Vishnu

Vishnu (/ˈvɪʃnʊ/; [ʋɪʂɳʊ]; Sanskrit: व णु, IAST/ISO: Viṣṇu, lit. 'the

pervader'), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal
Vishnu
deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one God of Preservation, Reality,
of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.[5][6] Karma restoration and Moksha;
The Protector of Good; Para
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within the Trimurti, the triple Brahman, Supreme Being
deity of supreme divinity that includes Brahma and Shiva.[7][8] In
(Vaishnavism)[1][2]
Vaishnavism tradition, Vishnu is the supreme being who creates,
protects and transforms the universe. In the Shaktism tradition, the Member of Trimurti
Goddess, or Devi, is described as one of the supreme, yet Vishnu is
revered along with Shiva and Brahma. A goddess is stated to be the
energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Lakshmi the equal
complementary partner of Vishnu.[9] He is one of the five equivalent
deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism.[8]

According to the Vaishnavism sect, the highest form of Ishvar is with

qualities (Saguna), and have certain form but is limitless, transcendent
and unchanging absolute Brahman, and the primal Atman (soul, self)
of the universe.[10] There are many both benevolent and fearsome
depictions of Vishnu. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an
omniscient sleeping on the coils of the serpent Adishesha (who
represents time) floating in the primeval ocean of milk called Kshira
Sagara with consort Lakshmi.[11]

Whenever the world is threatened with evil, chaos, and destructive

forces, Vishnu descends in the form of an avatar (incarnation) to
restore the cosmic order and protect Dharma. Dashavatara are the ten
primary avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu. Out of the ten, Rama and
Krishna avatars are most important.[12]

Contents
Nomenclature A painting of Vishnu

Iconography Other names Narayana, Hari,

Keshava, Achyuta,
The Trimurti
Madhava,
Avatars Govinda,
The Mahabharata Janardana
The Puranas
Sanskrit Viṣṇu
Dashavatara
transliteration
Matrikas
Devanagari व णु
Thirumal
Affiliation Parabrahman
Literature
(Vaishnavism),
Vedas
 Trivikrama: The Three Steps of Vishnu Trimurti,
Brahmanas Bhagavan,
Upanishads Ishvara,
Puranas Dashavatara
Vishnu Purana Abode Vaikuntha, Kshira
Bhagavata Purana Sagara
Other Puranas Mantra Om Namo
Agama Narayanaya, Om
Sangam and Post-Sangam literature Namo Bhagavate
Bhakti Movement Vasudevaya

Vaishnava theology Weapon Discus

(Sudarshana
Relations with deities
Chakra), Mace
Lakshmi
(Kaumodaki),
Garuda
Conch
Vishvaksena
(Panchajanya),[3]
Harihara and Harirudra
Symbols Shaligram,
Beyond Hinduism
Dvaravati sila,
Sikhism
Lotus
Buddhism
Mount Garuda,[3] Shesha
In science
Festivals Holi, Ram Navami,
Temples
Krishna
Outside Indian subcontinent Janmashtami,
Indonesia Narasimha Jayanti,
Gallery Diwali, Onam,
See also Vivaha Panchami,
Vijayadashami,
References
Anant Chaturdashi,
Bibliography
Devshayani
External links Ekadashi,
Prabodhini
Ekadashi and
Nomenclature other ekadashis,
Kartik Purnima,
Vishnu (or Viṣṇu, Sanskrit: व णु) means 'all pervasive'[13] and, Tulsi Vivah[4]
according to Medhātith (c. 1000 CE), 'one who is everything and
inside everything'.[14] Vedanga scholar Yaska (4th century BCE) in Personal information
the Nirukta defines Vishnu as viṣṇur viṣvater vā vyaśnoter vā ('one Siblings Parvati
who enters everywhere'); also adding atha yad viṣito bhavati tad
Consort Lakshmi
viṣnurbhavati ('that which is free from fetters and bondage is
Vishnu').[15]

In the tenth part of the Padma Purana (4-15th century CE), Danta (Son of Bhīma and King of Vidarbha) lists
108 names of Vishnu (17.98–102).[16] These include the ten primary avatars (see Dashavarara, below) and
descriptions of the qualities, attributes, or aspects of God.
The Garuda Purana (chapter XV)[17] and the "Anushasana Parva" of the Mahabharata both list over 1000
names for Vishnu, each name describing a quality, attribute, or aspect of God. Known as the Vishnu
Sahasranama, Vishnu here is defined as 'the omnipresent'.

Other notable names in this list include Hari ('remover of sins'), Kala ('time'), Vāsudeva, Atman ('the soul'),
Purusa ('the divine being'), and Prakrti ('the divine nature'), Lakshmikanta, Jagannatha, Janardana, Govinda,
Hrishikesha, Padmanabha, Mukunda.

Iconography
Vishnu iconography shows him with dark blue, blue-gray or black
coloured skin, and as a well dressed jewelled man. He is typically shown
with four arms, but two armed representations are also found in Hindu
texts on artworks.[18][19]

The historic identifiers of his icon include his image holding a conch shell
(shankha named Panchajanya) between the first two fingers of one hand
(left back), a chakra – war discus named Sudarshana – in another (right
back). The conch shell is spiral and symbolizes all of interconnected
spiraling cyclic existence, while the discus symbolizes him as that which
restores dharma with war if necessary when cosmic equilibrium is
overwhelmed by evil.[18] One of his arms sometimes carries a gada (club,
mace named Kaumodaki) which symbolizes authority and power of
knowledge.[18] In the fourth arm, he holds a lotus flower (padma) which
A statue of Vishnu. symbolizes purity and transcendence.[18][19][20] The items he holds in
various hands varies, giving rise to twenty four combinations of
iconography, each combination representing a special form of Vishnu.
Each of these special forms is given a special name in texts such as the Agni Purana and Padma Purana.
These texts, however, are inconsistent.[21] Rarely, Vishnu is depicted bearing the bow Sharanga or the sword
Nandaka. He is depicted with the Kaustubha gem in a necklace and wearing Vaijayanti, a garland of forest
flowers. The shrivatsa mark is depicted on his chest in the form of a curl of hair. He generally wears yellow
garments.

