A king consults a holy man

This page, from an as-yet-unidentified Hindu manuscript, depicts a king seated in conversation with a holy man. The latter is identifiable as a Shiva worshiper by his tiger-skin mat, his leopard-skin garment, his necklace of sacred beads, and the horizontal marks on his forehead. In his left hand he holds a page from a manuscript, the rest of which is probably enclosed within the bundle covered with blue cloth at his side. Descriptions of meetings between royal persons and holy men, which are found throughout Indian religious and literary texts, were popular subjects for paintings. These texts frequently included stories of princes or kings approaching learned holy men for spiritual advice, which was often imparted in the form of a series of instructive tales. That kings sought assistance in various matters from famous holy men was an indication of the powers—equal to or greater than those of royals—attached to religious figures in India.