Raja Ravi Varma’s Swami Vishvamitra in Meditation (1897) presents the legendary sage absorbed in tapasya. Seated on bare ground, eyes closed, Vishvamitra fingers prayer beads, oblivious to the dying embers before him. Sparse surroundings—a pot, firewood, discarded cloth—underscore his ascetic renunciation after kingship. Varma renders knotted hair, flowing beard, flesh, and fabric with Old Master realism, uniting Indian mythological narrative with academic naturalism, and creating a contemplative, quietly powerful image of spiritual discipline. Muted earth tones and controlled light heighten intimacy, stillness, and timeless devotion within the composition.