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Vishvarupa (), also spelt as Vishwaroopa and known as Virāḍrūpa, is an iconographical form and theophany of a Hindu deity Vishnu in contemporary Hinduism. Though there are multiple Vishvarupa theophanies, the most celebrated is in the Bhagavad Gita, given by Krishna in the epic Mahabharata, which was shown to Pandava prince Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the Kurukshetra War between the and . Vishvarupa is considered the supreme form of Vishnu, where the whole universe is described as contained within him.
Vishvarupa has innumerable forms, eyes, faces, mouths and arms. All creatures of the universe are part of him. He is the infinite universe, without a beginning or an end. He contains peaceful as well as wrathful forms. Unable to bear the scale of the sight and gripped with fear, Arjuna requests Krishna to return to his four-armed Vishnu form, which he can bear to see.Srinivasan pp. 20–1 Fully encouraged by the teachings and darshan of Krishna in his full form, Arjuna continues the Mahabharata War.
The other theophany of Vishnu (Narayana) is revealed to the divine sage Narada. The theophany is called Vishvamurti. The god has a thousand eyes, a hundred heads, a thousand feet, a thousand bellies, a thousand arms and several mouths. He holds weapons as well as attributes of an ascetic like sacrificial fire, a staff, a kamandalu (water pot).Srinivasan p. 136
Another theophany in the Mahabharata is of a Vaishnava (related to Vishnu or Krishna) form. It misses the multiple body parts of Vishvarupa, but conveys the vastness and cosmic nature of the deity. His head covers the sky. His two feet cover all ground. His two arms encompass the horizontal space. His belly occupies the reattaining space in the universe.
Vishvarupa is also used in the context of Vishnu's "dwarf" avatar, Vamana in another part in the Harivamsa. Vamana, arrives at the asura king Mahabali's sacrifice as a dwarf Brahmin boy and asks for three steps of land as donation. Where the promise is given, Vamana transforms into his Vishvarupa, containing various deities in his body. The Sun and the Moon are his eyes. The Earth his feet and heaven is his head. Various deities; celestial beings like Vasus, Maruts, Ashvins, Yakshas, Gandharvas, ; Vedas and sacrifices are contained in his body. With two of his strides, he gains heaven and Earth and places the third on Bali's head, who accepts his mastership. Bali is then pushed to the realm of Patala (underworld).
Then, Vishvarupa is revealed in the Bhagavad Gita and then the Puranas in connection to Vishnu-Krishna. However, these literary sources do not detail the iconography of Vishvarupa.Howard p. 60 The Bhagavad Gita may be inspired by the description of Purusha as thousand-headed, thousand-eyed and thousand-footed or a cosmic Vishnu ("creator of the universe").Srinivasan pp. 20-1, 134
Vishvarupa is mentioned as Vishnu's avatar in Pañcaratra texts like the Satvata Samhita and the Ahirbudhnya Samhita (which mention 39 avatars) as well as the Vishnudharmottara Purana, that mentions 14 avatars.
Vishvarupa is also interpreted as "the story of evolution", as the individual evolves in this world doing more and more with time. The Vishvarupa is a cosmic representation of gods and goddesses, sages and asuras, good and the bad as we perceive in our own particular perspective of existence in this world.
Vishvarupa becomes crystallized as an icon in the early Vishnu cult by the time of (6th century CE). The first known image of Vishvarupa is a Gupta stone image from the Mathura school, found in Bhankari, Angarh district, dated c. 430-60 CE. The Gupta sculptor is inspired by the Bhagavad Gita description. Visvarupa has three heads: a human (centre), a lion (the head of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu) and a boar (the head of Varaha, the boar avatar of Vishnu) and four arms. Multiple beings and Vishnu's various avatars emerge from the main figure, accompanying half of the 38 cm (high) X 47 cm (wide) stela. Another early image (70 cm high) is present in the Changu Narayan temple, Nepal, dated 5th-6th century. The central image is ten-headed and ten-armed and is surrounded by the three regions of Hindu cosmology, Svarga (heavenly realms, upper portion of the stone relief), Prithvi (the earth, the middle) and Patala (the underworld, the bottom) and corresponding beings gods, humans and animals and nagas and spirits respectively. The figures on his right are demonic while on the left are divine, representing the dichotomy of his form. A similar early image is also found at and the Varaha Temple, Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh.Howard pp. 60-1 A 5th century Garhwa image shows Vishvarupa with six arms and three visible heads: a horse (centre, Hayagriva-avatar of Vishnu), a lion and a boar. Possibly a fourth head existed which popped up from the horse head. An aureole of human head surround the central heads. Flames emitting from the figure, illustrating its blazing nature as described by Arjuna.Srinivasan p. 138 Three Vishvarupa icons from Shamalaji, Gujarat dated sixth century have three visible animal heads and eight arms, with a band of beings emanating from the upper part of the deity forming an aureole. Unlike other icons which are in standing position, the Shamalaji icons are in a crouching position, as though giving birth and is similar to icons of birth-giving mother goddesses in posture. The posture may convey the idea that he is giving birth to the beings radiating from him, though none of them are near his lower area.Srinivasan pp. 138-40
Another iconography prescribes that Vishvarupa be depicted with four faces: male (front, east), lion/Narasimha (south), boar/Varaha (north) and woman (back/west). He should ride his Garuda. He has twenty arms: a left and right arm outstretched in pataka-hasta and another pair in yoga-mudra pose. The other fourteen hold hala (plough), shankha (conch), vajra (thunderbolt), ankusha (goad), arrow, sudarshana chakra, a lime fruit, danda (staff), pasha (noose), gada (mace), sword, lotus, horn, musala (pestle), akshamala (rosary). A hand is held in varada mudra (boon-giving gesture).
In the Bhagavata Purana, another description of this cosmic form is given by Shuka to Parikshit. This form is known as Vairājaḥ Puruṣaḥ. This cosmic form is described as having the sole of his feet as patāla, his heels and toes as rasātala, ankles form the mahātala, while his shanks are talātala, sutāla is the knees, lower part of thigh is vitala and the upper part is atala. The earth ( bhuloka) is his hips and the navel vault is the sky ( bhuvarloka). His chest is the svargaloka, with stars. His neck is maharloka, his mouth the janaloka, his forehead the tapaloka and his head the satyaloka, abode of Brahma.Motilal Bansaridas Publishers Bhagavata Purana, Book 1 Skandha II 156-157
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