Vishnu as the eternal (Ananta) Lord of the Universe manifests in the form of Ranganatha- the Lord of the World Stage. A paradox is seen in the ever-active presence of Vishnu in the world and the depiction of Ranganatha, reclining on the bed of Adi-shesha. This difference suggests that even in Yoga-Nidra (cosmic sleep), Vishnu is Jaagrita (awake) and omnipresent- a beautiful remembrance of the nature of the divine, beyond the dichotomy of the human realm.
In this antique bronze state, Sri Ranganatha lies on the coils of his divine serpent, adorned marvelously, in his Chaturbhuja or four-armed form, his lotus feet on a lotus sprouting from the coils of the serpent. From his Naabhi or navel, a Kamala or lotus emerges, with Lord Brahma enthroned on it. This imagery evokes the moments of creation according to Hindu legends, which describe the birth of Brahma from Vishnu.
While creating the creator, Vishnu lies in supreme stillness, yet with a sacred liveliness in his expressions. A triangle on his right chest, the Srivatsa, symbolizes goddess Sri Lakshmi, who resides in Sri Hari, eternally pleased by his divine activity and empowering his cosmic play.
There are three elements that remark the brilliance of this ‘panchaloha’ bronze image, that is, the Adishesha world serpent, Ranganatha, and Brahma. What binds them all together – cosmic time. Ranganatha’s iconic image of rest – most famously witnessed as being the chief deity at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam – is presented in the tenets of the Chola bronze lost wax method, or the ‘madhuchista vidhana’ fashion. Ranganatha is poised supine against the raised hood of Adishesha, one of the most devout primordial beings associated with Vishnu and Vaishnavism.
Adishesha’s coiled body, on which rests Ranganatha, is representative of the circular motion of time. Ranganatha’s recumbent posture is witnessed during the great ‘pralaya’ or dissolution, stopping the motion of time of the three worlds of Bhurloka, Buvarloka, and Svarloka. It is in such a moment of fervent activity that Brahma is said to have come into existence, emanating from Ranganatha’s relaxed navel, and with his existence begins the next cycle of time, for he is the supreme creator of the universe and its materiality.
Ranganatha’s moment of rest and relaxation presents him in a blissful manner, and this is captured in the smiling sentiment the lord exhibits. His four-armed form manifests the common attributes of Vishnu – the ‘shankh,’ the ‘sudarshana chakra’ or war discus, and his front right hand is poised in the ‘abhaya mudra’ while the left one is pendent over his leg. Ranganatha’s feet are pedestalised over a lotus, denoting the aniconic presence of Lakshmi, also known as Ranganayaki.
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