Leaf from Illuminated Manuscript of the Jnaneshvari (Primary Title)
Krishna Reveals His Divine Forms as the God of Wealth, the God of Fire, and the Mountain of Gold (Recto Title)
Unknown (Artist)
In Book Ten of the Gita, Krishna reveals to Arjuna many of the innumerable manifestations he assumes. At the upper left of this page, he is Kubera, the god of wealth, in a celestial chariot. Below this, he takes the form of Agni, the red-skinned god of fire who rides a ram. To the right, he is Meru, the mountain at the center of the world. Corresponding to verse 24, penned in gold, Krishna appears below as Brihaspati, chief priest to the gods, and Skanda, Shiva’s peacock-mounted, six-headed son. The silver, aquatic patterned border illustrates Krishna’s final assertion in the verse: “Of bodies of water, I am the ocean.”
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