Indian god Vishnu is surrounded by elephants, lotus blossoms, and celestial creatures. Everything around is creeping, moving, waving; even his jewels that fall from her neck almost to his feet. All of them vibrate around him like in a cosmic primitive dance under his halo. He, in the middle of all that turmoil, remains calm, quiet, full of grace with his eyes almost closed in the middle of the room, illuminated by a couple of spotlights at the Harn Museum gallery for Asian art. He (it could be a She too, gods are beyond sex, somehow) is in his Trivikrama manifestation; what means “Three Steps”: he cleared the Sky, the Earth and the Lower World. “Vitality is a great word, Jason Steuber, Cofrin Curator of Asian Art of the Museum, explains, “I might steal it from you, because you can feel this energy that is in this piece and wants to get out.” Actually although it is made of stone, phyllite, to be more accurate, the sculpture looks like it was made of liquid, almost flowing, like black mercury.

This shocking piece of Indian art, that comes from the Bengala province, is one of the highlights of the Asian collection at the Gainesville museum. It was crafted in the Pala period, more or less in the 12th century and its nature is so winding, so complex, so powerful that it is impossible not to feel immersed in it. His particular mudra, or hand gesture, the big lotus under his feet, the crown and the big size make the experts think that it had a pre-eminent place in a temple. His four arms, in words of Mr. Steuber mean that “He is helpful in many ways and harmful in many ways, he has so much power that he is endless, superhuman, timeless, priceless, powerful.” So powerful that he can control the naga, or monster that live in the sea and eat whoever that crosses its possessions, just like the ones that Europeans draw in their maps five hundred years ago. To his right we can find Laksmi, with a flywhisk, and Saravasti, with a string instrument, both of them vibrating under her arms, curved, twisted but serene at the same time; looking to your eyes with a smile, windless and moving in the chaos.