Bala Gopala, the miraculous baby Krishna, lies on a banyan leaf, content, innocent, with a hint of amusement on his face. All around him, waters rise to submerge the continents and mountains, drowning every forest, river valley, desert and island. He is unaffected by the pralaya (doomsday), while a sage watches the miracle, amazed.
In Sanskrit, this particular form of Krishna is called Vatapatrasayi, Lord of the Banyan Leaf. It is one of the more popular images of the god, beautifully rendered in both Indian paintings and sculptures. Vatapatrasayi imagery is widely used in the painting traditions of every major Indian school.
This visual portrays themes of renewal and innocence—the universe collapses when purity is lost, Krishna births it anew, fresh and uncontaminated.
Literature defines society in the image of Purusha, his body parts constituting the four major castes of India. The baby sucking his toe could be a symbolic representation of how Krishna is unbiased. To a child, prejudice is unknown, as biases are fabricated culturally.
