This artwork depicts the Hindu legend of Lord Vishnu offering his eye to Lord Shiva in place of a missing lotus flower.
* The Devotion and Purpose: To obtain the powerful divine weapon, the Sudarshana Chakra, to defeat powerful demons (asuras), Vishnu decided to worship Shiva by chanting his thousand names and offering one fresh lotus for each name (1,000 lotuses in total).
* The Test: To test Vishnu’s devotion, Shiva secretly hid the 1,000th lotus flower.
* The Offering: Upon reaching the final name and discovering the flower was missing, Vishnu remembered that he is often called Kamalanayana or Padmaksha (“the lotus-eyed one”). Without hesitation, he plucked out his own right eye to offer it to the Shiva Lingam and complete the ritual.
* The Outcome: Moved by Vishnu’s supreme devotion and sacrifice, Shiva appeared before him, restored his eyesight, and bestowed upon him the Sudarshana Chakra.