Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))

Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The gopas (cowherds) of Brindavan were drinking at a tank when they were suddenly disrupted by Bakasura, a demon sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. The demon swallows the god but is quickly forced by the intense heat in its throat to disgorge him. Krishna then grabs Bakasura's beak and breaks it in two.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))Krishna Slays Bakasura, the Crane Demon: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu))

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.