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Loving Devotion: Visions of Vishnu

Vishnu with Avatars and Attendants

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Vishnu with Avatars and Attendants
Bangladesh, c. 8th – 12th century
Phyllite
Collection of the Newark Museum. Gift of Dr. David R. Nalin, 1989 89.173

Surrounded by an assembly of his avatars, Vishnu stands at center in his even-footed samhadipada stance, facing straightforward—an embodiment of the balance and equanimity he instills in the cosmos. Vishnu’s four arms represent the infinite capacity of the divine and his reach into the four directions of the universe. Each hand holds a symbol of Vishnu’s power to confront evil, protect and bless: a discus in the upper right hand and conch shell in the lower right. While the hands that held the mace and lotus blossom are missing, the slender line of the mace and the rounded form of the god’s lotus-bearing palm are indicated by the remaining contours of the sculpture and follow an arrangement outlined in sacred texts and seen in similar sculptures of the era. An aureole, a decorative halo of glory, surrounds Vishnu’s head.

Vishnu’s ten manifestations, Dashavataras, appear along the sides in scrolling vine roundels. The first avatar, Matsya the fish, appears on the right side; then proceeding from oldest to most recent, Kalki, the tenth avatar who has yet to descend, sits astride his horse in the upper left. Each avatar is supported by a lotus blossom, a symbol of beauty and purity often associated with the gods. Vishnu is attended to by his consorts: Lakshmi, goddess of abundance, on the right, who plucks a lute; and the earth goddess Bhudevi, at left, who holds a flywhisk, an honorific symbol of reverence and worship. The small side figures—traditional helpers of the gods—hold Vishnu’s attributes of a discus and conch shell on their heads. Along the base, platters piled with conical offerings flank the bird-man Garuda, Vishnu’s vehicle, and a kneeling devotee. Sacred icons such as this, when invoked in worship of the deity, were considered yet another form of the divine.

Avatars of Vishnu—BYU Museum of Art "Loving Devotion"
Understanding the Many Roles of God—BYU Museum of Art "Loving Devotion"

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