A particular set of Ragamala paintings from Mewar is, especially, important as one of its paintings bears crucial documentary evidence regarding its artist, patron, place and date of painting. Maru Ragini is from this set, which is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi. The initial part of the inscription found on the painting, representing Maru Ragini, classifies Maru as the ragini of Raga Shri and describes her physical beauty and its effect on her beloved. It is the latter half that is engrossing as it reads, “… samvat 1685 varshe aso vad 9 Rana Shri Jagat Singh Rajen Udaipur madhe likhitam chitara Sahivdin bachan hara ne ram ram.”

What is the connection between the written verse and the painted depiction in the Maru Ragini painting?

The artist aims to create a visual equivalent to the written verse.

Answer: The artist aims to create a visual equivalent to the written verse.
The passage mentions that the goal of the artist (Sahibdin) was to produce a painterly equivalent to the written verse inscribed on the painting.

A particular set of Ragamala paintings from Mewar is, especially, important as one of its paintings bears crucial documentary evidence regarding its artist, patron, place and date of painting. Maru Ragini is from this set, which is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi. The initial part of the inscription found on the painting, representing Maru Ragini, classifies Maru as the ragini of Raga Shri and describes her physical beauty and its effect on her beloved. It is the latter half that is engrossing as it reads, “… samvat 1685 varshe aso vad 9 Rana Shri Jagat Singh Rajen Udaipur madhe likhitam chitara Sahivdin bachan hara ne ram ram.” Samvat 1685 is 1628 CE and Sahibdin is referred to as chitara, meaning ‘someone who paints’, and the act of painting is termed as likhitam, translated as ‘written’ since the goal of the artist was to produce a painterly equivalent to the written verse inscribed on the painting. Maru is accommodated as the consort of Raga Shri because of the popular appeal of Dhola-Maru ballad that is deeply entrenched in the folklore and oral tradition of the region. It is the story of a prince named, Dhola, and princess Maru, who had to undergo numerous struggles to finally be together. The trials and tribulations, the evil relatives, battles, tragic accidents, etc., form the plot of the narrative. Here, they are depicted escaping together on a camel.