Radha and Gopis on Yamuna's Bank

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This painting represents one of the many occasions when sad Krishna awaits Radha in the forest and Radha, under one pretext or other, leaves her household to meet him but hesitates in going to him. As illustrates the folio, Krishna plays on his flute so that hearing its melody Radha comes to meet him. The flute’s pathetic notes reach the ears of his cows as also those of Radha but while sharing his pain cows stop grazing, draw close to him and immersed in sympathy look at him Radha fails to respond. In despair Krishna gives up blowing his pipe and descends deep into himself.

After Krishna’s flute stopped producing melody, Radha felt that her failure to reach him has disappointed him and in anger he has stopped playing on his flute. In hurry she leaves the house with a pitcher in hand feigning that she is going to fetch water from Yamuna. She reaches the river but not able to collect herself and to go to Krishna she fills her pitcher and turns homewards. But, just then there reach some of her ‘sakhis’ – friends, one of whom chides her and condemns her for not heeding Krishna who loves her by his heart and soul. Inspired by her Radha takes courage, pours from her pitcher Yamuna’s water back into the river and decides to go to Krishna.

Rendered in Kangra idiom of Pahari art style, as it prevailed at Kangra around 1800 A. D., the painting is a fiction but truer than the fact. The iconography and bodily gestures of various figures express more than what the diction has ever been able to reveal. Krishna’s heart and whatever he has within it surfaces on his face and in his demeanour. Mere animals, the tale that the cows have to tell is wide writ in their eyes and their posture. Radha’s timid hesitation and dilemma reveal in her eyes, face and the backward and forward thrust of her legs. By no other means could better reveal the anguish of Radha’s ‘sakhi’ condemning Radha for not appreciating Krishna’s genuine love as it reveals in the gesture of her hands and sternness of her face. The river’s curves and hill’s ascents and descents seem to reflect Radha’s hesitating mind.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.