Krishna Dances on the Head of Kaliya; Illustration to the Harivamsa (Story of Hari)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 693

Krishna, wearing a gold crown and yellow dhoti and scarf, is shown here playing his flute in triumph as he pummels the multiheaded serpent king Kaliya into submission with his dancing feet, having jumped down upon him from the Kadamba tree. Krishna’s brother, the pale-skinned Balarama, turns to Krishna’s astonished foster parents to indicate his victory. The episode this painting illustrates comes from the Harivamsa (Story of Hari), one of several Hindu epics and mythological narratives translated from Sanskrit to Persian for the emperor Akbar and exquisitely illustrated by his leading artists.

Krishna Dances on the Head of Kaliya; Illustration to the Harivamsa (Story of Hari), Opaque color and gold on paper

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