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The Goddess Annihilates the Demon Raktabija, from a Devi-Mahatmya
c. 1640
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
The demon Raktabija had received a boon that from each drop of his blood that falls on the ground, a new demon would arise. When the Goddess wounded Raktabija in combat, and drops of his blood fell on the ground and generated new Raktabijas, she extended her tongue to catch every drop before it hit the ground. Here she is shown lapping up Raktabija himself.
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Details
- Title: The Goddess Annihilates the Demon Raktabija, from a Devi-Mahatmya
- Date Created: c. 1640
- Physical Dimensions: Page: 16.2 x 25.7 cm (6 3/8 x 10 1/8 in.)
- Type: Painting
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2018.128
- Medium: gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Inscriptions: raktapīju
- Fun Fact: The painting also depicts Hanuman, the monkey god, fighting for the Goddess.
- Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Culture: Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Malwa
- Credit Line: Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
- Collection: Indian Art
- Accession Number: 2018.128
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