Episode Surrounding the Birth of Krishna, Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Series

late 17th-early 18th century

The Hindu god Krishna is said to have lived on earth as a prince. Krishna’s evil uncle, Kamsa, received an omen that he would be killed by a nephew, so he had all his sister’s children killed. To protect their new baby, Krishna’s parents sent him away and presented Kamsa with a decoy infant who was actually a goddess in disguise. This painting shows Kamsa smashing the infant against a rock. As soon as Kamsa kills the child, the goddess rises up from its body. The painting is from Mewar, the region surrounding the city of Udaipur, where artists made highly legible paintings that are flat and graphic.