Battle between the armies of Arjuna and Tamradhvaja. Brahma and other deities in the sky. (Paras).
• f.80v. Viravarman, Raja of Sarasvata, falling to the ground as Hanuman overturns his chariot with his tail, watched by Krishna. (Ibrahim Qahhar).
• f.83v. Candrahasa kneeling before the Raja of Kuntala on being presented to him by the minister Dhrstabuddhi after Candrahasa’s victory over the king’s enemies. The elephants, horses and hawk are booty from the enemy. (Kanhar).
• f.87v. Madana, Visaya’s brother, explaining to his father Dhrstabuddhi how she (Visaya) came to be married to Candrahasa. (Dhanu).
• f.90v. Candrahasa sacrificing himself at the temple of Candika by cutting off pieces of his own flesh and putting them on the fire. A male divinity is trying to restore him to life while Dhrstabuddhi and Madana lie dead nearby. (Qabil ibn Maqbul).
• f.95r. Krishna telling Bhima of Arjuna’s exploits to which the women also listen. (Banwari Khurd).
• f.106r. Yudhisthira and Dhrtarastra together when the latter renounces his kingdom. (Hajji).
• f.110v. Gandhari, blindfolded, supporting Dhrtarastra and following Kunti when Dhrtarastra became old and infirm and retired to the forest. (Dhanu).
• f.130v. Arjuna burning the bodies after the battle between the Andhakas and Yadavas at Prabhasa on the coast of Gujarat. Ghee is being poured on the funeral pyre. (Narayan).