As part of his war on Krishna and young boys, the tyrant Kansa sends various demons to harry and kill them, the present picture showing four stages in one such attack.  To the right, the cowherd children, divided into two parties, face each other by an ant-hill, Krishna with arms crossed heading the right-hand group and Balarama the left.  Concealed as a cowherd in Krishna’s party, the demon Pralamba awaits an opportunity of killing Balarama.  The second stage, in the right-hand bottom corner, shows Balarama’s party giving the other side ‘pick-a-backs,’ after having been vanquished in a game of guessing flowers and fruit.  The third stage is reached in the top left-hand corner.  Here Pralamba has regained his demon form and is hurrying off with Balarama.  Balarama’s left hand is tightly clutched but with his right he beats at the demon’s head.  The fourth and final stage is illustrated in the bottom left-hand corner where Balarama has subdued the demon and is about to slay him.

The picture departs from the normal version, as given in the Bhagavata Purana, by showing Balarama’s side, instead of Krishna’s, carrying out the forfeits.  According to the Purana, it was Krishna’s side that lost and since Pralamba was among the defeated, he was in a position to take Balarama for a ride.  It is likely, however, that in view of the other episode in the Purana in which Krishna humbles his favourite cowgirl when she asks to be carried (Plate 14), the artist shrank from showing Krishna in this servile posture so changed the two sides round.

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PLATE 10

The Forest Fire

Illustration to an incident from the Bhagavata Purana
Basohli, Punjab Hills, c. 1680
Karl Khandalavala collection, Bombay

Under Raja Kirpal Pal (c. 1680-1693), painting at Basohli attained a savage intensity of expression—­the present picture illustrating the style in its earliest and greatest phase.  Surrounded by a ring of fire and with cowherd boys and cattle stupefied by smoke, Krishna is putting out the blaze by sucking the flames into his cheeks.  Deer and pig are bounding to safety while birds and wild bees hover distractedly overhead.

During his life among the cowherds, Krishna was on two occasions confronted with a forest fire—­the first, on the night following his struggle with Kaliya the snake when Nanda, Yasoda and other cowherds and cowgirls were also present and the second, following Balarama’s encounter with the demon Pralamba (Plate 10), when only cowherd boys were with him.  Since Nanda and the cowgirls are absent from the present picture, it is probably the second of these two occasions which is illustrated.

For a reproduction in colour of this passionately glowing picture, see Karl Khandalavala, Indian Sculpture and Painting (Bombay, 1938) (Plate 10).

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