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Iconography of Vaishnava Images:

Vishnu

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 Iconography of Vaishnava Images: Vishnu

Article of the Month - December 2016

Vedic position in regard to form of Godhood

There is Rama, the son of Ayodhya’s king Dasharatha in his human birth, and there
is Rama’s divinity, his divine aura that overwhelms the Tulasi’s entire Ramacharit-
manas, one manifest – with attributes, and the other, unmanifest – without
attributes. Thus, Rama is both, ‘Saguna’ – born with attributes, and ‘Nirguna’ – one
beyond attributes or form. Ravana saw in him a form, as any normal human being
would, and decided to try his strength against him, Vibhishana, his brother, saw him
beyond attributes – his divine aura : the flame, and dedicated him to his service.
This is the crux of Indian vision of Godhood. The Rig-Veda and the other Vedas
invoked Him as unmanifest but at the same time the Rig-Veda also realised Him in
numerous manifest forms – both male and female : Surya, Agni, Varuna, Indra,
Vishnu, Vak, Ushas, Sita – the furrow-line, Ratri, Mantra-shakti power of hymn,
Mahi – the earth…, that is, in whichever form His divinity revealed enshrined
Godhood. Hence, when there emerged in their completeness ‘saguna’ and ‘nirguna’
lines of thought, the Vedas were in the roots of both.

Multi-formal Godhood and incarnation cult

Thus, in Indian thought Godhood, with attributes or without attributes, was a
realization of the faithful mind – essentially a vision, an image, which vested even
the unmanifest with attributes; as regarded the manifest Godhood was endowed not
only with an anthropomorphic form but was also completely humanized and had a
human being like lifestyle and day-routine. Pushti-marga like sub-sects of worship
through ‘sewa’ – service, were the result of the zeal that saw in service the
accomplishment of worship. This gave to Indian theology a highly colourful culture
and versatile imagery with the result that Godhood exploded beyond
anthropomorphic image – male and female, or even man and animal, giving seers
engaged in composing Puranas and other religious scriptures ample scope for
discovering not only unique forms of His image but also those of His ensembles,
adornment, jewelry, ambience, as also an appropriate human frame.

Perhaps this multi-form perception of Godhood was in the root of incarnation theory
that perceived Godhood taking a form not of man alone but also that of an animal
the first three of the ten incarnations of Vishnu – one of Trinity Gods, being animals.
Such perception of Godhood inspired alike respect for all species of living beings
and discouraged animal killing. This all-inclusive vision emphasized that any form
could be the God’s form and that Godhood is not confined to a particular form or
even to a form at all. This formal perception of God gave to Indian theology a highly
colourful religious culture with the result that there emerged for His image millions of
shrines and even the image, being essentially conceptual, was extremely
diversified.

Divine image : essentially a concept evolved over generations

Not the product of camera but as evolved in the faithful mind, far from being realistic
but conceptual, so much so that even the images of divinities born with a definite
chronology, represented only a concept or an idealized version of such divinity. The
founder of Jainism Tirthankara Mahavira and the founder of Buddhism Buddha were
historical figures – the real persons born with flesh and blood; however, the images
of neither represent the real persons. Almost identically conceived images of all
twenty-four Tirthankaras were ‘dhyana-murtis’, that is, images conceived for helping
the meditating mind to centre on a form, the Tirthankara icon, that accordingly
shaped their lives. Buddha’s images were conceived more on aesthetic principles.
The images of Buddha sought to represent the essential Buddha that certainly was
not in flesh and bones. Divyavadana, Uttaratantra of Maitreya and other Buddhist
texts mandated to represent Buddha beyond physical likeness also the Buddha’s
spiritual inner. The Lankavatara Sutra goes further ahead requiring the artist to paint
Buddha beyond aesthetic surfaces 'the picture that is not in colours'.

Obviously, to the Indian mind the divine image is not a realistic or even aesthetic
representation of likeness. It is as it has evolved in the tradition – ritual or spiritual,
and often manifests the faithful mind’s version of the divine and each manifestation
of this vision has now largely rigidified as an independent divinity. Revering each of
such divinity the faithful mind has built its own hierarchy of God’s manifest forms
and has fixed for each a specific imagery to include the image’s anthropomorphism,
type of ensemble, jewelry and other components. Highly diversified the divine image
has hundreds of manifestations that a single essay like this cannot encompass;
hence this series of essays proposes to allude to just five of Vaishnava images,
Lord Vishnu himself, his consort Lakshmi, his mount Garuda, Hanuman, his most
trusted and efficient servant and Brahma, the Creator and the second of the Great
Trinity.

Vishnu
Evolution of image

Except in his manifestation as Vishnu-Vaikuntha the images

of Lord Vishnu are conceived with a single normal
anthropomorphic face.
brimming with timeless youth, great majesty, vigour and divinity.
Vishnu’s image, as fixed in people’s mind, is four-armed

in a few manifestations also six and eight-armed, and

blue-bodied clad in yellow ensemble: an ‘antariya’
essentially but sometimes also an ‘uttariya’. His blue
body is seen as symbolizing the ocean and the space,
and the yellow ensemble, the sun that in early
scriptures is seen alternating Vishnu. Sometimes the
Rig-Veda not only substitutes Vishnu for the Sun but
perceives him as circumambulating the earth in every
twenty-four hours as does the sun. Stone-sculptures
and reliefs, terracottas, metal-casts … restrict to the
colour of the respective medium; however, when
enshrining a sanctum even such images are adorned
with yellow costume and his essential jewelry, almost
rigidified in the tradition.

