Rectangular hanging (tabing) showing Arjuna with his wives, a scene from the Mahabharata

A triangular pattern frames this earth-toned story cloth, which depicts Arjuna in profound meditation. But in this variation of the scene, two nymphs actually caress Arjuna, his arms extended and no longer in the controlled mudra of the successful ascetic. Nagas, associated with earth and water, and elephants also encircle him. Elephants are unusual in this traditional iconography, but they are highly revered in Asian culture for their strength and power in battle. Additionally, they are famed for their intelligence and memory as symbols for wisdom. Here the elephants with crossed trunks may evoke the Hindu goddess, Maya Sri Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, and the goddess of rice. Thus it comes as no surprise that while on his quest for nirvana, immersed in the natural world, Arjuna should be flanked by such elegantly regal creatures.