Vishnu iconography show him either in standing pose, seated in a yoga pose, or reclining.[19] A traditional
depiction of Vishnu is that of Him reclining on the coils of the serpent Shesha, accompanied by his consort
Lakshmi, as he "dreams the universe into reality."[22]

The Trimurti
Particularly in Vaishnavism, the so-called Trimurti (also known as the
Hindu Triad or Great Trinity)[23][24] represents the three
fundamental forces (guṇas) through which the universe is created,
maintained, and destroyed in cyclic succession. Each of these forces is
represented by a Hindu deity:[25][26]

Brahma: represents Rajas (passion, creation)

Vishnu: represents Sattva (goodness, preservation)
The Trimurti at Ellora.
Shiva: represents Tamas (darkness, destruction)
In Hindu tradition, the trio is often referred to as Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh. All have the same meaning of
three in One; different forms or manifestations of One person the Supreme Being.[27]

Avatars
The concept of the avatar (or incarnation) within Hinduism is most
often associated with Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer aspect of God
within the Hindu Trimurti. The avatars of Vishnu descend to
empower the good and to destroy evil, thereby restoring Dharma and
relieving the burden of the Earth. An oft-quoted passage from the
Bhagavad Gita describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu:

Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness

increases I send myself forth.
For the protection of the good and for the destruction of
evil,
and for the establishment of righteousness,
I come into being age after age.

— Bhagavad Gita 4.7–8

Vishnu and his avatars (Vaikuntha
Vedic literature, in particular the Puranas ('ancient'; similar to Chaturmurti): Vishnu himself or
encyclopedias) and Itihasa ('chronicle, history, legend'), narrate Krishna in human form, Narasimha
numerous avatars of Vishnu. The most well-known of these avatars as a lion, Varaha as a boar. Art of
are Krishna (most notably in the Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Mathura, mid-5th century CE. Boston
and Mahabharata; the latter encompassing the Bhagavad Gita), and Museum.[28]
Rama (most notably in the Ramayana). Krishna in particular is
venerated in Vaishnavism as the ultimate, primeval, transcendental
source of all existence, including all the other demigods and gods such as Vishnu.

The Mahabharata

In the Mahabharata, Vishnu (as Narayana) states to Narada that He will appear in the following ten
incarnations:

Appearing in the forms of a swan [Hamsa], a tortoise [Kurma], a fish [Matsya], O foremost of
regenerate ones, I shall then display myself as a boar [Varaha], then as a Man-lion (Nrisingha),
then as a dwarf [Vamana], then as Rama of Bhrigu's race, then as Rama, the son of Dasaratha,
then as Krishna the scion of the Sattwata race, and lastly as Kalki.

— Book 12, Santi Parva, Chapter CCCXL (340), translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1883-
1896[29]

The Puranas

Specified avatars of Vishnu are listed against some of the Puranas in the table below. However, this is a
complicated process and the lists are unlikely to be exhaustive because:
Not all Puranas provide lists per se (e.g. the Agni Purana dedicates entire chapters to avatars,
and some of these chapters mention other avatars within them)
A list may be given in one place but additional avatars may be mentioned elsewhere (e.g. the
Bhagavata Purana lists 22 avatars in Canto 1, but mentions others elsewhere)
A personality in one Purana may be considered an avatar in another (e.g. Narada is not
specified as an avatar in the Matsya Purana but is in the Bhagavata Purana)
Some avatars consist of two or more people considered as different aspects of a single
incarnation (e.g. Nara-Narayana, Rama and his three brothers)
 Purana Avatars Names / Descriptions (with chapters and verses) - Dashavatara lists are in bold
Matsya (2), Kurma (3), Dhanvantari (3.11), Mohini (3.12), Varaha (4), Narasimha (4.3-4),
Vamana (4.5-11), Parasurama (4.12-20), Rama (5-11; one of the 'four forms' of Vishnu,
12[a]
including his brothers Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna), Krishna (12), Buddha (16),
Agni[30] Kalki (16)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Buddha, and Kalki
10[a]
(Chapter 49)
Kumaras, Varaha, Narada, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Yajna, Rsabha, Prthu,
22[b][31] Matsya, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Vyasadeva,
Rama, Balarama and Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki (Canto 1, Chapter 3).
Bhagavata
Varaha, Suyajna (Hari), Kapila, Dattātreya, Four Kumaras, Nara-Narayana, Prthu, Rsabha,
20[b][32] Hayagriva, Matsya, Kurma, Nṛsiṁha, Vamana, Manu, Dhanvantari, Parashurama, Rama,
Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki (Canto 2, Chapter 7)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Hayagriva, Buddha, Rama, Kalki, Ananta,
Brahma[33] 15
Acyuta, Jamadagnya (Parashurama), Varuna, Indra, and Yama (Volume 4: 52.68-73)
Kumara, Varaha, Narada, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Datta (Dattatreya), Yajna, Urukrama,
20[c] Prthu, Matsya, Kurma, Dhanavantari, Mohini, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama,
Vyasadeva, Balarama, Krishna, and Kalki (Volume 1: Chapter 1)

