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Hanuman as bear watches demons make poisoned arrows (Thai Ramayana mural)

About this photograph

Creator
Margery H. Freeman
Date created
Unknown
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
License
This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use

See this photograph in context

  • The Ramayana: The Hindu epic The Ramayana is retold through the mural, painting, and dance of Southeast Asia. (Page 5.7)

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Hanuman as bear watches demons make magic arrows (Thai Ramayana mural at Emerald Buddha Temple)

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Hanuman in disguise as a bear watches Ravana’s demons making magical poisoned arrows, as seen in a mural at the Emerald Buddha Temple.

Ravana’s demon son Intarachit sits upon a royal daybed in the forest in front of a giant tree stump as he makes the arrows. The poisoned arrows are treated with serpent venom and are intended to kill any enemy they strike. Ravana’s demon courtiers watch in two groups at the lower left and right, while sepents providing the venom wriggle on the ground in the center.

Unnoticed, Hanuman is seen here in normal appearance at the right of the tree stump. Then, disguised as a bear, he watches from the giant tree stump above the demons as they make their arrows. He is using his special powers to interfere with the demons’ effort to make the arrows deadly. The arrows then will fail to kill and defeat Rama’s army in the next battle.

In the Ramayana, after Laksman recovers from his poisoned spear wound, Rama enters battle directly to meet Ravana’s brother Kumprakarn who speared Laksman. Rama kills Kumprakarn, further enraging the demon king Ravana who turns to his son Intarachit.

Intarachit has special powers of invincibility and can make magic weapons such as deadly arrows poisoned with serpent venom. Hanuman, disguised as a bear, interferes with the demon magic and ensures that the arrows will not be fatal, but rather will turn into snakes as they fall.

This image was photographed in August 1984.