Other components of his attire are his large ‘vaijayanti’ – the

garland of fresh Parijata flowers trailing down the knees, a
pair of ‘makara-kundalas’ – ear-rings designed like
crocodiles, a majestic crown over his head and Vaishnava
‘tilak’ on his forehead.
 With main emphasis on his majesty in South Indian tradition
this crown is taller than usual.

As a rule his images are four-armed and the

attributes that he is represented as carrying are
lotus, conch, mace and disc. Sometimes the
disc is alternated with thunderbolt and lotus with
the gesture of ‘abhaya’ – assurance-granting
posture. In such images his palm held in
‘abhaya’ has on it a graphic mark symbolic of
lotus. Except in a few painted versions of his
image that portray him as holding his mace
weapon-like in one of his hands while rushing to
redeem a devotee in crisis he holds all his
attributes as formal identity motifs. Conch and
lotus are merely symbolic; and, unless released
the disc has merely the status of an identity
mark. In most images mace is represented as laid along the ground; when
represented as reclining mace is represented as lying close-by.

Standing or reclining Vishnu essentially pervades the cosmos by his

presence

The Vaishnava tradition perceives Vishnu pervading the cosmos by

his presence. Accordingly, his images are conceived either as
vertical, that is, stretching from the earth into the space – a standing
posture;
or lying fully stretched horizontally,
that is, reclining. In some Shilpa-
shashtra traditions the standing
posture is known as ‘khadgasana’,
and reclining, as ‘sayanasana’.

His ‘khadgasana’ images are usually in three

modes; one with his right foot moved forward
represents him in a commander’s disposition ready
to rush for protecting a devotee in crisis or redeem
him from some calamity. In such images his normal
right hand is held in ‘abhaya’-granting posture.
Sanctum images of Chaturbhuja, a form of Vishnu
so named for being four-armed, are as a rule in
‘khadgasana’. In such images the primary focus is
on his four arms, attributes carried in them and his
majesty. As Narayana with Lakshmi in his Lakshmi-
Narayana manifestation also he is represented in
standing position. His sanctum images are by and
large as Narayana enshrining a sanctum with
Lakshmi. Such images are essentially Chaturbhuja.

Vishnu’s ‘sayanasana’ image pervades

the cosmos horizontally. He is
represented as reclining over the coils of
the great serpent Shesh that symbolizes
earth. Kshirasagara – the ocean of milk,
is the abode of the great serpent. As the
Devi Bhagawata has it, while upholding
the earth on its hood the great serpent
breathes out milk like substance which
transforms the oceans’ water into milk
and thus the Kshirasagara. Vishnu
preferred Kshirasagara for his abode.
Thus, covering the ocean from one end
to other he is symbolically represented
as commanding, and thus guarding, the entire existence – the ocean and the earth.
Further, the great serpent is represented as unfurling its five hooded head, like an
umbrella or royal canopy, over the head of reclining Vishnu. In a ‘sayanasana’
image Vishnu reclines but does not sleep; as in the commander’s disposition fully
alert he is always ready to rush to protect a devotee.

An essential component of a ‘sayanasana’ image Lakshmi, the

goddess of riches and well-being, serves him by massaging his
feet. She symbolizes means by which Vishnu sustains life and
promotes well-being, that in the Trinity of Gods he represents.
Another usual feature of ‘sayanasana’ image is the lotus rising
from his navel with Brahma, another Trinity God – the Creator,
mounting it. The lotus is symbolic of Creation. Despite such
great symbolism a ‘sayanasana’ image rarely enshrines a
sanctum. Instead, Vishnu’s ‘sayanasana’ images are carved,
most of them in relief, on the outer walls of many early temples
its earliest known example being the Gupta period Dasavatara
temple at Deogarh in Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh. In South
Indian iconographic tradition, as Balaji or Venkateshwara,
images of Vishnu are quite differently conceived.

Some other forms of his image

Besides these two regular forms,

one, manifesting his active aspect,
while the other, his auspicious
presence, Vishnu is also
represented in Yogasana – seated
position. Though his Yogasana images are rare, they are not unknown to his
iconographic tradition. This form is known as Yoga-murti, that is, engaged in ‘yoga’.
One such Yoga-murti image enshrines the known Badrinatha shrine, one of the four
pilgrimage sites in Himalayan hills in Uttarakhand. Vishnu’s ten incarnations, though
the number of his incarnations varies from ten to many thousands, constitute
another significant group of his imagery. Besides temples like the Gupta temple at
Deogarh in Lalitpur district that are constructed on Dasavatara theme and have
large size icons of Vishnu’s ten incarnations many early temples have the panels of
Dasavatara imagery on the lintel of the main entrance.