Garuda[34] Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and
10[c]
Kalki (Volume 1, Chapter 86, Verses 10–11)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Rama, Parasurama, Krishna, Balarama, Buddha, and
10[c][35]
Kalki (Volume 3, Chapter 30, Verse 37)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Rama, Parasurama, Krishna, Buddha, and
Linga[36] 10[d]
Kalki (Part 2, Chapter 48, Verses 31–32)
3 celestial incarnations of Dharma, Nrishimha, and Vamana; and 7 human incarnations of
Matsya[37] 10[e] Dattatreya, Mandhitri, Parasurama, Rama, Vedavyasa (Vyasa), Buddha, and Kalki
(Volume 1: Chapter XLVII / 47)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Trivikrama (Vamana), Parasurama, Sri-Rama,
Narada[38] 10
Krisna, Buddha, Kalki (Part 4, Chapter 119, Verses 14–19), and Kapila[39]
Part 7: Yama (66.44-54) and Brahma (71.23-29) name 'Matsya, Kurma, and Varaha.
Padma[40][41] 10 Narasimha and Vamana, (Parasu-)rama, Rama, Krsna, Buddha, and Kalki'; Part 9: this list
is repeated by Shiva (229.40-44); Kapila[39]
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, 'Rama trio' [Rama, Parasurama, Balarama],
Shiva[42] 10 Krishna, Kalki (Part 4: Vayaviya Samhita: Chapter 30, Verses 56-58 and Chapter 31,
verses 134–136)
Varaha, Matsya, Kurma, Nrsimha, Vamana, Kapila, Datta, Rsabha, Bhargava Rama
14[43] (Parashurama), Dasarathi Rama, Krsna, Krsna Dvaipayana (Vyasa), Buddha, and Kalki
Skanda (Part 7: Vasudeva-Mamatmya: Chapter 18)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Trivikrama (Vamana), Parasurama, Sri-Rama,
10[44]
Krisna, Buddha, and Kalki (Part 15: Reva Khanda: Chapter 151, Verses 1–7)
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and
Varaha[45][46] 10
Kalki (Chapter 4, Verses 2–3; Chapter 48, Verses 17–22; and Chapter 211, Verse 69)

a. Rama and his brothers are considered as one unit. Volume 3, Chapter 276 also lists the same incarnations.
Samba, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha have not been counted; a list of the Dashavatara is provided in chapter 49.
b. Others such as Hamsa, Ajita, Samba, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha are mentioned elsewhere but have not been
counted. For a complete list, see Bhagavata Purana
c. Kumara is more likely to be the Four Kumaras (one unit) than - as the translator believes - Karttikeya, one of
Shiva's sons and the Hindu god of war
d. These avatars are stated to incarnate 'for the good of the world' in every cycle of yugas; It is also stated that
there are other avatars due to the curse of Bhrgu
 e. Narada, Samba, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, etc., have not been counted

Dashavatara

The Dashavatara is a list of the so-called Vibhavas, or '10 [primary]

Avatars' of Vishnu. The Agni Purana, Varaha Purana, Padma Purana,
Linga Purana, Narada Purana, Garuda Purana, and Skanda Purana all
provide matching lists. The same Vibhavas are also found in the
Garuda Purana Saroddhara, a commentary or ‘extracted essence’
written by Navanidhirama about the Garuda Purana (i.e. not the
Purana itself, with which it seems to be confused):

The Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, the

Dwarf, Parasurama, Rama, Krisna, Buddha, and also
Kalki: These ten names should always be meditated upon
by the wise. Those who recite them near the diseased are
called relatives.

— Navanidhirama, Garuda Purana Saroddhara,

Chapter VIII, Verses 10-11, translated by E. Wood Hindu god Vishnu (centre)
and S.V. Subrahmanyam[47][48] surrounded by his avatars namely
(counter-clockwise, from left-top)
Apparent disagreements concerning the placement of either the Matsya; Kurma; Varaha; Narasimha;
Buddha or Balarama in the Dashavarara seems to occur from the Vamana; Parashurama; Rama;
Dashavarara list in the Shiva Purana (the only other list with ten Krishna; Buddha and Kalki, Raja
avatars including Balarama in the Garuda Purana substitutes Vamana, Ravi Varma oleograph
not Buddha). Regardless, both versions of the Dashavarara have a
scriptural basis in the canon of authentic Vedic literature (but not from
the Garuda Purana Saroddhara).

Matrikas

Matrikas ('Mother Goddesses') are the feminine, personified powers of different Devas (and avatars of
Vishnu). For example, the female form (or Shakti) of Vishnu is Vaishnavi, of the man-lion avatar Narasimha it
is Narasimhi, of the tortoise avatar Kurma it is Kumari, and of the boar avatar Varaha it is Varahi. There is no
scriptural evidence that any of Matrikas are counted as de facto avatars of Vishnu or any other Deva.

Thirumal

Thirumal (Tamil: த மா )—also known as Perumal or Perumaal (Tamil: ெப மா ), or Maayon (as

described in the Tamil scriptures)—was appropriated as manifestation of Vishnu in later Hinduism is a popular
Hindu deity among Tamilans in Tamil Nadu as well among the Tamil diaspora.[49][50]

Literature
Vishnu icons across cultures
Vedas
Vishnu is a Rigvedic deity, but not a prominent one when
compared to Indra, Agni and others.[51] Just 5 out of 1028 hymns
of the Rigveda are dedicated to Vishnu, although He is mentioned
in other hymns.[14] Vishnu is mentioned in the Brahmana layer of
text in the Vedas, thereafter his profile rises and over the history of
Indian mythology, states Jan Gonda, Vishnu becomes a divinity of 180 BCE Indo-Greek
the highest rank, one equivalent to the Supreme Being.[51][52] coin of Agathocles. Vishnu Nicolo Seal,
4th–6th century CE,
Though a minor mention and with overlapping attributes in the Gandhara.
Vedas, he has important characteristics in various hymns of Rig
Veda, such as 1.154.5, 1.56.3 and 10.15.3.[51] In these hymns, the
Vedic mythology asserts that Vishnu resides in that highest home
where departed Atman (souls) reside, an assertion that may have
been the reason for his increasing emphasis and popularity in
Hindu soteriology.[51][53] He is also described in the Vedic
literature as the one who supports heaven and earth.[14]
13th century India
Cambodian Vishnu.

