Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/72

52 description of Vishnu, which comes very near to what has been depicted above- It says : " The god of gods sleeps on the serpent. One of his legs lies on the thigh of Lakshmī, while the other is placed on the body of the serpent. He has two hands, one of which is stretched along the right thigh and the other is placed over his head. Brahmā is comfortably seated on the lotus which springs from the navel of Vishnu. Entangled in the stem of the lotus stand the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. The symbols of the god, viz., the conch, discus, club and lotus are all represented about him, each assuming a body." A similar description is given by Hēmādri under the term Jalasayana.

God Vishnu seated comfortably on the serpent couch is Vaikuntha-Nārāyana (fig. 33). The left leg is stretched down and the right is bent at the knee ; the left hand rests on the knee-joint, while the right hand rests carelessly thrown back on the head of the serpent ; the two back hands hold the weapons sankha and chakra. The image is decorated with jewels and by its side are his consorts Lakshmī and Prithvī.

Lakshmī-Nārāyana is another of Vishnu's seated forms where, to the left of the god, by his side or sometimes on his thigh, is found seated the image of Lakshmī throwing her right hand round the neck of the god while she holds in her left a lotus. The left hand of Vishnu similarly passes round the waist of Lakshmī. A female deity called Siddhi stands near, with a fly-whisk in her hand. The vehicle Garuda is on the right side at the foot of the god. The sankha and chakra not being held by the god are carried by two dwarf male figures standing in front of him ; Brahmā and Siva also stand by, worshipping Vishnu with folded hands (fig. 34).