This must be one of the most beautiful sculptures I have seen of Anantha-shayana - Vishnu reclining on the 'endless' serpent, Anantha.
One of the largest of these Ananthashayana sculptures is at the Padmanabha-Swami temple in Thiruvananthapuram, a city which itself is named after the deity. At the sanctum of this temple, the reclining Vishnu is so large that he needs to viewed through three separate doors that open into a dark, mysterious looking chamber lit by oil lamps.
This particular sculpture is much smaller and it is carved on the outer walls of the Dashavatara Temple temple located, surprisingly, in Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh. Surprising because - thanks to the ravages of the Islamic period - it is difficult to find any sculptures with their noses and limbs intact in all of North India.
Built on the banks of the Betwa river, bordering Madhya Pradesh, this lovely little temple built by the Gupta dynasty around 500 CE, is now in ruins. For some reason, this particular panel is mostly intact.
On the foreground are six standing figures. Three to the left are armed male warriors displaying their heavy swords - heavy, broad-tipped battle swords drawn for action. However the remaining three are unarmed, an look completely relaxed. The lone woman on the extreme right has an elaborate hair-do and seems to to be striking a pose, waving to the onlooker.
Above them is Vishnu reclining on the Anantha serpent, looking serious and meditative on his lotus-bed. His consort is gently holding up his ankle while she delicately tweeks his toe. Behind her is Shiva with a cobra wrapped around his neck like a muffler. A lady with a scar on her left breast, stands next to him with a mace (or is it a musical instrument?). On the top-most panel are six smaller figures, all seated on something or the other - a bird (swan or peacock), an elephant, a lotus bloom, a bull (seats two) and an unknown guy trailing along.
Who are these gods? Why is Brahmna depicted here in deep meditation on a lotus, with what seems like the carcass of a cow on his shoulder and chest??
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REFERENCES & LINKS
Deogarh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deogarh,_Uttar_Pradesh
Ananthashayana Vishnu - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anantashayana_Vishnu
