Birth of Brahma and Madhu-Kaitabha killed by Vishnu

The growth of Mughal painting is almost entirely due to Akbar's distinctive zeal and affection for the art from boyhood. Divided between the two polar-opposite strands- the religious presentation of traditional Rajput-school Indian art and Islam's theological rejection- Akbar’s approach to painting was seen by scholars like Verma as demonstrating secular values, often interpreted as a paucity of symbolism. In his A’in-i Akbari, Abu’l Fazl mentions one painter, Daswanth, who was handpicked by the Emperor while the earlier painter was working on wall images. He was placed under Mir Sayyid Ali of Tabriz and Abdus Samad of Shiraz, who brought with them Persian influence. Abd as-Samad's style is marked by a conservative commitment to old principles, implying that he was more of a maintenance than an innovator. Following 1577, his important governmental obligations most likely limited his engagement in painting studios. As a result, both he and his pupil Daswanth may have acted as emblems of established artistic excellence rather than creative energies, with Daswanth widely considered as the principal active painter during this era, notably in the eyes of Akbar. The painting refer in this work is a part of the infamous Persian translated and illustrated manuscript of the Mahabharata, known as Razmnama(Book of Wars), which includes the artist’s last works due to his death in 1584. Daswanth's designs in the Razmnama have a unique and intense aesthetic, frequently evoking frightful imagery(Beach, 1992). The painting draws out the tale of Madhu and Kaitaba, red and green demons born out of either from the earwax of Vishnu or from primal dewdrops on the lotus of Brahma(who is seen emerging from Vishnu’s navel), embodying the tamas(darkness/inertia) and rajas(passion/activity), respectively. Being attacked by them, Brahma lost the sacred Vedas in the primordial waters and so made Vishnu wake up from his deep slumber. Vishnu and the two fought for a thousand years, ultimately tricking the two into giving away their secret of dying—a place with no water. Thus in the end Vishnu extended his thighs to raise above the waters and beheaded them with his Sudarshana Chakra. Their remnants formed the earth. The imagery of this story is beautifully incorporated by the artist through two figures of Vishnu: one waking up from his drowsiness(on his multi-headed snake, Shesha )and another severing the heads from the demons’ necks. This scene is elucidated below in Persian calligraphy. These illustrations were designed by Daswanth but were not accomplished by an individual.  The responsibility of the work was often distributed between the primary painter(or designer) and younger(or less experienced) painters. This method is understood to be part of the larger communal procedure of village tradition. Daswanth has keenly focused on the characters in demonstrating their mood, as seen by the painting where the two demons appear to be submerged in the waters along with severed heads from the bodies. The scenery where this takes place (cosmic waters) is portrayed as chaotic  through a dark colour palette expressing the precarious situation. The artwork is a fine example of Rajput painting due to the use of bold lines, vibrant colours, and flat, stylised figures. However, the Persian script represents the linguistic environment of the court.