This painting belongs to a large format Mahabharata series attributed to the Kangra court artist Purkhu. Owing to the patronage of Maharaja Sansar Chand (r. 1775-1823) and the artistic direction of Purkhu (active c. 1780-c. 1820), Kangra is remembered as a great center of Pahari miniature painting. Other works from this set include two sold at Christies, New York, 21 September 2022, lots 434, 435, and 436 of which the latter two depict battle scenes. Together with the one painted here, they represent the chakravyuha, a military formation resembling a spiraling labyrinth of artillery men meant to disorient and trap their opponent. The intense battle continues on this series for many folios known to the market and public collections.

A similar battle-field scene with Abhimanyu as protagonist is published in K. Khandalavala, Pahari Miniature Paintings in the N.C. Mehta Collection, two are in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (acc. nos. F2003.34.16.1 and F2003.34.16.2), and several have come to market at Sotheby’s, New York, 15 December 1978, lot 180, Sotheby’s, New York, 26 March 2013, lot 129, and more recently at Christie’s London, 1 May 2019, lot 117. An additional painting from this series recently sold at Christie’s New York, 21 September 2021, lot 461.