hinducosmos: Vishnu reclining on Shesha Pahari Hills, possibly Mandi, 19th century.Kapoor Gallerie
hinducosmos: Vishnu reclining on Shesha Pahari Hills, possibly Mandi, 19th century. Kapoor Galleries Inc. wrote : Shown here, the sleeping figure of Vishnu reclines against the king of serpents, Shesha, whose many heads loom protectively above him. With one arm resting loosely across his chest, and another supporting his head, the blue-skinned god appears completely at ease despite the vast tumult of the primordial ocean that surrounds him. His attributes—a gada, a chakra, and a lotus flower–are strewn carelessly beside him as Bhu Devi, the earth goddess, massages his feet to aid in his rest. The lotus, which rises from the muck into full bloom, has often been used in Hindu art as a symbol of transcendence. Here it becomes a sort of reversed umbilical cord, stemming from the navel of the creator to his offspring, Brahma, representing the birth of a new world. The fact that Vishnu creates the world in his sleep implies that everything we experience is merely Vishnu’s dream (Cummins, 102–103). (via Instagram: Kapoor Galleries Inc.) -- source link