Shri Sheshanarayana, Vishnu Narayana on Shesha

India

Not on view

This print depicts Vishnu Narayana— the primordial god who resides in water (nara)—stirring from his slumber on the cosmic ocean supported by the divine serpent Shesha, a celebrated moment that marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of a new age. Here Vishnu is accompanied by an assembly of gods, including his wife Lakshmi (left) and two divine devotees (right), a kneeling Garuda, and the ancient sage Narada, who is here likely modeled on the Vaishnava saint Tyagaraja (1767–1847), a celebrated devotee (bhakta) famed for the songs he composed in praise of Vishnu.

Shri Sheshanarayana, Vishnu Narayana on Shesha, Chromolithographic print on paper, India

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.