Scene from the Mahabharata

Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal

Detailed scenes from the epics (Mahabharata and Ramayana) are carved on the pillars. The central band depicts Bhishma lying on the bed of arrows (from the Mahabharata). During the fight his body was pierced with so many arrows that they supported him above the ground when he fell.

The composition is enlivened by a few figures whose depiction extends slightly beyond the confines of their register.