Parashurama fights King Kartavirya Arjuna

ca. 1906

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251

Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, is seen here in combat with King Kartavirya Arjuna. The god emerged in early Brahmanical sources as one of the ten avatars of Vishnu, and is the central figure in an inter-caste conflict that echoed through the early twentieth century. Parashurama was said to appear to cleanse the earth of the Kshatriya, or warrior, caste, whose rule had become tyrannical and self-serving. After slaughtering the Kshatriyas, Parashurama distributed their lands among Brahman, or priestly, families. A number of legends preserve versions of this historic land grab whereby much of the productive wealth of India became the hereditary property of the Brahman caste. This was particularly associated with southern India. This painting is undated but was found lined with an Indian newspaper from August 1906.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Parashurama fights King Kartavirya Arjuna
Date: ca. 1906
Culture: India, Karnataka, Mysore
Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions: Image: 22 7/16 × 18 1/2 in. (57 × 47 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, David E. Stutzman and John D. Lamb Gift, 2024
Object Number: 2024.617
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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