An Illustration from the Ramayana: Rama with Sage Vashishtha

The illustration depicts sage Vashistha giving discourse to Rama before performing a yajna or a religious ceremony. The scene takes place in an open courtyard within a palace setting. The artist uses architectural elements as compositional devices, picturing Rama’s mother Kaushalya, seen on the upper right, as well as his foster mothers Kaikeyi and Sumitra, within rooms at the center left and lower right respectively, all surrounding the central scene. Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana is seen leaving the walled palace enclave at lower left.

The painting relates the Vashishtha Yoga section of the epic where the sage Vashishtha imparts spiritual knowledge to the young prince Rama before the latter departs on a journey of heroic deeds.