The serpentine image of Patañjali has been beautifully carved out of stone by the sculptor. He is shown as an incarnation of Adi S'esha, Ananta, (endless one), the first ego-expansion of Vishnu. His primeval energies and opulences, is part of the so-called catur vyuha, the fourfold manifestation of Vishnu. He is seated on his serpent, Adisesa. (Adisesa is in fact one of the many incarnations of Vishnu).

There is an anecdote about the birth of Patanjali. While seated on his serpent carriage Vishnu was enraptured by the dancing of Lord Siva. Vishnu was so affected that his body began to vibrate causing him to pound down heavily on Adisesa, who consequently suffered great discomfort. When the dance ended the weight was instantaneously lifted. When Adisesa expressed his desire to personally learn the dance so that he could perform the same for the pleasure of the God, Vishnu was impressed and predicted to Adisesa that one day Lord Siva would bless him and he would be incarnated so that he could both shower humanity with blessings and fulfill his own desire to master dance.

On the other hand, a virtuous woman named Gonika , who was totally devoted to Yoga and Lord Shiva, the father of yoga, was seeking for someone to be a worthy son to her who could inherit her knowledge of yoga. When she couldn’t find any suitable one, she prostrated before the Sun. She scooped up the only gift she could find -- a handful of water -- and beseeched him to bestow her with a son. She then meditated upon the Sun and prepared herself to present her simple but sincere offering. On seeing all this Adisesa -- the bearer of Vishnu -- knew that he had found the mother he was looking for. Just as Gonika was about to offer her handful of water to the Sun, she glanced down at her hands and was astonished to see a tiny serpent moving in her hands. She was even more astonished when, within a few moments, that serpent had assumed a human formby order of Shiva. Adisesa, who it was, in his turn prostrated before Gonika and pleaded with her to accept him as her son.

Thus Patanjali is believed to be an incarnation of Adisesa and the stone figure depicts Patanjali in the Caturvyuha form.