Chakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of Vishnu

Chakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of Vishnu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Early in the evolution of Hindu iconography, a convention emerged of representing the weapons of the gods as minor deities in human form. The ayudya-purusha (weapon-man) anthropomorphic forms evolved uniquely in South India as freestanding icons, worthy of worship independent of their source deity—in this case, Vishnu. This personified weapon is thus revered as an ansa, a partial incarnation of the god himself.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of VishnuChakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of VishnuChakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of VishnuChakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of VishnuChakra-Purusha, the Personified Discus Weapon of Vishnu

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.