तद य यम भ पाथो अ यां 5. Might I reach that dear

नरो य दे वयवो मद त ।
उ म य स ह ब ुर ा
व णोः पदे परमे म व उ सः
॥५॥ ऋ वेद १-१५४-५
—RV. 1.154.5[54]
cattle-pen of his, where men
seeking the gods find
elation, for exactly that is the
bond to the wide-striding
one: the wellspring of honey
in the highest step of Viṣṇu. Myanmar Indonesia
The iconography of Hindu god Vishnu
—translated by Stephanie has been widespread in history.
Jamison, 2020[55]

आहं पतॄ सु वद ाँ अ व स नपातं
च व मणं च व णोः ।
ब हषदो ये वधया सुत य भज त
प व त इहाग म ाः ॥३॥ ऋ वेद
१०-१५-३
3. I have found here the forefathers good to find and the
grandson and the wide stride of Viṣṇu.
Those who, sitting on the ritual grass, share in the pressed
soma and the food at (the cry of) “svadhā,” they are the most
welcome arrivals here.

—RV 10.15.13[54] —translated by Stephanie Jamison, 2020[55]

In the Vedic hymns, Vishnu is invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra, whom he helps in killing the
symbol of evil named Vritra.[14][56] His distinguishing characteristic in Vedas is his association with light. Two
Rigvedic hymns in Mandala 7 refer to Vishnu. In section 7.99 of the Rigveda, Vishnu is addressed as the god
who separates heaven and earth, a characteristic he shares with Indra. In the Vedic texts, the deity or god
referred to as Vishnu is Surya or Savitr (Sun god), who also bears the name Suryanarayana. Again, this link to
Surya is a characteristic Vishnu shares with fellow Vedic deities named Mitra and Agni, wherein different
hymns, they too "bring men together" and cause all living beings to rise up and impel them to go about their
daily activities.[57]

In hymn 7.99 of Rigveda, Indra-Vishnu is equivalent and produce the sun, with the verses asserting that this
sun is the source of all energy and light for all.[57] In other hymns of the Rigveda, Vishnu is a close friend of
Indra.[58] Elsewhere in Rigveda, Atharvaveda and Upanishadic texts, Vishnu is equivalent to Prajapati, both
are described as the protector and preparer of the womb, and according to Klaus Klostermaier, this may be the
root behind the post-Vedic fusion of all the attributes of the Vedic Prajapati unto the avatars of Vishnu.[14]
In the Yajurveda, Taittiriya Aranyaka (10.13.1), "Narayana sukta", Narayana is mentioned as the supreme
being. The first verse of "Narayana Suktam" mentions the words paramam padam, which literally mean
'highest post' and may be understood as the 'supreme abode for all souls'. This is also known as Param
Dhama, Paramapadam, or Vaikuntha. Rigveda 1.22.20 also mentions the same paramam padam.[59]

In the Atharvaveda, the mythology of a boar who raises goddess earth from the depths of cosmic ocean
appears, but without the word Vishnu or his alternate avatar names. In post-Vedic mythology, this legend
becomes one of the basis of many cosmogonic myth called the Varaha legend, with Varaha as an avatar of
Vishnu.[56]

Trivikrama: The Three Steps of Vishnu

The Three Strides of Vishnu

The depiction of the "three strides of Vishnu" is common in Hindu art, wherein his leg is shown raised like a
gymnast, symbolizing a huge step. Left: Trivikrama in the Art of Mathura, Gupta period. Center: at a temple in
Bhaktapur, Nepal; Right: at 6th-century Badami cave temples, India.

Several hymns of the Rigveda repeat the mighty deed of Vishnu called the Trivikrama, which is one of the
lasting mythologies in Hinduism since the Vedic times.[60] It is an inspiration for ancient artwork in numerous
Hindu temples such as at the Ellora Caves, which depict the Trivikrama legend through the Vamana avatar of
Vishnu.[61][62] Trivikrama refers to the celebrated three steps or "three strides" of Vishnu. Starting as a small
insignificant looking being, Vishnu undertakes a herculean task of establishing his reach and form, then with
his first step covers the earth, with second the ether, and the third entire heaven.[60][63]

व णोनु कं वीया ण वोचं यः पा थवा न वममे रजां स ।

यो अ कभाय रं सध ं वच माण ेधो गायः ॥१॥…

viṣṇōrnu kaṃ vīryāṇi pra vōcaṃ yaḥ pārthivāni vimamē rajāṃsi |

yō askabhāyaduttaraṃ sadhasthaṃ vicakramāṇastrēdhōrugāyaḥ ||1||

I will now proclaim the heroic deeds of Visnu, who has measured out the terrestrial regions,
who established the upper abode having, wide-paced, strode out triply…

— Rigveda 1.154.1, Translated by Jan Gonda[64]

The Vishnu Sukta 1.154 of Rigveda says that the first and second of Vishnu's strides (those encompassing the
earth and air) are visible to the mortals and the third is the realm of the immortals. The Trivikrama describing
hymns integrate salvific themes, stating Vishnu to symbolize that which is freedom and life.[60] The
Shatapatha Brahmana elaborates this theme of Vishnu, as his herculean effort and sacrifice to create and gain
powers that help others, one who realizes and defeats the evil symbolized by the Asuras after they had usurped
the three worlds, and thus Vishnu is the saviour of the mortals and the immortals (Devas).[60]
Brahmanas

