Harvard Art Museums > 2009.202.236: Vishnu Saves Gajendra, the Elephant King, from the Crocodile Demon (painting, recto), illustration of the Gajendra Moksha (The Liberation of the Elephant King Gajendra) chapter from the Bhagavata Purana Paintings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Vishnu Saves Gajendra, the Elephant King, from the Crocodile Demon (painting, recto), illustration of the Gajendra Moksha (The Liberation of the Elephant King Gajendra) chapter from the Bhagavata Purana , 2009.202.236,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/217220. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2009.202.236 Title Vishnu Saves Gajendra, the Elephant King, from the Crocodile Demon (painting, recto), illustration of the Gajendra Moksha (The Liberation of the Elephant King Gajendra) chapter from the Bhagavata Purana Other Titles Alternate Title: Vishnu Saves the King of the Elephants Classification Paintings Work Type painting Date c. 1640 Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/217220 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper Dimensions 30.5 x 20.8 cm (12 x 8 3/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Stuart Cary Welch (by 1983 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum. Notes: Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1983. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Stuart Cary Welch Collection, Gift of Edith I. Welch in memory of Stuart Cary Welch Accession Year 2009 Object Number 2009.202.236 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description The painting depicts Vishnu slaying a monster to free the embattled King of the Elephants. Vishnu came down to earth to protect Gajendra, the elephant king, from the clutches of a crocodile, Makara or Huhu. Here the blue-skinned Hindu god, Vishnu, is seen flying on his vehicle, Garuda, the eagle. His discus weapon, the Sudarshana chakra, has slain the crocodile who had captured the Elephant King, Gajendra. Gajendra breaks from the shackles of the crocodile demon and offers Vishnu a lotus as his homage. In the upper register, we see multiple Vishnu seated in small vignettes alongside birds like the peacock. With Vishnu's help, Gajendra achieved moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. This story appears in the eighth book of the Bhagavata Purana, which contains stories related to the various avatars of Vishnu (one of the three principal deities of Hinduism). Rajput, Rajasthani. Publication History Stuart Cary Welch and Milo Cleveland Beach, Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks Northern Indian Painting from Two Traditions, exh. cat., Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 1965), page 63/figure 13 Exhibition History A Decade of Collecting: Recent Acquisitions of Islamic and Later Indian Art, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 06/08/2000 - 09/03/2000 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
