Krishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

Krishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The upper and lower registers illustrate Krishna’s entry into Mathura, where he will ultimately confront and kill the evil king Kamsa. The Bhagavata Purana describes at length the joyous welcome that he received, especially by the women of the town, who abandoned what they were doing and rushed to see him. The excitement of the moment is emphasized by the musicians in both registers and the appearance of Krishna three times in the lower register, embracing friends and gesturing to others who kneel at his feet and stand venerating the god, hands clasped in anjali mudra (a gesture of reverence).

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Krishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana ManuscriptKrishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana ManuscriptKrishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana ManuscriptKrishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana ManuscriptKrishna Is Welcomed into Mathura: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.