As the artist noted, ""Milarepa Who Heard" is the one who cognized the voices of the devas at sunrise". Milarepa is depicted in the canonical position, and the rays of the rising sun, fanning out from behind the snow mountains, seem to symbolize what the Buddhist yogi so listened to. Nikolay Roerich often mentions Milarepa in his literary works: "The Glorious Atisha, the giant of the doctrine, traveled from India to Tibet to purify the schools. The teacher passed near the hermitage of Milarepa. The great hermit noticed the passing procession and, wishing to experience the strength of the giant of doctrine, was sitting on the end of a blade of grass. The Glorious Atisha, seeing this manifestation of the hermit, got down from the palanquin and also climbed to the end of a neighboring blade of grass. And then, the sages exchanged friendly greetings. Milarepa said: "Our knowledge is the same, but why under me the blade of grass slightly bent, and under you it remained straight?" The Glorious Atisha smiled: "Verily, our knowledge is the same, but I go from the country where the Blessed Tathagata himself lived and taught, and the awareness of this fact elevates me".

N. Roerich. Altai – Himalayas.