The ten-armed avatar of Vishnu, his lion’s face with fierce expression, bulging round eyes, raised eyebrows, flaring nostrils and snarling mouth with bared fangs and protruding tongue. The arched openwork stele carved at the apex with images of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva flanked by a pair of garland bearing apsaras, below which appear vyalas standing on elephant backs, and a host of attendant figures at the feet of the deity one of which supports his left foot.

Private American Collection

Narasimha is the fourth avatar of Vishnu within a series of ten. The present example refers to the story of the demon-king Hiranyakashipu, who was both omnipotent and immortal, having b🦩een empowered by the gods so that he could be killed by neither man nor animal, by night or day, neither on earth nor in water. Vishnu assumes the form of the ferocious lion-headed Narasimha (neither man nor animal), and at twilight (neither by night nor day), surprises🉐 the king at his palace. Placing Hiranyakashipu over his knee (neither earth nor water) he tears him apart with his bare claws.