The Shatapatha Brahmana contains ideas which To what is One

Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism has long
mapped to a pantheistic vision of Vishnu as Seven germs unripened yet are heaven's prolific seed:
supreme, he as the essence in every being and their functions they maintain by Vishnu's ordinance.
everything in the empirically perceived universe. Endued with wisdom through intelligence and thought,
In this Brahmana, states Klaus Klostermaier, they compass us about present on every side.
Purusha Narayana (Vishnu) asserts, "all the
worlds have I placed within mine own self, and What thing I truly am I know not clearly:
my own self has I placed within all the mysterious, fettered in my mind I wonder.
worlds."[67] The text equates Vishnu to all When the first-born of holy Law approached me,
knowledge there is (Vedas), calling the essence then of this speech, I first obtain a portion.
of everything as imperishable, all Vedas and (...)
principles of universe as imperishable, and that
this imperishable which is Vishnu is the all.[67] They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni,
and he is heavenly-winged Garutman.
Vishnu is described to be permeating all object To what is One, sages give many a title.
and life forms, states S. Giora Shoham, where he
is "ever-present within all things as the intrinsic — Rigveda 1.164.36-37, 46[65][66]
principle of all", and the eternal, transcendental
self in every being.[68] The Vedic literature,
including its Brahmanas layer, while praising Vishnu do not subjugate others gods and goddesses. They
present an inclusive pluralistic henotheism. According to Max Muller, "Although the gods are sometimes
distinctly invoked as the great and the small, the young and the old (Rig Veda 1:27:13), this is only an attempt
to find the most comprehensive expression for the divine powers and nowhere is any of the gods represented
as the subordinate to others. It would be easy to find, in the numerous hymns of the Veda, passages in which
almost every single god is represented as supreme and absolute."[69]

Upanishads

The Vaishnava Upanishads are minor Upanishads of Hinduism, related to Vishnu theology. There are 14
Vaishnava Upanishads in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads.[70] It is unclear when these texts were
composed, and estimates vary from the 1st-century BCE to 17th-century CE for the texts.[71][72]

These Upanishads highlight Vishnu, Narayana, Rama or one of his avatars as the supreme metaphysical reality
called Brahman in Hinduism.[73][74] They discuss a diverse range of topics, from ethics to the methods of
worship.[75]

Puranas

Vishnu is the primary focus of the Vaishnavism-focused Puranas genre of Hindu texts. Of these, according to
Ludo Rocher, the most important texts are the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Nāradeya Purana, Garuda
Purana and Vayu Purana.[76] The Purana texts include many versions of cosmologies, mythologies,
encyclopedic entries about various aspects of life, and chapters that were medieval era regional Vishnu
temples-related tourist guides called mahatmyas.[77]

One version of the cosmology, for example, states that Vishnu's eye is at the Southern Celestial Pole from
where he watches the cosmos.[78] In another version found in section 4.80 of the Vayu Purana, he is the
Hiranyagarbha, or the golden egg from which were simultaneously born all feminine and masculine beings of
the universe.[79]

Vishnu Purana

The Vishnu Purana presents Vishnu as the central element of its

cosmology, unlike some other Puranas where Shiva or Brahma or
goddess Shakti are. The reverence and the worship of Vishnu is
described in 22 chapters of the first part of Vishnu Purana, along with
the profuse use of the synonymous names of Vishnu such as Hari,
Janardana, Madhava, Achyuta, Hrishikesha and others.[80]
The Bhagavata Purana is centred
The Vishnu Purana also discusses the Hindu concept of supreme around Krishna, a Vishnu avatar.
reality called Brahman in the context of the Upanishads; a discussion
that the theistic Vedanta scholar Ramanuja interprets to be about the
equivalence of the Brahman with Vishnu, a foundational theology in the Sri Vaishnavism tradition.[81]

Bhagavata Purana

Vishnu is equated with Brahman in the Bhagavata Purana, such as in verse 1.2.11, as "learned
transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance as Brahman, Paramatma and
Bhagavan."[82]

The Bhagavata Purana has been the most popular and widely read Purana texts relating to Vishnu avatar
Krishna, it has been translated and available in almost all Indian languages.[83] Like other Puranas, it discusses
a wide range of topics including cosmology, genealogy, geography, mythology, legend, music, dance, yoga
and culture.[84][85] As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and
evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as the Vishnu avatar first makes peace with
the demons, understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and good
– a cyclic theme that appears in many legends.[86] The Bhagavata Purana is a revered text in Vaishnavism.[87]
The Puranic legends of Vishnu have inspired plays and dramatic arts that are acted out over festivals,
particularly through performance arts such as the Sattriya, Manipuri dance, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathakali,
Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Bhagavata Mela and Mohiniyattam.[88][89][90]

Other Puranas

Some versions of the Purana texts, unlike the Vedic and Upanishadic texts, emphasize Vishnu as supreme and
on whom other gods depend. Vishnu, for example, is the source of creator deity Brahma in the Vaishnavism-
focussed Purana texts. Vishnu's iconography typically shows Brahma being born in a lotus emerging from his
navel, who then is described as creating all the forms in the universe, but not the primordial universe itself.[91]
In contrast, the Shiva-focussed Puranas describe Brahma and Vishnu to have been created by
Ardhanarishvara, that is half Shiva and half Parvati; or alternatively, Brahma was born from Rudra, or Vishnu,
Shiva and Brahma creating each other cyclically in different aeons (kalpa).[92]

In some Vaishnava Puranas, Vishnu takes the form of Rudra or commands Rudra to destroy the world,
thereafter the entire universe dissolves and along with time, everything is reabsorbed back into Vishnu. The
universe is then recreated from Vishnu all over again, starting a new Kalpa.[93] For this the Bhagavata Purana
employs the metaphor of Vishnu as a spider and the universe as his web. Other texts offer alternate
cosmogenic theories, such as one where the universe and time are absorbed into Shiva.[93][94]

Agama
The Agama scripture called the Pancharatra describes a mode of worship of Vishnu.

