Vishnu with Attendants

Vishnu with Attendants
Kota, Rajasthan, India, c. 12th century
Sandstone
Collection of the Newark Museum. Gift of Alice Boney, 1973 73.58

In this work, Vishnu retains only the head of his mace, emblem of the power of knowledge. Along the sides of his legs, two ayudhapurusha figures stand, personifications of the weapons of Vishnu. Chakrapurusha, at left, holds a discus, symbol of the god’s limitless power and of the mind. Shankapurusha, at right, has a conch shell. As a horn used in battle, the conch shell reminds devotees of Vishnu’s protection and liberation from the evils of the world. The conch further represents eternal space and elements of the universe as it unfolds from a single point to an ever-expanding infinity, a solid form that encompasses empty space. Shielded by the protections of the deity, two small devotees kneel at Vishnu’s feet demonstrating their continual reverence. The inscription on the base probably names the patron who commissioned this statue. Such patronage is a form of bhakti, a never-ending act of puja that will resonate throughout time.

For devotees, such as those represented at the feet of this sculpture, the purpose for approaching Vishnu in worship is darshan, the experience of physically seeing and being seen by the divine that also implies spiritual perception of the sacred. Thus, the eyes of the god are the most important feature of a murti, which is officially consecrated as a sacred icon only after the eyes are painted or incised. The unrelenting gaze of the divine contains immense power, and the reciprocal gaze experienced in worship yields immense blessings.

All photographs and videos have been provided by Entrepid Productions with support from Andrew Hair, Daniel King, and Garth Pratt.