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Lot Essay
In this painting, the demon Ajnana, also known as Hayagriva, is the antagonist. After stealing the sacred knowledge of the Vedas from Brahma, Ajnana escapes and hides in the depths of the ocean. To reclaim the stolen wisdom, Vishnu assumes the form of Matsya, his first incarnation. Emerging resplendent from the waters, he confronts the demon and retrieves the Vedic knowledge, symbolizing the triumph of divine order over ignorance and disorder.
This composition follows an earlier rendering of the same episode from the so-called First Horizontal Bhagavata Purana, attributed to Mankot, sold at Christie's London,19 April 1979, lot 125. It also compares favorably with a folio from the same series in the National Museum, New Delhi, The Gods Paying Homage to Goddess Durga after She Slays the Demon Mahishasura (Acc. No. 47110⁄333). A further parallel can be drawn with a related depiction of The Churning of the Ocean, attributed to Chamba, circa 1720, from the Leela Seeta collection, sold at Pundole's, Mumbai, on 21 November 2024, lot 10.
This composition follows an earlier rendering of the same episode from the so-called First Horizontal Bhagavata Purana, attributed to Mankot, sold at Christie's London,19 April 1979, lot 125. It also compares favorably with a folio from the same series in the National Museum, New Delhi, The Gods Paying Homage to Goddess Durga after She Slays the Demon Mahishasura (Acc. No. 47110⁄333). A further parallel can be drawn with a related depiction of The Churning of the Ocean, attributed to Chamba, circa 1720, from the Leela Seeta collection, sold at Pundole's, Mumbai, on 21 November 2024, lot 10.