Sangam and Post-Sangam literature

The Sangam literature refers to an extensive regional collection in the Tamil language, mostly from the early
centuries of the common era. These Tamil texts revere Vishnu and his avatars such as Krishna and Rama, as
well as other pan-Indian deities such as Shiva, Muruga, Durga, Indra and others.[95] Vishnu is described in
these texts as mayon, or "one who is dark or black in color" (in north India, the equivalent word is
Krishna).[95] Other terms found for Vishnu in these ancient Tamil genre of literature include mayavan,
mamiyon, netiyon, mal and mayan.[96]

Krishna as Vishnu avatar is the primary subject of two post-Sangam Tamil epics Silappadikaram and
Manimekalai, each of which was probably composed about the 5th century CE.[97][98] These Tamil epics
share many aspects of the story found in other parts of India, such as those related to baby Krishna such as
stealing butter, and teenage Krishna such as teasing girls who went to bathe in a river by hiding their
clothes.[97][99]

Bhakti Movement

Ideas about Vishnu in the mid 1st millennium CE were important to the Bhakti movement theology that
ultimately swept India after the 12th century. The Alvars, which literally means "those immersed in God",
were Tamil Vaishnava poet-saints who sang praises of Vishnu as they traveled from one place to another.[100]
They established temple sites such as Srirangam, and spread ideas about Vaishnavism. Their poems, compiled
as Alwar Arulicheyalgal or Divya Prabhandham, developed into an influential scripture for the Vaishnavas.
The Bhagavata Purana's references to the South Indian Alvar saints, along with its emphasis on bhakti, have
led many scholars to give it South Indian origins, though some scholars question whether this evidence
excludes the possibility that bhakti movement had parallel developments in other parts of India.[101][102]

Vaishnava theology
The Bhagavata Purana summarizes the Vaishnava theology, wherein it frequently discusses the merging of the
individual soul with the Absolute Brahman (Ultimate Reality, Supreme Truth), or "the return of Brahman into
His own true nature", a distinctly Advaitic or non-dualistic philosophy of Shankara.[84][103][104] The concept
of moksha is explained as Ekatva ('Oneness') and Sayujya ('Absorption, intimate union'), wherein one is
completely lost in Brahman (Self, Supreme Being, one's true nature).[105] This, states Rukmini (1993), is
proclamation of "return of the individual soul to the Absolute and its merging into the Absolute", which is
unmistakably Advaitic in its trend.[105] In the same passages, the Bhagavata includes a mention of Bhagavan
as the object of concentration, thereby presenting the Bhakti path from the three major paths of Hindu
spirituality discussed in the Bhagavad Gita.[105][106]

The theology in the Bhagavad Gita discusses both the sentient and the non-sentient, the soul and the matter of
existence. It envisions the universe as the body of Vishnu (Krishna), state Harold Coward and Daniel Maguire.
Vishnu in Gita's theology pervades all souls, all matter and time.[107] In Sri Vaishnavism sub-tradition, Vishnu
and Sri (goddess Lakshmi) are described as inseparable, that they pervade everything together. Both together
are the creators, who also pervade and transcend their creation.[107]

The Bhagavata Purana, in many passages, parallels the ideas of Nirguna Brahman and non-duality of Adi
Shankara. [104] For example:
 The aim of life is an inquiry into the Truth, and not the desire for enjoyment in heaven by
performing religious rites,
Those who possess the knowledge of the Truth, call the knowledge of non-duality as the Truth,
It is called Brahman, the Highest Self, and Bhagavan.

— Sūta, Bhagavata Purana 1.2.10-11, translated by Daniel Sheridan[108]

Scholars describe the Vaishnava theology as built on the foundation of non-dualism speculations in
Upanishads, and term it as "Advaitic Theism."[104][109] The Bhagavata Purana suggests that Vishnu and the
soul (Atman) in all beings is one.[103] Bryant states that the monism discussed in Bhagavata Purana is certainly
built on the Vedanta foundations, but not exactly the same as the monism of Adi Shankara.[110] The
Bhagavata asserts, according to Bryant, that the empirical and the spiritual universe are both metaphysical
realities, and manifestations of the same Oneness, just like heat and light are "real but different" manifestations
of sunlight.[110]

In the Bhakti tradition of Vaishnavism, Vishnu is attributed with numerous qualities such as omniscience,
energy, strength, lordship, vigour, and splendour.[111] The Vaishnava tradition started by Madhvacharya
considers Vishnu in the form of Krishna to be the supreme creator, personal God, all-pervading, all devouring,
one whose knowledge and grace leads to "moksha".[112] In Madhvacharya Vaishnava theology, the supreme
Vishnu and the souls of living beings are two different realities and nature (dualism), while in Ramanuja's Sri
Vaishnavism, they are different but share the same essential nature (qualified non-dualism).[113][114][115]

Relations with deities

Lakshmi

Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity (both material
and spiritual), is the wife and active energy of Vishnu.[116][117] She is also
called Sri.[118][119] When Vishnu incarnated on the Earth as the avatars
Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi incarnated as his respective consorts: Sita
(Rama's wife) and Rukmini (Krishna's wife).[120] Variouss regional beliefs
consider Lakshmi manifested as various goddesses, who are considered
Vishnu's wives. In many Southern Indian culture, Lakshmi is seen in two
forms — Shridevi and Bhudevi. At Tirupati, Venkateshwara (identified as
an avatar of Vishnu) os depicted with consorts Lakshmi and
Padmavathi.[121]

