Navagunjara — The Nine-Animal Divine Form That Made Arjuna Lower His Bow
- sujit panda
- Jul 17
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Indian mythology | Odia culture | Handmade art | 8 min read
There is a moment in the forest.
Arjuna — the greatest archer in the world, a man who has faced gods and demons without flinching — stands completely still. In front of him is a creature unlike anything he has ever seen. Nine animals fused into one form. Neither threatening nor peaceful. Simply vast and undeniable.
He raises his bow. His fingers find the string.
And then, slowly, he puts it down.
What Arjuna saw in that forest is one of the most extraordinary moments in Indian mythology—and one of the least known outside Odisha. It is the story of the Navagunjara. And if you have never heard of it, you are about to understand why it has endured for six centuries in the art, devotion, and cultural memory of an entire people.
Table of Contents
What are the nine animals in Navagunjara?
What is the Mythological Origin of Navagunjara?
The Navagunjara does not appear in the mainstream Sanskrit Mahabharata. This is the first and most important thing to understand about it.
Its origin lies in the Sarala Mahabharata—the 15th-century Odia retelling of the Mahabharata composed by the poet Sarala Das. Written in Old Odia, this is considered the first full retelling of the Mahabharata in any regional Indian language. Sarala Das was a devotee of Goddess Sarala and wrote under divine inspiration—his version of the great epic carries a distinctly Odia sensibility, weaving in stories, characters, and episodes that do not exist in Vyasa's original.
The Navagunjara episode is one of them.
During Arjuna's years of forest exile, he encounters a composite creature—the Navagunjara—while wandering alone. The creature appears before him in a form that defies all natural logic: nine different animals joined into one being, standing before him as if waiting for something.
Arjuna's warrior instinct takes over. He reaches for his bow.
But something stops him. He looks more carefully at the creature. And in its form—in the impossible, irrational, magnificent whole of it—he recognizes the divine. He recognizes Lord Vishnu. He recognizes Krishna.
He lowers his bow. He folds his hands. He bows.
In that single act of recognition and surrender, the entire spiritual message of the Navagunjara story is contained.
What are the nine animals in Navagunjara?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about Navagunjara — and one where different sources disagree slightly, as regional artistic traditions have their own variations. The most widely accepted composition across Pattachitra art and Odia tradition is:
The head of a rooster — representing dawn, alertness, and the call to awareness
The neck of a peacock—associated with beauty, grace, and Lord Krishna himself
The back or hump of a bull (Nandi) — the sacred vehicle of Lord Shiva, representing strength and devotion
The waist of a lion — the vehicle of Goddess Durga, representing courage and power
One leg of a tiger — representing ferocity and the untamed energy of nature
One leg of an elephant — representing wisdom and the grace of Ganesha
One leg of a deer — representing gentleness and the spirit of the forest
One leg of a human being — representing humanity standing among the divine
A snake as the tail — representing the cosmic serpent Shesha, eternity, and the cycle of existence
In one hand—often depicted holding a lotus or wheel—and standing on this impossible combination of forms, the Navagunjara is Vishnu making a point: I am in everything. Every creature. Every form of life. Every force of nature. All of it is me.
The human leg is particularly significant. It places humankind not above nature but alongside it—one leg among eight animal ones, neither dominant nor separate. A quiet, profound statement about our place in creation.
What is the story behind Navagunjara in Indian art?
The Navagunjara story has been inseparable from Odia visual art for centuries—most powerfully through the tradition of Pattachitra.
Pattachitra—from "patta" (cloth) and "chitra" (picture)—is a classical painting tradition from Odisha with roots going back over a thousand years. Traditionally created by artist communities called Chitrakars, Pattachitra paintings were made on specially prepared cloth or dried palm leaves, using natural colours derived from stones, minerals, and organic sources.
The Navagunjara became one of the most beloved subjects in this tradition. Because it is visually extraordinary. Nine animals in one form gives the artist complete freedom—to play with proportion, colour, texture, and composition in ways that a conventional figure never could. Every Chitrakar brings their own interpretation. The rooster's crest might be more elaborate. The peacock's neck is more sinuous. The human leg is placed differently. No two Navagunjara paintings are identical.
Navagunjara sculptures also exist across Odisha—in temple precincts, craft villages, and as standalone devotional objects. The Navagunjara statue in Odisha is most prominently found near the Jagannath Temple in Puri and in the craft village of Raghurajpur—a designated heritage crafts village—where Pattachitra artists have been creating Navagunjara works for generations.
