Prasad Beaven
Ganga Devi, 2023
Watercolour and Ink on Arches 88 paper.
58 x 76 cm
Series: Imaginary Art
This painting draws inspiration from the Mahabharata, one of the most revered Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
A story of love, loss and the interplay of divinity in an otherwise complex array of events.
This painting draws inspiration from the Mahabharata, one of the most revered Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It begins with Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur, wandering through the forests where he falls deeply in love with Ganga Devi, the deity of the sacred Ganges river. He proposes to her and she agrees to marry him on one condition: Shantanu must refrain from questioning her actions. Their life together unfolds in blissful harmony, until the birth of their first child, an event that triggers a series of heartbreaking actions. Ganga Devi, takes the newborn to a river and drowns it. This sequence of tragic events unfolds repeatedly with each successive child, leaving King Shantanu tormented by grief. Yet, he upholds his solemn vow, never questioning her actions. It's only with the birth of the eighth child that Shantanu's anguish becomes unbearable, and he succumbs to despair and anger, breaking his oath by questioning Ganga Devi. In response, she unveils the hidden truth—the infants are the eight Vasus, elemental deities cursed by a Brahmin to endure a mortal existence. Ganga Devi, in her compassion, was tasked with releasing them from their earthly suffering by drowning them. With this revelation, she vanishes, taking the eighth child with her, who would later return as the legendary Bhishma. This story offers a captivating paradox. Ganga Devi's actions may appear ethically perplexing, yet they are part of a divine design that transcends conventional morality. It reminds us that ancient stories such as these hold profound lessons for our modern times. That we must look beneath the surface to discover the reality of that which may seem obviously wrong. It teaches us to seek deeper truths, to question and reflect upon our actions and values, and to acknowledge the intricate interplay of the divine and the mortal in our own lives.
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