Kiratharjuneeyam 1 - Kerala Mural Archive

Arjuna seeking permission from his wife, guru and brothers before going on a penance to appease Shiva.

Textual Source: Mahabharata
Mythological Tale: As the Pandavas lost the game of dice and was asked to dwell in the forest, Arjuna performed penance to please Lord Shiva. In order to test his devotion and get rid of his arrogance of being the best archer in the world, Shiva took the form of Kirata or forest-dweller and Parvati accompanied him. Shiva then started an argument with Arjuna over who shot the wild boar. An enraged Asura challenged Shiva to a battle of archery, which later progressed into fist fight. Even after several attempts, Arjuna could not defeat the Kirata Shiva. So he started to pray to Shiva by building a small Shivalingam. However, all the offerings placed at the feet of the Shivalingam would fall to the feet of the Kirata Shiva. In the end, Arjuna realized that it was indeed Shiva in the guise of Kirata trying to test him. As soon as he comes to this realization, Shiva and Parvati transform to their original form and granted him the Pashupatastra (arrow) weapon.
Episode: Kiratharjuneeyam
Position within Narrative Sequence: 1 out of 8

Primary Deity/Figure: Shiva and Arjunan
Secondary Figures: Parvathi; Parvathi
Iconographic Form: Kiratharjuneeyam
Iconographic Attributes: Green-skinned Arjuna with hands folded in anjali mudra; green skinned yudhishtira with vyakhyana mudra; crown, bangles, armlets, necklaces; red upper garment; red and green stripped lower garment; bheema to the extreme right golden skin; holding a mace one hand raised to his face ; green upper garment; green and red lower garment; crown on his head; Nakula and Sahadeva, their crowns visible; Panchali golden skin with a crown partially visible; green skinned bearded sage also visible near Arjuna.
Visual & Formal Features: Facial expression detail, Hand gesture (mudra), Ornamentation
Rasa: Shanta

Condition: Poor
Deterioration Type: Plaster loss
Restoration Status: Unrestored
Documentation Type: DSLR full panel
Permission Basis: Combined permission
Date of Documentation: 05/08/2024
Artist: Unknown
Identifier: CMT_P015
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.