Meaning and Symbolism of Navagunjara in Hinduism
The Navagunjara is not simply a strange creature. It is a philosophical statement made visible.
It is a teaching about the infinite nature of the divine.
Hindu philosophy holds that Brahman—the ultimate reality—is formless and infinite, beyond any single form or name. Yet the divine also takes form to make itself comprehensible to the human mind. The Navagunjara takes this idea to its logical extreme: the divine cannot be contained in any single beautiful form, any single species, any single idea of what is sacred. It contains all of them. Simultaneously.
The nine animals together represent the entire spectrum of existence — the domestic and the wild, the gentle and the fierce, the earthly and the cosmic. The human leg says that we too are part of this. We are not observers of the divine. We are inside it.
It is a teaching about recognition over reaction.
Arjuna's first instinct was to shoot. But something deeper in him paused. He looked. He recognized. He bowed.
This is the spiritual instruction the story carries: before you react, recognise. Before you judge what you do not understand, look more carefully. The divine is in the things that do not fit your categories.
It is a teaching about surrender.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna about surrendering the ego to the divine. The Navagunjara episode dramatizes exactly that. Arjuna—the greatest warrior—surrenders not to defeat but to recognition. He bows not in weakness but in wisdom.
Cultural Significance of Navagunjara in Odia Traditions
In Odisha, the Navagunjara is not obscure mythology. It is living culture.
It appears on the walls of homes, in the designs of sarees, in the carvings of temple doors, and in the work of Pattachitra artists who have been painting it for generations. It is closely connected to Jagannath worship—Lord Jagannath being understood as a complete, all-encompassing form of Vishnu who transcends conventional iconography. The Navagunjara, with its refusal to fit into a single category, resonates deeply with the Jagannath tradition's own embrace of the formless within form.
During Rath Yatra—the great chariot festival of Puri—Navagunjara imagery is prominently displayed and celebrated. For Odia Hindus, it is a symbol of the completeness of the divine and the importance of looking beyond surface appearances to recognize the sacred in unexpected forms.
Can We Keep Navagunjara at Home?
Yes — absolutely, and it is considered auspicious to do so.
The Navagunjara is a divine manifestation of Vishnu. Keeping a Navagunjara painting, Navagunjara sculpture, or Pattachitra artwork at home is considered deeply auspicious in Odia tradition, similar to keeping an image of any deity. It is placed in puja rooms, entryways, and living spaces without restriction.
There is no traditional prohibition on keeping Navagunjara at home. On the contrary, as a symbol of the all-encompassing divine, it is considered a protective and spiritually elevating presence in any space. A Navagunjara statue makes a particularly powerful object for a home altar or entrance.
How is Navagunjara Related to Krishna?
The relationship between Navagunjara and Krishna is direct and central to the story.
When Arjuna recognises the divine in the Navagunjara, what he recognises is Vishnu—specifically in his Krishna form. The Sarala Mahabharata is set during the time of the Mahabharata, when Krishna is Arjuna's closest companion and divine guide. The Navagunjara episode is therefore understood as Krishna testing Arjuna—presenting himself in a form so far beyond ordinary comprehension that only genuine spiritual awareness could recognise him.
This connects directly to the central teaching of the Bhagavad Gita—that the divine is everywhere, in all forms, and that the task of the spiritual seeker is to develop the eyes to see it. Arjuna, in that forest moment, passes the test. He sees what he is supposed to see.
In Pattachitra paintings, the Navagunjara is sometimes depicted with a small figure of Arjuna beside it—bow initially raised, then lowered in devotion. The contrast between the composite creature and the small human figure is visually and spiritually striking. It is the whole story in a single image.
How to Draw Navagunjara—Understanding the Artistic
Structure
For those interested in learning the Navagunjara as an artistic subject, understanding its compositional structure is the first step.
Traditional Pattachitra artists begin by mapping where each animal form will sit. The key is that the nine elements must read as one unified creature, not a patchwork. The basic structural approach:
Start with the central body mass—usually lion-like in proportion, establishing scale
Build the rooster head upward—positioned as a natural continuation of the neck
Add the peacock neck—the longest, most sinuous element, often the visual centrepiece
Place the bull hump on the back—adding volume and height to the upper body
Set the four legs—tiger, elephant, deer, and human—each distinct in texture and proportion
Add the snake tail—curving outward from the base, often with a raised hood
In traditional Pattachitra, the figure is first outlined in black, then filled with natural colours. The rooster head is rendered in reds and oranges. The peacock necked in deep greens and blues. The lion's body is in golden ochre. The human leg in natural skin tone.
