The Hindu deity Balarama diverting the Yamuna River

This painting depicts Krishna's brother Balarama diverting the holy river Yamuna as it falls out of the mountains. The river Yamuna originates in the Himalayas, considered a sacred mountain range to many in Asia. Balarama, like Krishna, is thought to be an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. The story goes that one night Balarama asked the Yamuna to come to him so he could bathe. When the river did not move, the god took his plow and dragged it to him, diverting the river for all time. The Yamuna is shown here not only as the water Balarama is dragging but also, symbolically, as the small figure of a woman holding a pot, coming to worship him.