These ten incarnations are Great Fish, Kurma, Boar, Narasimha –

half man and half lion, Vamana, the dwarf, Parasurama, Rama,
Krishna, Balarama – sometimes Buddha, and Kalki, the first three,
animals, fourth, man-animal combine, next five, human beings,
and the last, yet to emerge. In iconographic tradition among the
first three animal forms Boar has, such as at Vidisha and
Khajuraho, large size independent statues with independent
shrines.
Narasimha images enshrine a larger number of sanctums and
are also worshipped.

Vamana imagery, usually as Tri-vikrama pushing Mahabali

into nether world, adorns outer walls of many early temples.

Images of Rama and Krishna are more popular than Vishnu who they incarnate.
There are millions of shrines world over dedicated to them. Images of Balarama and
those of Buddha as one of Vishnu’s incarnations are hardly seen.

Vaikuntha-Bhairava : extension of incarnation-cult and some

other forms of image

His manifestation as Vaikuntha-Bhairava is perhaps the

condensation of his ten incarnation form – a form cohesive and
absolute encompassing man, animal and animal-man combine.
Vaikuntha-Bhairava has three faces, one in the centre being a
human face, on the right, half lion half man, and on the left, a
boar’s face. Literally too the term ‘Vishnu-Vaikuntha’ means
‘Vishnu Samagra’ – absolute. Not illustrative of a myth Vishnu-
Vaikuntha relates to the principle of Vishnu’s cosmic breadth,
his ability to expand and be inclusive.
 On the same principle as Vishnu-Vaikuntha the iconographic
tradition has visualized Vishnu’s cosmic form representing his
totality. Such image perceives him with sixteen arms and eleven
faces : besides his own face enshrining great majesty and aura in
the centre the image has five faces on either side. Usually such
faces are Bhragu, Narsimha, Ganesha, Rama, Shiva, Balarama,
Hanuman, Yama, Parashurama and a human being, often a
saint. Besides the normal right and left held in ‘abhay’ and ‘varad’
the other of the fourteen hands hold various divine weapons.

Harihara, a form in which he shares with Shiva half of the

body,

and yet another, in which he shares half of his

body with Laksmi, a Vaishnava vision of
Ardhanarishwara and a far rarer concept of
his image, are also seen in Vishnu’s imagery.
Representation of some of Vishnu’s exploits

Puranas have woven around Vishnu

innumerable legends that portray the image
of Vishnu as protector and savior in crisis.
This image which is now the people’s image
of Vishnu quite often reveals in art, specially
painting, does not as emphatically reveal in
his sanctum or temple sculptures. Apart his
independent image in ‘sayanasana’ or
‘khadgasana’, or even as Narayana, alone
or with Lakshmi, legends like subduing Bali
or Mahabali as Tri-vikrama, or redemption
of elephant, also figure in stone-reliefs more
often on the walls of some early temples besides in a number of miniatures. Now
and then he is also seen with Sridevi and Bhudevi. However, many of Vishnu’s
legends, such as rescuing his devotee Dhruv … or his exploits against various evil
powers, mainly the elimination of Hayagriva, Madhu and Kaitabha, Andhaka,
Vritrasura, Nemi, Sumali, Malyavan and many others constitute the theme only of
some miniatures or painted walls in temples.

Garuda, Vishnu’s mount

The great bird Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, is an

essential element of Vaishnava imagery. Garuda-dwaja
– a column with an icon of Garuda atop it, is the
essential identity of a Vaishnava temple. Some
Vaishnava states, especially in Rajasthan such as
Kota, have Garuda as their state’s official logo. A few
most beautiful miniatures also portray Garuda, a
couple of them the bird’s portrait while some with
Vishnu rushing to protect a devotee riding on the bird
and a few other with Lakshmi and Vishnu riding it.

Basically a bird Garuda is seen for ages as Vishnu’s ardent

devotee, a learned human being and an auspicious presence,
and in iconographic tradition often conceived with a man’s face,
anatomy, ornaments and ensemble. The Puranas are replete
with tales of Garuda’s divine exploits.

This article by P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet

For Further Reference:
• Rig-Veda Samhita: ed F. Maxmuller; English translation by H Wilson, Poona
• Shatpatha Brahmana: ed by Albert Waver, Leipzig
• Etareya Brahman: Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Taittiriya Samhita: Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Taittiriya Brahman: Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Linga Purana: Poona
• Matsya Purana: Poona
• Mahabharata: Gita Press, Gorakhpur; Critical Edition, Poona; English
translation by Pratap Chandra Rai, Calcutta.
• Valmiki Ramayana: Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
• Padmapurana : Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
• Bhagavata Purana: Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
• Vishnupurana: Bombay; Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
• Harivansha Purana: Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Vayu Purana: Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• P. C. Jain & Usha Bhatia: The Magic of Indian Miniatures
• Dr. Daljeet & P. C. Jain: Krishna : Raga se Viraga Tak
• Suvira Jaiswal: Origins and Development of Vaishnavism
• D. O. Flaherty: Hindu Myths
• Veronica Ions: Indian Mythology
• Devdatta Pattanaik: Vishnu