Marriage of Matsyagandha (Bhishma's Oath)
Ravi Varma Press1890
Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation
Bengaluru, India
The setting of the famous Bhishma Pratignya or Bhishma's oath; King Shantanu, infatuated with Satyavati, also known as Matsyagandha, asks her hand in marriage to which the fisherman, who has raised her, puts forth a major condition: Matsyagandha's sons would be the heirs to the throne. Unwilling to accept it, Shantanu returns home disappointed but that is when his son Devavrata shows the world his true character. Taking forward his father's proposal, Devavrata promises the fisherman that he would abdicate the throne but when the latter suggests that his progeny in the future may not be as willing, Devavrata takes a shocking vow. From that day he came to be known as Bhishma and the vow as Bhishma Pratignya as he decided to remain a lifelong bachelor, for the sake of his father's happiness.
- Title: Marriage of Matsyagandha (Bhishma's Oath)
- Creator: Ravi Varma Press
- Creator Death Place: Kilimanoor, Kerala
- Creator Birth Place: Kilimanoor, Kerala
- Date Created: 1890
- Physical Dimensions: 35 x 50 cm
- Type: Reproduction
- Original Source: From the Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation
- Rights: Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, Bengaluru
- Art Form: Print
- Labels and Inscriptions: Ravi Varma Press, Karla, Lonavala
- Creator's Lifetime: 1848-04-29/1906-10-02
- Collection: Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, Bengaluru
- About the Artist: Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), India’s foremost artist, who took art to the masses, hailed from Kilimanoor, in the erstwhile state of Travancore. From a very young age, Ravi Varma, was drawn towards art, imbibing techniques from his uncle and mentor Raja Raja Varma and his mother, Umayamba Bayi, a poet in her own right. Varma was much sought after by the Royals and owing to his popularity and reputation, his spectacular and richly-textured works were prolific. His realistic portrayals of contemporary figures and interpretations of religious and mythological figures fetched him instant and enduring success, lifting his standing in the art world. If the Royals and his countrymen were in awe of this great talent, the international world was spellbound by his imagination and creativity. He ensured that art would be accessible to all, through reproductions of his paintings which were made available, and affordable to everyone.
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