2-737-652 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Personification of the Discus, 670. Vishnu's main weapon is the discus, or chakra in Sanskrit. Vishnu's chakra is a wheel that is a metaphor for true knowledge, which he uses in mythic battles to slice demons who stand for ignorance and self-centered arrogance. Iconic images of Vishnu show him as four-armed, with a discus in one hand; sometimes the discus is personified. This personification, with the chakra behind his head, has broken away from the main image of Vishnu. Stylistically this sculpture retains memories of the Gupta styles, with the lush ringlets of hair curling from a central part, the relatively simple adornments, and the soft contours of the body. The exaggerated facial expression and figural proportions indicate a transition to a later period.