Stealing of the Amrita: Page from a Mahabharata Manuscript

16759071-2013_011_001_Gpa_ARC.tif

Title

Stealing of the Amrita: Page from a Mahabharata Manuscript

Date

19th Century

Context

India

Medium/Dimensions

Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
Image: 16 1/8 x 11 1/8 in. (41 x 28.3 cm)

Object Number

2013.011.001

Description

This folio tells the story from the Adi Parva, the first book of the Mahabharata, of the eagle Garuda, who became the vahana (animal mount) for the god Vishnu. Garuda's mother Vinata and her co-wife Kadru had engaged in a wager that Vinata lost, which resulted in her life-long servitude to Kadru's serpent sons. The serpents told Garuda that he and his mother would be released from servitude only if he would bring to them the amrita (the nectar of immortality) that lay in the hands of the gods.

Knowing he would have to fight the gods to procure the amrita, Garuda asked his father Kashyapa for some food to strengthen him. His father directed him towards a tortoise and elephant that were fighting at a nearby lake; they were, he explained, two fighting brothers who had been sages. In their anger, one sage had cursed the other to become an elephant and the other cursed his brother to become a tortoise. Eating these, Kashyapa assured his son, would give him the strength he required to obtain the amrita.

Garuda grabbed the elephant in one claw and the tortoise in the other and flew with them to a magnificent tree. The tree trembled under his weight and he realized the branch upon which he was sitting was filled with Brahmans performing penance. He broke off the large limb they were inhabiting and carried it in his beak to a great mountain, where he gently put them down and proceeded to eat the elephant and tortoise.

To retrieve the amrita, Garuda battled Indra and the other gods. He defeated all of them except for Vishnu, who was himself injured. Vishnu promised, then, that Garuda would become immortal and become his vahana.

The folio pictures Garuda picking up the elephant and tortoise, the thousand-eyed Indra, and Garuda battling the gods for the amrita.

Credit Line

Museum purchase

Exhibits/Publications

MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, April 1 - October 27, 2014

Rights

© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University. Photo by Bruce M. White, 2015.
This image is provided by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University, who retains all rights in it. This image is made available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, or for fair use as defined by United States law. For all other uses, please contact the Michael C. Carlos Museum Office of Collections Services at +1(404) 727-4282 or mccm.collections.services@emory.edu. Users must cite the author and source of the image as they would material from any printed work, but not in any way that implies endorsement of the user or the user's use of the image. Users may not remove any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices, including without limitation attribution information, credits, and copyright notices that have been placed on or near the image by the Museum. The Museum assumes no responsibility for royalties or fees claimed by the artist or third parties. The User agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Emory University, its Michael C. Carlos Museum, its agents, employees, faculty members, students and trustees from and against any and all claims, losses, actions, damages, expenses, and all other liabilities, including but not limited to attorney’s fees, directly or indirectly arising out of or resulting from its use of photographic images for which permission is granted hereunder.

On View

No

Citation

“Stealing of the Amrita: Page from a Mahabharata Manuscript,” Michael C. Carlos Museum Collections Online, accessed December 7, 2024, https://digitalprojects.carlos.emory.edu/items/show/6842.

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