Navagunjara in Mata ni Pachedi by Vasant Manubhai Chittara

This Mata Ni Pachedi painting by Vasant Manubhai Chittara depicts the extraordinary Navagunjara, a composite creature that is considered a manifestation of Lord Krishna. In the Mahabharata, specifically the Odia version by Sarala Das, Krishna takes this form to test Arjuna's perception of the divine, proving that the supreme reality can encompass all aspects of the natural world simultaneously.

The Navagunjara is named for its composition of nine different animals, each rendered here with the characteristic pen-work (kalam) of the Mata ni Pachedi tradition. The creature features the head of a rooster, the neck of a peacock, and the hump of a bull. Its body is a complex fusion of a lion's waist and four distinct legs: the front legs are those of an elephant and a human (carrying a dhaja or sacred flag), while the hind legs are those of a tiger and a deer. A snake serves as the creature's tail, completing this cosmic assembly. Each section is filled with minute dots and fine linear patterns, giving the figure a vibrating, spiritual texture against the deep indigo background.

In the narrative, when Arjuna first encountered this beast on the hill of Manibhadra, he initially raised his bow in fear. However, upon seeing the creature holding a lotus (represented here as a sacred flag or dhaja), he realized it was a divine illusion (maya) of Krishna and bowed in devotion. Vasant Manubhai Chittara captures this moment of "universal self" through a bold color palette of yellow, white, and indigo, framed by a simple yet striking yellow border. The painting serves as a visual metaphor for the unity of all living beings within the singular essence of the divine.

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