Varaha Triumphant

Here, Varaha (an avatar of Vishnu) sits triumphantly on a rocky mountaintop while being venerated by the major Hindu gods. The form above his tusks is the world (bhu) together with the sun and moon, which he rescued from the cosmic waters after defeating the evil demon Hiranyaksha; the demon’s body lies in the foreground. This rendering of the subject is unusal as artists typically chose to represent the moment when Varaha raised the earth above the cosmic waters.

Ink and ink wash on paper

Overview

Creator :

Anonymous

Collection :

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Date :

late 18th century

Rights :

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