Varaha ascending from the Cosmic Ocean

Varaha stands with raised left foot resting on a large lotus flower, beneath which sit a naga and nagini, male and female snake divinities. The right foot is placed on the back of a tortoise, emblematic of the Universe. Of the four arms, one rests on the right hip, the other three hold the symbols of Visnu, the mace (gada), conch shell (sangka) and discus (cakra). On his left elbow Varaha supports the diminutive figure of the earth goddess who gazes at him with hands pressed together in adoration (anjali) and in acknowledgement of her deliverance. Above Varaha’s boar-head is an inverted lotus-leaf, serving both as an honorific umbrella and as an indication of their emergence from the depths of the ocean. Flanking the lotus-halo are the seated figures of Brahma (left) and Siva (right). Midway, two worshippers are seated on lotuses and at the bottom are personifications (ayudapurushas) of Visnu’s conch and discus attributes.