Cleveland Museum of Art
Krishna Quells the Serpent Kaliya, from a Bhagavata Purana
- Date
- c. 1710
- Medium
- gum tempera and gold on paper
- Culture
- Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar
- Department
- Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
In the forest where Krishna lived as a youth among the cowherds, there was a great pool of water connected to the Yamuna River. The water had become toxic from the poison excreted by all the snakes living there, including the serpent Kaliya. Kaliya’s royal residence is depicted at the lower right. In order to make the pool usable for drinking and bathing, Krishna tamed the serpent king by dancing on his heads. Krishna then persuaded him to move away to the ocean. The snake-demon Kaliya holds a flower in his mouth for Krishna.
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