A folio from the Bhagavata Purana: Krishna slays the demon Narakasura

INDIA, RAJASTHAN, BIKANER, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Details

A folio from the Bhagavata Purana: Krishna slays the demon Narakasura
India, Rajasthan, Bikaner, early 18th century
Krishna depicted five times, at center right in conversation with a woman inside a palace, at top center flying through the air with his wife Satyabhama, twice in the palace at left greeting holy men and then a gathering of women, and in the foreground slaying the demon Narakasura, who is shown once withstanding Krishna's attack, and then again lying on the ground beheaded, all in a hilly landscape with a river receding into the hills
Opaque pigments on wasli heightened with gold
9 1/8 x 12½ in. (23.2 x 31.7 cm.), painting
11¾ x 14 1/8 in. (29.8 x 35.9 cm.), folio

Provenance

Maharaja of Bikaner
Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1970 or earlier

Exhibited

Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1976

Lot Essay

Narakasura was an evil demon who, along with another demon Banasura (see lots 198 and 199), became so powerful he overthrew the gods and became lord of heaven and earth. He abducted sixteen thousand women and imprisoned them in his palace. In desperation, the gods approached Vishnu for help, who in turn promised that he would when he was incarnated as Krishna.

During Krishna's life, his wife Satabhama heard about Narakasura's ill treatment of women and asked Krishna to free the prisoners. Krishna attacked Narakasura's fortress and defeated his army. In desperation, Narakasura attempted to strike Krishna with his greatest weapon, the sataghini (thunderbolt), depicted here. Krishna easily deflected the blow and beheaded the demon with his chakra. After killing the demon, he freed the women and then married all of them.

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