Shiva and Andhaka

This illustration was originally in a Persian manuscript recounting the life of the Hindu god, Lord Krishna. The Persian translation of the Sanskrit text was made by order of the Mughal emperor Akbar, and the painting probably dates to c. 1590. The manuscript was broken up at an unknown date, and this page is one of a group that were given ornate borders for inclusion in an album, probably in Lucknow in the 18th century.

This painting depicts Shiva, the divine yogi who shares with Vishnu a supreme role among the gods of Hinduism. A demon called Andhaka had stolen a flowering creeper from a garden created by Shiva, who follows him and decapitates him.