Who is Krishna?
Krishna is an icon. Krishna is an emotion. Krishna is a favourite god. Krishna is the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. His life is full of episodes, meaningful feats and also play collectively called Krishna leela. He is the dark, blue skinned lover of Radha, and the craze of the gopi-s or cowherd maidens. The word Krishna means ‘dark’. Radha-Krishna is worshipped as a couple; the feminine and masculine aspects of God. He is believed to have lived in India by at least 1000 BC. In Hindu tradition, he is mostly seen with Radha. All his wives and his lover Radha are considered in to be the avatars of the Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu. Gopis are taken to be Goddess Lakshmi's or Radha's manifestations.
Krishna's many forms
He is the advisor to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the epic Mahabharata. He has many names like Madhusudhan, Gopala, and Muralidhar among others. He is worshipped pan-India and in different forms; Shrinathji, Jagannath, Thakurji among others. He is revered outside India as well. The Harivamsa, Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana relates to the story of his life.
The young Krishna
Krishna was born in Mathura in North India, to Devaki and Vasudev but had to be taken across the Yamuna to Vrindavan to Yashoda and Nanda’s foster care due to the evil plans of his uncle Kamsa, who planned to kill him, as he had killed other children before him due to a prediction that his sister Devaki’s child would finish his life. Two of Krishna's siblings also survive, namely Balarama and Subhadra. Krishna's childhood and youth are spent as a cow herder, a prankster, but loved by people in both Gokul and Vrindavan, whose flute music enthralled all. Krishna lifts the Govardhan hill to protect the people of Vrindavan from torrential rains. He saves them from Kaliya, the snake. He is a playful lover of the gopis or cowherd girls of Vrindavan, especially Radha.
Krishna as a prince
After a while Krishna goes back to Mathura and kills the tyrant king, his uncle Kamsa after facing several assassination attempts by him. He reinstates Kamsa's father, Ugrasena as the king of the Yadavas and becomes a leading prince at the court. According to another version, Krishna after Kamsa's death leads the Yadavas to the newly built city of Dwaraka. Thereafter the Pandavas rise. Krishna befriends Arjuna and the Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom.
Krishna's timeless sermon
As per the epic Mahabharata, Krishna becomes Arjuna's charioteer for the Kurukshetra War. Upon arrival at the battlefield and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, and his cousins, Arjuna does not want to fight and wants to put down his bow. Krishna then advises him on aspects of life, ethics, and morality when one is faced with a war between good and evil, the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul and the good, duties and responsibilities, the nature of peace and bliss and the different types of yoga to reach this state of bliss and inner liberation. This conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is a discourse called the Bhagavad Gita.
Krishna in Indian Art
Lord Krishna has been depicted in art on all media. He has been carved out of wood, ivory, stone, terracotta, bamboo and metal alloys like bronze. He is a favourite subject in miniature paintings of all Schools across India. Textiles like the picchwai celebrate Krishna and the gopis along with cows, and are placed behind the main idol in temples of Rajasthan especially Nathdwara. The Kalamkari and Batik textiles have also depicted Lord Krishna and episodes from his life. Radha-Krishna has been a popular subject to illustrate Ragamala paintings and texts like the Rasikapriya, Rasamanjari and Geeta Govinda. The Bhagavata Purana and other texts connected to Krishna have illustrations that portray Krishna in different situations.
The Salar Jung Museum Collection
The Salar Jung Museum has Krishna images in all media including many miniature paintings from different Schools. There is wood, stone, ivory, terracotta among others. He has been depicted on household objects too. His image figures on ornate furniture to add a certain piety to the item. Lord Krishna figures in picchwai, Kalamkari textiles from Andhra Pradesh and batik textile painting. A few modern paintings relate episodes from his life as well.
Let us take a journey through these artworks of this favourite and much revered God of India!
Birth of Krishna (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Birth of Krishna
Miniature painting depicts birth of Krishna, different scenes; Vasudev and Devaki with attendants and maids in the building at left, a man and two ladies in a building in the middle with two swordsmen on either side of the door, three ladies and a child in the building at the right. Vasudev along with child Krishna is seen crossing the river Yamuna. Golden flower creeper border around around this painting from Kangra, dated to the 19th century.
Laddu Gopal
Krishna was known for his love of butter. Depicted is infant Krishna Laddu Gopal, his right raised hand holding a ball of butter, a bronze figure, dated to the 19th century.
Cow, calf and Child Krishna (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Cow, calf and child Krishna
The carved figure of a cow, with boy Krishna on right and the calf on his left. The calf suckles the cow while Krishna milks her with his stretched right hand, his left hand holding the milk pot, made in marble, dated to the 20th century.
Shri Nathji
Shri Nathji is a Hindu deity, a form of Lord Krishna, as a 7 year-old child. Shri Nathji is the presiding deity of the Vaishnava sect, also known as the Vallabh Sampradaya originally established by Shri Vallabhacharya.
Krishna as Sri Nathji, painting from Nathdwara, Rajasthan, dated to the late 19th century.
