AM E074161 Swarga, Adiparwa, Jaratkaru

Jaratkaru has to marry Nagini, daughter of the snake king Basuki on instruction of his ancestors, who are suspended from bamboo poles in hell because Jaratkaru has no children, and then of Jaratkaru meeting Basuki and Naginī (identification by Mangku Mura, 1979). Hell or swarga scene with 'tantri' type scene below: "Some descriptive labels on activities, eg: "Iki jagal" (this is a butcher). At bottom RH: inscription stating completion of work from a rontal (palm leaf text), and date of completion, acc. to several different calendar systems. Date given from Worsley's reading is 1303 Çaka (1381 AD), not possible as date of work, but possibly original date of text (recopied)" [ref Remarks from Forge Colln file]. An alternative reading would give a date of 1831 CE. However, a re-reading by Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan gives two different dates: either 1917, or 1817; the latter seems like the most likely date.

Portrayal of punishments in after life, usually portrayed in context of some visitor to hell, but not in this case. RHS: Yama, the god of hell (in a Nimbus) seen by Balinese as amusing rather than terrifying [ref Forge Coll. file]