Vishnu with Avatars and Attendants

Vishnu with Avatars and Attendants
Madhya Pradesh, India, c. 10th or early 11th century
Sandstone
Collection of the Newark Museum. Gift of Alice A. N. Heeramaneck, 1985, 85.268

This intricate sculpture shows a resplendent Vishnu and his manifold avatars. Vishnu stands bedecked in princely apparel with jewelry and garlands lacing his static form. He holds his symbolic weapons—the wheel, the conch shell and the lotus blossom. The arm that holds the mace is missing. Larger in scale and balanced in his samhadipada stance, Vishnu appears supreme and timeless compared to the lively, curving forms that surround him. Devotional icons like this are called murti, meaning “embodiment,” and were finely crafted according to sacred precedents and ritually installed. Once properly set, a murti is considered the essence of that god, a manifestation of the deity invoked through worship. This tangible murti enabled the worshipper to experience darshan—the blessing of both seeing and being seen and acknowledged by the divine presence.

The worshiping figures within the sculpture invite approaching devotees to join in their veneration of the all-powerful Vishnu. Male knowledge-bearers garnish the image with garlands at the top. The ten avatars are clustered around Vishnu’s form: the fish Matsya and tortoise Kurma emerge from the mouths of mythic elephant-crocodiles (makara) at the upper edges supported by legendary goat-lions (vyala)—all emblematic of celestial waters. The parasol-grasping dwarf Vamana and axe-wielding Parashurama are seated at Vishnu’s elbows. Varaha the boar and Narasimha the man-lion flank Vishnu’s knees. The equestrian Kalki is carved on the right by his ankles, while the seated Buddha avatar occupies the similar space on the opposite side. The gods Brahma and Shiva, believed by Vaishnavas to have emerged from Vishnu, are depicted on the left and right, respectively, seated under columned coverings. Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, sits beneath the deity’s feet. At the base, lotus stems support two male devotees who fold their hands in perpetual homage to Vishnu. The lotuses symbolize the purity of their supplications to call forth this pantheon of divinities.

The Idea of Bhakti—BYU Museum of Art "Loving Devotion"

Image Invites Presence—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.