PaintingsIndian17th century

Vishnu Saves Gajendra, the Elephant King, from the Crocodile Demon (painting, recto), illustration of the Gajendra Moksha (The Liberation of the Elephant King Gajendra) chapter from the Bhagavata Purana

c. 1640

Description

The painting depicts Vishnu slaying a monster to free the embattled King of the Elephants. Vishnu came down to earth to protect Gajendra, the elephant king, from the clutches of a crocodile, Makara or Huhu. Here the blue-skinned Hindu god, Vishnu, is seen flying on his vehicle, Garuda, the eagle. His discus weapon, the Sudarshana chakra, has slain the crocodile who had captured the Elephant King, Gajendra. Gajendra breaks from the shackles of the crocodile demon and offers Vishnu a lotus as his homage. In the upper register, we see multiple Vishnu seated in small vignettes alongside birds like the peacock. With Vishnu's help, Gajendra achieved moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. This story appears in the eighth book of the Bhagavata Purana, which contains stories related to the various avatars of Vishnu (one of the three principal deities of Hinduism). Rajput, Rajasthani.

Classification

Paintings

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Culture

Indian

Century

17th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

30.5 x 20.8 cm (12 x 8 3/16 in.)

Provenance

Stuart Cary Welch (by 1983 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum. Notes: Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1983.