Leaf from Illuminated Manuscript of the Jnaneshvari (Primary Title)
Sanjaya Tells His Blind Kings of the Battle (Recto Title)

Unknown (Artist)

1763
Indian
Manuscripts
Paintings
Works On Paper
opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
India,Deccan, Maharashtra, Nagpur
Sheet: 14 5/8 × 9 13/16 in. (37.15 × 24.92 cm)
Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.64 cm)
91.9.7
Not on view
Page "Illuminated Manuscript of the Jnaneshvari" (91.9.1-628)

The Jnaneshvari opens on the Kurukshetra battlefield, where two intermarried but feuding families—the Pandavas and the Kauravas—are preparing for war. Behind the battle lines, the blind Kaurava king, Dhritarashtra, asks his advisor, Sanjaya, to describe the confrontation. Sanjaya, who has the gift of observing events at a distance, relays everything he sees and hears. Under an ornate archway, the enthroned Dhritarashtra is cooled by a servant’s peacock-feather fan. Sanjaya, seated on a low chair, tells the story. The Gita’s very first verse, written in gold, and Jnanadeva’s commentary appear below them.

Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
"Picturing Philosophy," VMFA, November 21, 2001-February 24, 2002

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