Vishnu Liberating the Elephant Gajendra
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.In the ancient myth of Gajendramoksha, first told in the eighth book of the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu descends to liberate the elephant Gajendra, a devotee, shown here ensnared by vines in a lotus pond (a deviation from the standard iconography, in which a crocodile attacks the hapless elephant). After Gajendra pleads for intervention from Vishnu, who instantly liberates him, he attains moksha (spiritual release from rebirth) and accompanies the god to his celestial abode of Vaikuntha. The Kangra artist has evoked the warmth of pure devotion (bhakti).
Artwork Details
- Title: Vishnu Liberating the Elephant Gajendra
- Date: 1820–30
- Culture: India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra
- Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 10 1/16 × 11 13/16 in. (25.6 × 30 cm)
Framed: 14 5/8 × 15 3/4 × 1 1/8 in. (37.1 × 40 × 2.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Howard Hodgkin Collection, on loan from the Howard Hodgkin Indian Collection Trust
- Object Number: L.2022.30.28
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art