Sudershan Chakra

ca. 1950

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251

This image celebrates Krishna’s appearance on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the climax of the war between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas, over the rulership of the Bharata Kingdom. In observance of his vow to not appear as a combatant, Krishna enters the fray wielding a chariot wheel on his raised finger in lieu of his deadly discus (chakra). In his lower hand he holds the conch (shanka) that serves as his war trumpet. Krishna is framed by the assembled ranks of the rival armies in the middle distance. The setting sun, breaking through monsoon clouds, provides a radiant nimbus for the blue-skinned, youthful god.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Exhibition History

References

Title: Sudershan Chakra
Artist: Kanahyalal Lachooma
Date: ca. 1950
Culture: India, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
Medium: Chromolithograph on paper
Dimensions: Image: 20 × 13 7/8 in. (50.8 × 35.2 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Richard Greenbaum Fund, 2024
Object Number: 2024.459
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Savitri and Satyaban, Chromolithograph with varnish on paper, West Bengal, Kolkata — Savitri and Satyaban
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ca. 1885–90

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