If you are interested in learning Navagunjara painting formally — workshops in the Pattachitra tradition are available in Raghurajpur village in Odisha, where you can learn directly from master Chitrakars. Some online platforms offer courses in Indian folk art forms, including Pattachitra. At The Qala Gallery we are actively building connections with Indian folk art traditions and will share resources for learning and discovering these art forms as our community grows—follow us on Instagram at @theqalagallery to stay updated.
Where to Find Detailed Articles and Resources on Navagunjara Mythology
For those wanting to go deeper into the Navagunjara story and its mythological context, the most reliable sources are:
Academic papers on the Sarala Mahabharata are available through JSTOR and university digital libraries
The Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar, which holds extensive Pattachitra collections and documentation
Publications by the Sangeet Natak Akademi on Odia performing and visual arts
Craft documentation by the Crafts Council of India on Pattachitra traditions
For visual research, the craft village of Raghurajpur near Puri remains the single richest living resource—a place where the Navagunjara story is not archived but actively painted, sold, and lived.
Where Can I Buy Navagunjara-Themed Artwork and Home Décor?
Authentic Navagunjara Pattachitra paintings and sculptures can be found through several channels:
In Odisha, directly, Raghurajpur village near Puri is the most authentic source. Prices are fair, and you can watch work being created in real time.
Government craft emporiums—Odisha's state craft emporium, Utkalika, stocks authentic Pattachitra, including Navagunjara subjects. Reliable for authenticity.
Online — Care is required here. Many platforms sell printed reproductions labelled as handmade. When buying online, always ask for close-up photographs showing brushwork and texture. A genuine handmade Pattachitra Navagunjara will show the slight irregularities of a human hand—this is not a flaw; it is the proof of authenticity.
Navagunjara sculptures and home décor—Terracotta, brass, and stone Navagunjara sculptures are available through Odisha craft sellers and specialised Indian craft platforms. The Navagunjara statue tradition in Odisha produces pieces ranging from small devotional objects to large display sculptures suitable for home and office spaces.
At The Qala Gallery—while our current collection focuses on original handmade paintings across Warli, acrylic, and mixed media traditions—the Navagunjara represents exactly the depth of Indian cultural storytelling that this gallery exists to celebrate. As our collection grows, works inspired by these traditions will find their place here. In the meantime, every painting in our collection carries the same principle the Navagunjara teaches: that something made by a real human hand, from a place of genuine feeling, carries a meaning no print can replicate. Click on the link to check our authentic collection.
Why Navagunjara Matters Beyond Odisha
Most Indians outside Odisha have never heard of the Navagunjara. And that is a loss worth naming.
India's mythology is not one story. It is thousands of stories—regional, linguistic, and local—that never made it into the mainstream Sanskrit texts or the television serials that defined what most Indians know as their mythology. The Sarala Mahabharata is the first regional Mahabharata ever written. Its author, Sarala Das, was a 15th-century Odia poet of extraordinary vision. His Navagunjara episode is one of the most philosophically sophisticated moments in Indian devotional literature.
And most people have never heard of either of them.
This is what handmade Indian art does at its best — it carries these stories. A Pattachitra Navagunjara painting is not just a beautiful object. It is six centuries of continuous cultural memory, passed from Chitrakar to Chitrakar, from teacher to student, from Raghurajpur to the walls of homes across India and increasingly around the world.
When you bring one home, you bring all of that with it.
Closing Thought
Arjuna stood in the forest in front of something he could not categorize. Something that broke every rule he knew about what a creature could be. His first instinct was to reach for a weapon.
His second instinct was to bow.
The Navagunjara has endured for six centuries because it speaks to something true about the nature of the divine—and about the nature of us. We categorize. We judge. We reach for the familiar. And sometimes, if we are paying attention, something stops us. We look more carefully. We recognize.
We lower the bow.
Enjoyed this piece? The Qala Gallery celebrates original handmade Indian art inspired by mythology, culture, and the stories that deserve to be told. Explore the collection and follow our journey on Instagram @theqalagallery
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