Yashoda Binds Krishna’s Hands: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript
In a futile attempt to keep him from stealing butter, Krishna’s foster mother, Yashoda, ties the god to a wooden mortar. Due to Krishna’s miraculous nature, she was originally thwarted, as the rope was always too short no matter how much of it was supplied by the Gopis (cowherdesses); in the end, Krishna took pity and allowed himself to be bound under the flowering arjuna trees. It is unusual that the figures of Krishna and Yashoda are quite small and do not stand out among the Gopis clutching strands of rope. The representation of these figures on stacked registers follows pictorial conventions established earlier in the Jain illustrated manuscript tradition.
Artwork Details
- Title: Yashoda Binds Krishna’s Hands: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript
- Date: 1640–50
- Culture: India (Gujarat)
- Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: 10 3/8 x 8 7/8 in. (26.4 x 22.5 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of A. Richard Benedek, 1977
- Object Number: 1977.450.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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India (Gujarat)
ca. 1640–50
India, Deccan, Aurangabad (?)
late 18th century
India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa)
ca. 1650
India (Rajasthan, Sirohi)
ca. 1680
Northern India, Guler, Himachal Pradesh
ca. 1740
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