On view
Stele of Vishnu and attendants,
10th–11th century
Venerated by all Hindus and worshipped as the supreme of gods in the Vaiava tradition—the largest sect of contemporary Hinduism—Viṣṇu विष्णु, whose name means “all-pervasive,” evokes divinity, at once transcendent and immanent. Here his grandeur is underscored by a regal and arresting pose; his four hands hold his traditional attributes: mace (gadā), flaming discus (cakra), conch (śaṅkha), and a small lotus flower (padma). His lower right hand opens in a gesture (mudrā) that offers refuge to those seeking it. This feature, along with the figure’s downcast eyes and subdued smile, are perhaps meant to suggest the deity’s benevolence. Offering further testimony of his affection for his devotees, he is flanked by attendants and
two consort goddesses—Lakṣmī holds a fly whisk at his right and Sarasvatī plays the vīṇā on his left. His mount, Garuḍa, kneels below in a prayerful pose.
Vineet Chander, Assistant Dean, Office of Religious Life,
Director of Hindu Life Program, Princeton University
More Context
Vishnu, Preserver of the Universe, is presented in a full frontal pose wearing the traditional adornments of a king. In his four hands he holds his primary attributes: a jewel, a conch, a flaming wheel, and a mace. The conch is a symbol of creation, the wheel symbolizes cosmic law, and the mace represents the power of the law. The jewel is a symbol of the fulfillment of the law, and the hand that holds it is extended in the <em>mudra</em> of wish fulfillment. Lakshmi holds a fly whisk in her right hand, while her left hand, now lost, probably held a lotus flower. Sarasvati plays a lute. Diminutive figures standing to either side of the two goddesses are personifications of a mace (<em>gadha</em>) and a flaming wheel (<em>chakra</em>). All five primary figures stand on lotus blossoms. In the lower register, Vishnu’s winged mount, Garudha, who kneels reverently with his palms pressed together, is accompanied on either side by devotees of Vishnu. The pentad is ensconced in Vishnu’s mandorla, the top of which is lost. At the sides is a pair of leaping mythical beasts (<em>shardulas</em>) with lions’ bodies and composite heads supported by elephants. Each <em>shardula</em> is ridden by a youth, while other figures attempt to reign in the beasts. At the upper sides of the mandorla, two heavenly beings, one playing an instrument, herald the presence of the deity.
More About This Object
Information
10th–11th century
Asia, India
- "Recent acquisitions", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 21, no. 1 (1962): p. 25-27, p. 25
- Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007), p. 265 (illus.)
- Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013), p. 317
