Krishna Brings the Messenger Akrura Inside Nanda’s House: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Akrura was dispatched by the evil king Kamsa to invite Krishna and Balarama to a function at his palace. While traveling to reach the gods, Akrura becomes a fervent devotee and therefore reveals the evil king’s plan to have them killed. As with many of the pages in this manuscript, inscriptions on the painted surface identify the characters represented; this feature, coupled with the simplified compositions, might suggest that this manuscript was commissioned by a non-royal patron.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art