Vishnu is the god in the Hindu trinity endowed with the task of sustaining the universe. He is described as savior of the Dharma, righteousness, the earth and the universe. His ten incarnations are well known in Hindu mythology and form the subject matter of this painting.
The first panel shows Vishnu in his Matsya avatara. Matsya in Sanskrit means fish. He is depicted here as emerging out of a fish. In his this incarnation he is said to have killed the demon Hayagriva who had stolen the Vedas. He is shown holding a lotus bud, conch and chakra in his hands.
In Kurmavtara (tortoise), the second panel, Vishnu is said to have helped the gods in churning of the ocean for nectar. It is said that Vishnu beheaded the demon Rahu, when he wanted to drink the nectar. The tortoise is depicted as the lower portion of the body, while the upper half is in human form with four hands.
In his Varaha avatar, Vishnu is said to have killed the demon Hiranyaksha in order to free the world from disaster. It depicts Vishnu with the face of a boar in the standing posture. the upper two hands are holding a shankha and a chakra respectively.
The brother of Hiranyaksha was Hirinyakashyapa, the father of Prahlada. Hirinyakashyapa was killed by Vishnu in his Narasimha avatara. This avatar is shown in the fourth panel.
The fifth panel shows Vishnu as a small Brahmin boy named Vamana. He is said to have regained the three worlds and restored them to their rightful protector. Vamana is shown as a mendicant holding a kamandala in one hand and umbrella in the other.
Next is Parashurama. It is said that the Kamadhenu cow of Parashurama's father was abducted by the king and Parashurama killed him to rescue the cow. Parashurama the sixth avatara of Vishnu is shown his battle axe in his raised right hand. He is shown with a long beard and knotted long hair.
Next Lord Rama is depicted with a bow and arrow. He is seated with a raised hand in abhaya mudra. Vishnu is said to have reincarnated as Rama to end the terror created by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Ravana carried away Rama's chaste wife Sita, consequently Rama killed Ravana, and rescued her.
Then follows his avatara as Balarama. As Balarama he is shown holding a plough over his shoulder. In some texts, Buddha is considered the eighth avatara, though this is an area of controversy.
The ninth avatara of Vishnu, that of Krishna, is considered to be the most important incarnation of Vishnu. Painted in blue, his upper two hands hold a shankha and chakra in each and a club in the lower left hand. His lower right hand is in the abhaya mudra. In the battle between the Kaurava's and the Pandava's, he was with the latter, because they followed the path of righteousness.
According to the Puranas, the Kalki incarnation will take place towards the end of Kaliyuga. It is said that he will be riding a white horse named Devaduta. The horse is depicted with an umbrella over its back. Kalki is shown with four hands in a standing posture.
This description by Renu Rana.
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist