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... he's all like "Oh Heyyyy Ladies"

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There is a gorgeous padam based on this very idea. 18th century I think.

@Ajay Cadambi: which one?

He has mushroom cap on!

http://www.margamcountrypark.co.uk/default.aspx?page=1393

Stunning.

Kaustabh Kaustubh Das Dehlvi-apart from it being old I fail to understand its significance. What so special about this one? Enlighten me?

you mean a crash course in miniature appriciation? on a facbook comment.... well... this particular one combines bhakti and shringar rasa with maybe a hint of shanta... what was a night of sombre devotion to shiva takes an amorous turn as Krishna appears in front of the worshipping women and says 'oh heyyy ladies!'... so typically of krishna, he steals, this time shiva's worshippers. it is also a compliment to krishna beauty as mohini/ mohana as he is able to capture the minds of not just the base and the weak willed, but even the virteous worshippers of shiva. also the artist's skill in depicting the season of the year ( as can sen by the dark clouds in the background, which again are a poetic metaphor of krishna's beauty. ) and the time of the night is also rendered nicely

well thats exactly why I dont get.It chooses to highlight the competition between the Shavaites and Vaishnavites (stupididty if you ask me) that was n mebbe still is so prevalant in hinduism.Instead of integrating and pursuing the true essence of Bhakti this one simply goes off course and ends up for me as a simple propaganda piece. Krishna explains in' to yudhistara and also told him how he got the supreme Advaitagyana (nondual knowledge) because of lord shiva. It is also in mahabharat.

"yo harih sa sivah saksad yah sivah sa svayam harih ye tayor bhedamati sthan narakaya bhave nnarah " TRANSLATION: Whoever is Lord Hari, He Himself is Lord Shiva indeed. Whoever is manifesting as Lord Shiva, He Himself is Lord Hari. Any human being who mistakes both the Lords to be different, he/she surely goes to hell.

the essence remains the same while the qualities attributed by them might differ.

oh shoo.... it's just a painting not a religious movement. .... this painting can just as well be interpreted from the perspective of integrated bhakti which you advocate... god is one, but he moves in mysterious ways, worship shiva and krishna pops out. IS THIS NOT LILA? even if the women are distracted from shiva onto krishna... is not their mind still on the divine? in shiv purana vishnu says that those who worship shiva are dear to me... this is the play of gods, far be it for me to judge it.

given what you said. i'm not sure what your problem is anymore. i dont think we can simply say that the image promotes sectarian divides...

its just a painting and it would remain so if it were locked up in a vault somewhere or put in a box and hidden away. the moment it starts getting posted on FB and put up else where and seenn by the human eye and interpreted by the human mind-unfortunately it does turn into a chisel carving a divide between the two sects. the artist obviously had a point to make.

that's unfair... i think it is ambiguious enough.... those who want to see krishna as competing with shiva will see that. those who see them as the manifestations of the play of lila of the ishvara will insted not see shiva and krishna competing but playing with each other ( and the humans)

thats the key issue-how many odf us actually do that? and now that i look closely at the painting it looks like Krishna is not interupting but actually joinig in the prayer. Notice the women are not distracted ..none of them are looking upwards and Krishna;s right hand is stretched out as if he were showering fkowers on the Lingam. I think this one was by a Shavaite. Anyway too early in the morning for me. Going back to sleep..into my comfort zone-the lap of 'Maya'.lol.cheers

WHAT!! krishna showering flowes?? no he's too far... and one woman with one arm up, does look kinda turned on.... she turns back to her friend and says who's that dreamy man crosssing the river... but of course it is the female ascetic worshipping the lingam that prevent the image from sliding into debauchery which most vaishnav paintings tend to... she keeps the whole dynamic firmly grounded in bhakti and doesnt let sringar dominate

Obviously hes too far..he is floating in the sky!!lol...and look at his left hand placed on his right arm typically placed as we would do in show of respect ahile putting on Tika ...giving accepting prasad..showring flowers on an idol with one hand..etc etc...and for the woman turning back -ummm i just dont see any amourous emotions displayed on their face or stance ..as krishna would elicit...Infact if u remove krishna from the painting it would still stand as a piece by iyself and then I could guarentee you anyone who sees it will never arrive at the women being distracted or attrarated by something but simple turning ...

floating or rising up from the river in mid air..

the woman who is reaching up is a salabhanjika... a traditional motif seen in sculpture as well the woman's beauty made the tree blossom. krishna isnt floating in the sky. he's wading through the river. yeah he has something in his hand but cant be sure what. it could just be the flute. i dunno. alasakanyas or salabhanjikas are to indian art, what nude portraiture is to western art. it has intense aesthetic and erotic connotations.... yes u're right this would be a complete composition even without krishna.

did mention hes rising from the river in previous comment and no bra yes...but isnt Shiva the Lord of Tantra..?Hell ne almost naked himself...and so are most the hardcore Shavaite Yogis-fully naked to this day...and Some authors hold that "Salabhanjika, as young girl at the foot of a tree, is based on an ancient tree deity related to fertility." and guess what the lingam stands for? yes -FERTILITY? anyway fail to see any signs of erotica on this one...to his his own I guess..cheers.

Wow. Thank you gentlemen. I really enjoyed reading your comments. Merci !

I enjoyed reading your analysis of this painting, which is a beautiful composition. I used a magnifying glass to reveal what I think I see, but i could be wrong. Sri Krishna has arrived on the scene because He wants to participate in the worship. He is holding in his left hand a vessel with incense sticks to offer to His devotee, Lord Shiva. He sees the women with their offerings and is reminded to do the same. The woman with her left arm upraised is holding mala in her hand, you can see them in her fist and see them dangling down in a strand. She may have turned around to speak to her friend to say, "look over there in the water!" "Do you see what I see?" Do you see the small brown boat under the tree on the left? The women arrived to the bank of the river on that boat. There is a symbolic explanation as to why Lord Krishna is arriving in the water, but I don't know what it is. Perhaps He was under the water engaged in a pastime? Do we know the name of the water body or the town on the other side? That could shed some light on the story. Thanks for posting the artwork.

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It may/must be the river Yamuna....

Sri Krsna is coming through the river to worship Lord Shiva.

I think the river Yamuna were never be so deep. women cane there by the boat, but Lord Krsna can walk through the river.Just After the birth of Lord krsna , his father Vasudev carried Him over the head crossed Yamuna. Yamuna is full of Small tortoises all the time. The Vahana of Devi Yamuna is also a turtle. Turtles cannot live in very deep water.