The Old Hermit Shabri Greets Rama

The folio depicts the aged ascetic Shabri reverently bowing and paying homage to Rama.

According to Valmiki Ramayana, Shabri, an old ascetic is described as a flawless yogin with perfect meditative concentration, who desires to attain salvation.

Shabri patiently waits for several years for the arrival of Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, to her hermitage, as was foretold by her guru, Sage Matanga before he left for his heavenly abode.

Sage Matanga had prophesied that Shabri would attain salvation after Rama would grace her abode with his presence. Upon their arrival, Shabri offers with utmost devotion Rama and Lakshmana fruits that she has gleaned from various trees of the forest.

Shabri expresses her desire to depart to the heavenly spheres where her teachers reside upon their death. Rama gives consent to it, upon which she offers herself into fire and ascends heaven, emancipated from mortality.

In the painted folio, the artist condenses the scene into a minimal landscape depicting two trees that serves as a backdrop for the forest.

Shabri, wizened and old, bends down touching Rama’s feet with moving humility.

The artist has admirably depicted with delicate line work the frailty of the old ascetic..

..her arched back bent with age..

In the folio the artist seems to struggle between depicting a naturalistic rendering of the human figures as well as maintaining a spiritual hierarchy between Rama and Shabri, who would gain salvation due to Rama’s blessings.

To achieve this balance the artist attempts to place Shabri on a lower plane, while Rama along with his brother Lakshmana behind him are placed on a slightly higher plane; the two figures seem to be floating on air.