Viswaroopa
The Supreme Form of Lord Vishnu (of the Hindu trinity of Gods) in a 19th century Deccani painting.
Lord Vishnu's Viswaroopa (1800/1899)Salar Jung Museum
Viswaroopa
Krishna reveals his Viswaroopa form to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the Bhagavad Gita (part of the epic Mahabharata). This cosmic representation of Lord Vishnu is depicted with flames emerging from his mouth, devouring evil.
This cosmic representation of Lord Vishnu is depicted with flames emerging from his mouth, devouring evil.
Symbols of Lord Vishnu
The Viswaroopa icon on the battlefield of Kurukshetra holds symbolic objects in his right hands: Sudarshan chakra (discus), shankha (conch),nandaka (sword), padma (lotus), and gada (mace) ...
... the left hands hold other weapons like spear, sword and a chakra (discus).
A divine manifestation
Different Gods and Goddesses are part of his Supreme Being which embodies a powerful, all-encompassing divine manifestation ...
... which includes animals, sages, the Pandavas and Kauravas, representing a unified universe.
Arjuna's prayer
Overwhelmed by the Viswaroopa, Arjuna prays for Krishna to return to his original form and agrees to fight in the Kurukshetra battle.
Text and Curation: Soma Ghosh
Photography: M. Krishnamurthy and Bahadur Ali
Research Assistance: Dinesh Singh and E. Rajesh
Special thanks to : Ms. Priyanka Mary Francis, IAS, Director, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India and Dr. B. Naik, Curator, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
References -
https://www.wisdomlib.org/concept/viswaroopa#google_vignette (acessed on 18.03.2026)
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