Garuda

Vishnu's mount (Vahana) is Garuda, the eagle. Vishnu is commonly Vishnu with Lakshmi
depicted as riding on his shoulders. Garuda is also considered as Vedas on (Laxminarayan).
which Vishnu travels. Garuda is a sacred bird in Vaishnavism. In Garuda
Purana, Garuda carries Vishnu to save the Elephant Gajendra.[122][123]

Vishvaksena

Vishvaksena, also known as Senadhipathi (both meaning 'army-chief'), is the commander-in-chief of the
army of Vishnu.
Harihara and Harirudra

Shiva and Vishnu are both viewed as the ultimate form of god in
different Hindu denominations. Harihara is a composite of half
Vishnu and half Shiva, mentioned in literature such as the Vamana
Purana (chapter 36),[124] and in artwork found from mid 1st
millennium CE, such as in the cave 1 and cave 3 of the 6th-century
Badami cave temples.[125][126] Another half Vishnu half Shiva form,
which is also called Harirudra, is mentioned in Mahabharata.[127]

Beyond Hinduism

Sikhism
Harihara-Half Vishnu and half Shiva
Sikhism.[128] For
Vishnu is referred to as Gorakh in the scriptures of
example, in verse 5 of Japji Sahib, the Guru ('teacher') is praised as
who gives the word and shows the wisdom, and through whom the awareness of immanence is gained. Guru
Nanak, according to Shackle and Mandair (2013), teaches that the Guru are "Shiva (isar), Vishnu (gorakh),
Brahma (barma) and mother Parvati (parbati)," yet the one who is all and true cannot be described.[129]

The Chaubis Avtar lists the 24 avatars of Vishnu, including Krishna, Rama, and Buddha. Similarly, the Dasam
Granth includes Vishnu mythology that mirrors that found in the Vaishnav tradition.[130] The latter is of
particular importance to Sanatan Sikhs, including Udasis, Nirmalas, Nanakpanthis, Sahajdhari, and
Keshdhari/Khalsa sects of Sikhism; however, the Khalsa Sikhs disagree with the Sanatan Sikhs.[130][131]
According to Sanatan Sikh writers, the Gurus of Sikhism were avatars of Vishnu, because the Gurus brought
light in the age of darkness and saved people in a time of evil Mughal-era persecution.[132][133][134]

Buddhism

While some Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu,

Buddhists in Sri Lanka venerate Vishnu as the custodian deity of Sri
Lanka and protector of Buddhism.[135]

Vishnu is also known as Upulvan or Upalavarṇā, meaning 'Blue

Lotus coloured'. Some postulate that Uthpala varna was a local deity
who later merged with Vishnu while another belief is that
Utpalavarṇā was an early form of Vishnu before he became a
supreme deity in Puranic Hinduism. According to the chronicles of
Mahāvaṃsa, Cūḷavaṃsa, and folklore in Sri Lanka, Buddha himself Uthpalawarna Vishnu Devalaya in
Devinuwara, Matara, Sri Lanka.
handed over the custodianship to Vishnu. Others believe that Buddha
entrusted this task to Sakra (Indra), who delegated this task of
custodianship to Vishnu.[136] Many Buddhist and Hindu shrines are
dedicated to Vishnu in Sri Lanka. In addition to specific Vishnu Kovils or Devalayas, all Buddhist temples
necessarily house shrine rooms (Devalayas) closer to the main Buddhist shrine dedicated to Vishnu.[137]

John Holt states that Vishnu was one of the several Hindu gods and goddesses who were integrated into the
Sinhala Buddhist religious culture, such as the 14th and 15th-century Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya Buddhist
temples.[138] He states that the medieval Sinhala tradition encouraged Visnu worship (puja) as a part of
Theravada Buddhism just like Hindu tradition incorporated the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu, but
contemporary Theravada monks are attempting to purge the Vishnu worship practice from Buddhist
temples.[139] According to Holt, the veneration of Vishnu in Sri Lanka is evidence of a remarkable ability over
many centuries, to reiterate and reinvent culture as other ethnicities have been absorbed into their own. Though
the Vishnu cult in Ceylon was formally endorsed by Kandyan kings in the early 1700s, Holt states that Vishnu
images and shrines are among conspicuous ruins in the medieval capital Polonnaruwa.

Vishnu iconography such as statues and etchings have been found in archaeological sites of Southeast Asia,
now predominantly of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. In Thailand, for example, statues of four-armed
Vishnu have been found in provinces near Malaysia and dated to be from the 4th to 9th-century, and this
mirror those found in ancient India.[140] Similarly, Vishnu statues have been discovered from the 6th to 8th
century eastern Prachinburi Province and central Phetchabun Province of Thailand and southern Đồng Tháp
Province and An Giang Province of Vietnam.[141] Krishna statues dated to the early 7th century to 9th century
have been discovered in Takéo Province and other provinces of Cambodia.[142]

Archeological studies have uncovered Vishnu statues on the islands of Indonesia, and these have been dated to
the 5th century and thereafter.[143] In addition to statues, inscriptions and carvings of Vishnu, such as those
related to the "three steps of Vishnu" (Trivikrama) have been found in many parts of Buddhist southeast
Asia.[144] In some iconography, the symbolism of Surya, Vishnu and Buddha are fused.[145]

In Japanese Buddhist pantheon, Vishnu is known as Bichū-ten ( 毘紐天 ), and he appears in Japanese texts
such as the 13th century compositions of Nichiren.[146]

In science

4034 Vishnu is an asteroid discovered by Eleanor F. Helin.[147] Vishnu rocks are a type of volcanic sediment
found in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Consequently, mass formations are known as Vishnu's
temples.[148]