Illustration from Bhagavata (1700/1725)Salar Jung Museum
Illustration from Bhagavata
Illustration depicting a theme from Bhagavata Purana; showing Krishna killing the snake ‘Kaliya’ and releasing people and cows, painting from Malwa, dated to the early 18th century.
Panel of Lord Krishna with gopis (1700/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Panel of Lord Krishna with 'gopis'.
A depiction of Ras-leela with a panel in relief showing Krishna with two gopis' or cowherd maidens in the centre and eight dancing figures of gopis in a circle around them, from Bankipore, dated to the 18th century.
Lord Muralikrishna (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Lord Muralikrishna
Figure of Lord Krishna - playing on a flute; as Muralikrishna, on a carved pedestal, made in ivory, dated to the 20th century.
Krishna and Radha at play (1800/1800)Salar Jung Museum
Krishna and Radha at play
Krishna and Radha are seen at play. Round cloud patches at the top and verdant landscape depict the rainy season, a painting from Mewar, dated to circa 1800.
Scenes from Bhagavata purana (1780/1780)Salar Jung Museum
Scenes from Bhagavata purana
The image is in three panels: the top one showing the visit of Akrura to Nanda’s house to request him to send Krishna to Mathura with him. A horse-cart is waiting outside, from Malwa, circa 1780.
The second panel depicts milkmaids churning buttermilk in pots, Krishna is talking to the gopis.
A cowherd who is handing over the same to another who are loading them on a double bullock cart. This seems to be the scene of 'Dana leela’, wherein Krishna and his friends took a toll from the 'gopis' in the form of milk and buttermilk.
The third panel showing a similar scene as before but without Krishna.
Illustrated page of Krishna with 'gopis'. (1590/1590)Salar Jung Museum
Illustrated page of Krishna with 'gopis'
A page from Balagopalastuti showing Krishna seated with two gopis. Text in Devanagari script is on the side, from Gujarat, dated to circa 1590.
Deepak Raag (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Deepak Raga
Painting depicting Deepak Raga, a musical mode. Krishna is seated with his consort, turned towards her and holding a mirror in his right hand, a Ragamala painting from Rajasthan, dated to the 19th century.
Krishna seated with his consort, holding a mirror to her.
Lady musicians in front entertain them with music, one is playing on a mridang, a musical drum instrument.
Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan (1775/1799)Salar Jung Museum
Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan
Krishna lifting Govardhan-giri with gopis and cows around him, people of Vrindavan too are seen on the sides, painting from Bundelkhand, dated to late 18th century.
Krishna holds the Govardhan hill on his little finger.
People of Vrindavan watch in awe along with their cows.
Gopis, the cowherd maidens and the cowherds are amazed at this feat of Krishna. Their cows are also seen.
Lord Krishna and Radha (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Radha-Krishna
Lord Krishna and Radha standing closely under a tree with a rug over their heads, painting from Kangra, dated to the 19th century.
Radha-Krishna taking shelter under a rug from the impending storm
Cowherds taking shelter in the cavity under the tree, one is holding a leafy parasol.
Gopis scurrying away from the impending rain-storm.
Lord Krishna (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Lord Krishna
Standing figure of Lord Krishna with a flute in his hands, behind him stands a cow, its head dropping to Krishna's legs in loving devotion. The figure stands on a six sided carved pedestal, divided into two orders with six animal leg shaped stands, wood carving from South India, dated to the 19th century.
Krishna with Radha (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Krishna with Radha
Wall panel in wooden frame with figures of Krishna and Radha standing on a lotus pedestal. The figures are flanked by cowherds with their cattle. A river flows with boat, swans and lotuses in it. Trees are embossed and a tall big tree has a peacock perched on one of its branches, made in bronze, dated to the 19th century.
Krishna and 'gopis' (1900/1999)Salar Jung Museum
Krishna and 'gopis'
Contemporary batik showing Krishna and gopis in pichwai style. Krishna's flute has two tassels on one side, textile piece, dated to the 20th century.
Kalamkari curtain (1875/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Kalamkari curtain
Lord Krishna drives Arjuna's chariot drawn by four horses. Arjuna is listening to the advice 'Bhagavad Gita'; taught by Krishna in the great war of Kurukshetra in the epic Mahabharata. Krishna is shown in blue colour and Arjuna in yellow-orange colour. The horses are in a colour scheme of mainly blue, yellow on a maroon ground. Arjuna 's chariot has the pennant representing the figure of Hanuman. The art work is a rectangular Kalamkari, done with natural dyes, from Srikalahasti, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, dated to the 19th century.
Text and Curation: Soma Ghosh
Photography: M. Krishnamurthy and Bahadur Ali
Research Assistance: Dinesh Singh and E. Rajesh
Special thanks to Dr. A Nagender Reddy, Director, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
References –
1. Banerjee, P (1978), The life of Krishna in Indian art, New Delhi:National Museum.
2. Hutchins, Francis.G (1980) Young Krishna, New Hampshire: The Amarta Press.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna#Life_and_legends
