Harinaigamesin Brings the Embryo to Queen Trisala: Folio from a Kalpasutra Manuscript

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The jina Mahavira was conceived by a Brahmani woman, and Indra determined that the embryo should be transferred to the royal woman Queen Trisala. He appointed the deerheaded divinity Harinaigamesin, Indra's ambassador and chief of infantry, to perform this delicate task. Embryos were exchanged between the two women, and Mahavira was brought full term and born to King Siddharta and Queen Trisala.

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