The text Razmnama is a translated Persian version of the Ramayana, in which the Hindu artist 'Chaturbhuj' contributed by providing translations of the Ramayana and also added colors to the paintings created by Lal and other renowned artists in Akbar's court. This painting is made by the artist Makr.
The painting named Yudhishtra wrestling with Karna depicts the unsaid story between the two brothers who are unaware of their bond that they are sons of the same mother, which leads to misunderstanding and fights between Karna and the Pandavas. Here Yudhishtir and Karna can be seen wrestling on the ground, becoming the core of the painting. Towards the left of the painting are the 4 Pandava brothers supporting Yudhisthira. Two chariots and 6 horses can be seen, highly ornamented with bright beautiful colors. Towards the right bottom of the painting, a man with a yellow dupatta can be seen hiding with his horse and witnessing the wrestling silently from behind a rock cliff. A huge green tree is seen standing in the center, and other complementary trees surround it in the background, and no Persian text is given in the background like other paintings.
The artist used an amalgamation of Indo-Persian painting tactics, where the use of thin and fine brushes along with the use of bright and natural colors makes the painting lively and naturally very expressive. The special use of gold and silver colors was done for ornamentation and accentuating the central figures in the painting, like Yudhishthira and Karna. The focus on the background and minute detailing of the figures and facial expressions makes the painting and the artist both extraordinary.
“Yudishthira wrestling with Karna” is an art piece attributed to Makr, and is part of the Ramznama, meaning “the Book of War”, which was the Persian translation of the Mahabharata that was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This scene depicts Yudishthira and Karna, two of the major characters of the Mahabharata, locked in a wrestling match with each other. The scene is deeply chaotic. Although the focus of the scene is clearly Yudishthira and Karna, there are numerous figures present around the two, reflecting the importance of this wrestling bout. Every character is transfixed on the match, knowing that the bout is not just a match, but part of the grander narrative of the conflict between the Pandavas, who were led by Yudishthira, and the Kauravas, who Karna was siding with.
