Krishna and Satyabhama Storm the Citadel of Naraka, folio 97 from a Bhagavata Purana

c. 1775

Nepal, Kathmandu

Medium

Gum tempera and ink on paper

Measurements

Paper: 55.5 x 36.2 cm (21 7/8 x 14 1/4 in.); Painting only: 32.2 x 51.5 cm (12 11/16 x 20 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 2022.45

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Krishna’s arrowheads are crescent-shaped, meaning that they have the destructive power of special mantras.

Description

From a series depicting the life of Krishna, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, this scene takes place at the demon king Naraka’s citadel. Seen from above, the mountaintop fortress is surrounded by concentric fortifications that recall the format of a mandala.

In the upper left chambers, Naraka sits with nymphs he abducted from heaven. At the right, coming to rescue them, the blue Krishna with his wife blasts through the fortifications on his man-eagle mount Garuda. He prepares to shoot a crescent-shaped arrowhead that has the magical power of a mantra capable of destroying the multiheaded red demon guard.