Temples
Some of the earliest surviving grand Vishnu temples in India have
been dated to the Gupta Empire period. The Sarvatobhadra temple in
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, for example, is dated to the early 6th century
and features the ten avatars of Vishnu.[150][151] Its design based on a
square layout and Vishnu iconography broadly follows the 1st
millennium Hindu texts on architecture and construction such as the
Brihat Samhita and Visnudharmottarapurana.[152]

Archaeological evidence suggest that Vishnu temples and The Angkor Wat Temple was built as
iconography probably were already in existence by the 1st century a dedication to Vishnu.[149]
BCE. [153] The most significant Vishnu-related epigraphy and
archaeological remains are the two 1st century BCE inscriptions in
Rajasthan which refer to temples of Sankarshana and Vasudeva, the Besnagar Garuda column of 100 BCE
which mentions a Bhagavata temple, another inscription in Naneghat cave in Maharashtra by a Queen
Naganika that also mentions Sankarshana, Vasudeva along with other major Hindu deities and several
discoveries in Mathura relating to Vishnu, all dated to about the start of the common era.[153][154][155]

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is dedicated to Vishnu. The temple has
attracted huge donations in gold and precious stones over its long history.[156][157][158][159]
 The front-view of
Padmanabhaswamy Temple in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu

located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple
occupies an area of 156 acres (630,000 m2) with a perimeter of 4,116 m
(13,504 ft) making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest
religious complexes in the world.[160]

Outside Indian subcontinent

Indonesia

In Indonesia, Vishnu or Wisnu (Indonesian spelling) is a well-known

figure in the world of wayang (Indonesian Puppetry), Wisnu is often
referred to as the title Sanghyang Batara Wisnu. Wisnu is the god of
justice or welfare, wisnu was the fifth son of Batara Guru and Batari
Uma. He is the most powerful son of all the sons of Batara Guru.

Wisnu is described as a god who has bluish black or dark blue skin,
has four arms, each of which holds a weapon, namely a mace, a lotus,
a trumpet and a Cakra. He can also do tiwikrama, become an
infinitely large giant.

According to Javanese mythology, Wisnu first came down to the

world and became a king with the title Srimaharaja Suman. The Vishnu wayang (puppetry) figures
country is called Medangpura, located in the present-day Central Java
region. Then changed its name to Sri Maharaja Matsyapati. In
addition, according to the Javanese wayang puppet version, Batara Wisnu also incarnates Srimaharaja Kanwa,
Resi Wisnungkara, Prabu Arjunasasrabahu, Sri Ramawijaya, Sri Batara Kresna, Prabu Airlangga, Prabu
Jayabaya, Prabu Anglingdarma.

In Javanese mythology, Wisnu also incarnated as a matswa (fish) to kill the giant Hargragiwa who stole the
Veda. Become Narasingha (human with a tiger head) to destroy King Hiranyakashipu. He once intended to
become a Wimana (dwarf) to defeat Ditya Bali. Batara Wisnu also incarnated in Ramaparasu to destroy
gandarwa. Menitis in Arjunasasra / Arjunawijaya to defeat King Rahwana. The last one was for King Krishna
to become the great Pandavas parampara or advisor to get rid of greed and evil committed by the Kauravas.
Sang Hyang Wisnu has a mount in the form of a giant garuda named Bhirawan. Because of his affection for
the garuda he rode, Bhirawan was then adopted as son-in-law, married to one of his daughters named Dewi
Kastapi.[161]

Gallery
5th-century Vishnu at 11th-century Vishnu
Udayagiri Caves. sculpture. The edges show
reliefs of Vishnu avatars
Varaha, Narasimha,
Balarama, Rama, and others.
Also shown is Brahma.
(Brooklyn Museum)[162]
The mythologies of Vishnu
avatar Krishna are extensive,
such as baby Krishna
stealing butter, or playing the
flute. These themes appear
in ancient and medieval
coins of South Asia,[163] and
the motifs described by 3rd-
century poet Hala.[151]

14th-century Vishnu, A statue in Bangkok 9th century Vishnu statue in

Thailand. depicting Vishnu on his Prambanan Temple,
vahana Garuda, the eagle. Indonesia.
One of the oldest discovered
Hindu-style statues of Vishnu
in Thailand is from Wat Sala
Tung in Surat Thani Province
and has been dated to ~400
CE.[140]
the statue of Vishnu, found in Harihara statue from the The maraprabhu (Tree Lord)
Bandung, Indonesia, 1989. Majapahit kingdom in Java, statue near the Guruvayur
Indonesia. the first king of Temple, Kerala.
Majapahit (Raden Wijaya)
who is believed to be the
incarnation of Vishnu.

Vishnu with the Goddesses

Lakshmi and Sarasvati
(playing Ālāpiṇī vīṇā), 9th-
12th century C.E., found at
Bangladesh, now at the
Chicago Art Institute.

See also
Garbhodaksayi Vishnu
Ksirodakasayi Vishnu
Amaterasu
 Ashramas
Brahmacharya
Dashavatara
Jagannath
Narayana
Keshava
Krishna
Keshava Namas
List of names of Vishnu
Mahavishnu
Mohini
Murali gana lola
Purusartha

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External links
BBC Religion & Ethics – Who is Vishnu (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deitie
s/vishnu.shtml) at BBC News
Origin of the God Vishnu (http://search.proquest.com/openview/13e939c55359de68af67a10fda
f9d1c3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1817606) Vaclav Machek (1960), Archív Orientální, pages
103-126 (Archived by ProQuest)
Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior (https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/665691), Allysa
B. Peyton (2012), Brooklyn Museum, June 24–October 2, 2011

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