Meaning “fish” in Sanskrit, it is the first of ten avatars of the Hindu deity Vishnu and is associated with the myth of the great flood. It is depicted in both zoomorphic and anthropomorphic forms; in its anthropomorphic form, the figure is depicted with the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a four-armed man holding the shankha (conch) and chakra (disc) in two hands, with the remaining hands shown in the abhaya and varada mudras, symbolising protection and benediction, respectively.