King Mahajanaka Renounces The World

Cave 1, Ajanta, Maharashtra, India

Renunciation is a favorite practice of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and most other major religions - why a person would actually want to do this is difficult to understand, but here it is. King Mahajanaka is renouncing the world, in favor of some vaguely-defined Buddhist ideal. In this painting he is shown surrounded by the pleasures of his court, including several barely-clad ladies, as if to emphasize the value of what he is giving up.