- Title
- Krishna Quelling the Serpent King Kaliya (recto), Text (verso), Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord)
- Date Made
- 1718
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 5 1/4 x 9 in. (13.34 x 22.86 cm); Image: 4 5/8 x 7 in. (11.75 x 17.78 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.71.1.23
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
The Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord) is traditionally ascribed to the legendary poet-sage Vyasa in the 8th-10th century CE. It stresses the path of devotion (bhakti) to Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation. To fulfill his role as the guardian of the world, Vishnu manifests as a succession of heroic animals and semi-mortal saviors, called avatars.
This folio is from a dispersed Bhagavata Purana dated 1718 (samvat 1775). The recto illustration depicts Krishna quelling the Serpent King Kaliya (here labeled as Kali Nag), who was terrorizing villagers living by the Yamuna River in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. In his previous life, Kaliya had been the sage Vedshira, but because of his hostility and envy he had been cursed by the sage Ashvashira to be reborn as a thousand-headed poisonous snake. According to the legend, Kaliya’s poison had contaminated the water of the Yamuna. When Krishna dove into the river, Kaliya entrapped him in his coils to kill him. But Krishna expanded his body to force Kaliya to release him. Then Krishna danced on his serpent hoods until Kaliya vomited blood. When Kaliya’s wives (nagapatnis) beseeched Krishna to spare their husband, Krishna forgave Kaliya after he promised to leave the Yamuna and never harm anyone again (Bhagavata Purana 10:16).
Folios from a comparable folkish Marwari series attributed to 1725 are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1979.12.3 and 1979.12.4).
- Selected Bibliography
- Rosenfield, John. The Arts of India and Nepal: The Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1966.
