Balakrishna, or Krishna as Nadugopala

Balakrishna, or Krishna as Nadugopala
Tamil Nadu, India, 19th century
Metal
Collection of the Newark Museum, 56.304

In the Bhagavad Purana, a sacred text believed to be written some 5,000 years ago during Krishna’s lifetime, Krishna is described as an infant, Nadugopala or Balakrishna, and as the embodiment of love. This charming eternal child is memorialized by his childish pranks, such as stealing butter and breaking pots that belong to the local milkmaids. This mischief is occasionally construed as destructive; however, the antics and behaviors of such an enchanting child generally serve to endear Krishna to his devotees and demonstrate the divine power held by Lord Krishna from his earliest days. This popular approach to Krishna worship evokes the love of a parent for a child, who simultaneously adores and disciplines him for this behavior. On a cosmic level, the ball of butter or sweetmeat represents the universe which the divine Vishnu-as-Krishna holds in the palm of his hand. Alternately, the ball also symbolizes a human heart or love, the deep emotion (rasa) shared between Krishna and devotees. Ultimately, Krishna did not actually steal the butterballs because, as a god, they were his to begin with.

This statue’s distinct almond-shaped eyes look outward towards the worshipper. These delicate devotional objects, though intimate in scale, have great power to invoke darshan between Krishna and his devotees.

All photographs and videos have been provided by Entrepid Productions with support from Andrew Hair, Daniel King, and Garth Pratt.