Among the supreme beings of Hinduism Vishnu no doubt best sums up the benevolent characteristics of the divine, those that in many respects are closer to the human dimension, even if the distance is not always easily filled. Indian art manages to express this attitude without ever separating it from the evocation of the unfathomable mystery of the godhead. In this stele the smile the artist has infused into the god�s face, self-absorbed and contained, but nevertheless transmitting an infinite serenity, seems to immediately promise to the beholder the peace and security granted to those who have faith in him. The composed, meditative stance mirrors the good and perfect order governing the universe, the dharma Vishnu is in charge of. After all, Vishnu is the great Saviour who, with his �descents� (avataras), redeems the world from recurring, serious crises. The stele refers to this by depicting in its upper portion some of these extraordinary manifestations: we recognise the cosmic Boar (Varaha), the Man-lion (Narasimha) and at the centre even the Buddha, the prophet of an ancient heresy which Hinduism has thus absorbed into its fold. But the gift of stability, or lack of perturbation that Vishnu grants to men is not possible without him displaying all his might. Beyond the smile, beyond the diagram�as it were�of his posture, is this immense strength that seems to emanate, in the final analysis, from the god�s image�a total reassurance for the faithful, but also a memento of the need for unconditional submission to Him.