{"id":4205,"date":"2026-04-27T10:36:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T10:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/vishnu\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:25:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:25:00","slug":"vishnu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/vishnu\/","title":{"rendered":"Vishnu"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4205\" class=\"elementor elementor-4205 elementor-2069 elementor-bc-flex-widget\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10fdade e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"10fdade\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herohlft0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herohlft0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3ceb64 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c3ceb64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ae5e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"96ae5e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Vishnu, god of the Hindu tradition<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e45238a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e45238a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu is a god of the Hindu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>.<\/p><p><strong>The preserver of the universe, the thousand-armed god of protection.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klsbdg01 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"klsbdg01\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-klshtm01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"klshtm01\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-pill-row\"><span class=\"iwg-klasse-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"God \/ Goddess: A personified supreme power within the pantheon of a culture, with clearly defined domains such as natural forces, fate, war or fertility. Venerated through cults, sacrifices and temple institutions.\">God<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/hinduism\/\" class=\"iwg-kultur-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Hindu worlds of gods, asuras and protective beings, from Vedic to tantric.\">Hinduism<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f74855 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3f74855\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c30362 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"1c30362\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;Es wurden keine \\u00dcberschriften auf dieser Seite gefunden.&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of contents\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__1c30362\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-herorght0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"herorght0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-heroimg00 iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"heroimg00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_hinduismus_vishnu-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4206\" alt=\"Vishnu - gods from the Hindu tradition, historical-illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_hinduismus_vishnu-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_hinduismus_vishnu-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_hinduismus_vishnu-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_hinduismus_vishnu.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32917199 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"32917199\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26e916cb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"26e916cb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-253a40d4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"253a40d4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1200c304 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1200c304\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Vishnu<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11758e7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11758e7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu is the second god of the Trimurti. While Brahma creates and Shiva destroys, Vishnu preserves and maintains the cosmic order. With his blue skin, the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Energy node within the subtle body according to Indian tradition; classical tantra recognises seven main chakras along the spine.\">chakra<\/span> in his hand and resting on his serpent *Ananta*, he embodies stability and grace.<\/p><p>Yet Vishnu is not a static god: he repeatedly incarnates as avataras on earth to combat evil, as Krishna, as Rama, as a fish, as a lion. Faith in Vishnu lies at the heart of modern Hinduism.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-159dcf9a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"159dcf9a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48cee66f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48cee66f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Quick overview: Vishnu<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f50d82c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f50d82c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Type:<\/strong> Hindu principal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span>, preserver of the cosmic order, one of the three gods of the Trimurti<br><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Pantheon<\/span>: Hinduism (especially Vai&#7779;&#7751;avism), Buddhism (in syncretistic traditions)<br>Function: preservation of the world between creation (Brahma) and destruction (Shiva), incarnation as an avatara in times of crisis<br>Main attributes: four arms holding the conch (Shankha), the discus (Sudarshana Chakra), the mace (Gada) and the lotus (Padma)<br>Main <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> centres: Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Srirangam (Tamil Nadu), Vrindavan (Krishna), Puri (Jagannath), Badrinath (Himalaya)<br>Da&scaron;&acirc;vat&acirc;ra: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18613602 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18613602\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-262b8a9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"262b8a9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Classification<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46dcb7d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46dcb7d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61d3ab3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61d3ab3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-117c166 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"117c166\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Period of the texts<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73997a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73997a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu appears in the <em>Rigveda<\/em> (1200&ndash;900 BCE) as a minor solar god, his principal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> in this early period being the <em>three steps<\/em> with which he traversed the universe.<\/p><p>He rose to the rank of a principal deity in the <em>Br&acirc;hma&#7751;a<\/em> texts and especially in the first millennium CE through the <em>Pur&acirc;&#7751;as<\/em>. In the <em>Mahabharata<\/em> (composed c. 4th century BCE to 4th century CE), the <em>Bhagavadgita<\/em> (Bh.G.) is the central <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic study of God and the doctrines of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theological<\/span> text of the Vai&#7779;&#7751;ava tradition: Krishna, the eighth avatara of Vishnu, reveals to Arjuna the teaching of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A brief, personal or communal religious contemplation.\" tabindex=\"0\">devotion<\/span> (Bhakti).<\/p><p>The ten avataras (<em>Da&scaron;&acirc;vat&acirc;ra<\/em>) are <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to a fixed corpus of sacred scriptures of a religion; non-canonical texts are considered apocryphal.\">canonically<\/span> defined in the <em>Bh&acirc;gavata Pur&acirc;&#7751;a<\/em> (10th century CE).<\/p><p>The Tirupati <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> in Andhra Pradesh is today statistically one of the most-visited religious sites in the world (more than 30 million <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A person who undertakes a religiously motivated journey to a sacred place.\" tabindex=\"0\">pilgrims<\/span> per year); the ISKCON movement (Hare Krishna) has spread the cult of Vishnu-Krishna globally since the 1960s.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d47b156 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d47b156\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff38c2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ff38c2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Area of distribution<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e49fcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e49fcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Principal cult sites in India: <strong>Tirupati \/ Tirumala<\/strong> (Andhra Pradesh, Venkateshvara form, the largest <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A person who undertakes a religiously motivated journey to a sacred place.\" tabindex=\"0\">pilgrimage<\/span> magnet in the world), <strong>Srirangam<\/strong> (Tamil Nadu, Ranganatha form on the island in the Kaveri, the largest functioning Hindu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> complex in the world), <strong>Vrindavan and Mathura<\/strong> (Uttar Pradesh, the region of Krishna avatara&rsquo;s birth), <strong>Puri<\/strong> (Odisha, Jagannath form with the famous Rath Yatra chariot festival), <strong>Badrinath<\/strong> (Uttarakhand, the principal Himalayan cult site) and <strong>Dwarka<\/strong> (Gujarat, the royal city of Krishna).<\/p><p>The <em>108 Divya Desams<\/em> are the most important Vai&#7779;&#7751;ava <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred place dedicated to the veneration of a deity.\" tabindex=\"0\">sanctuaries<\/span> in the Tamil &Saacute;r&icirc; Vai&#7779;&#7751;ava tradition. Internationally there are more than 800 ISKCON <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temples<\/span> in more than 100 countries.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db03c39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"db03c39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-229a87b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"229a87b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f471fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1f471fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Source situation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36b1201 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36b1201\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Central sources: <em>Rigveda<\/em> (hymns 1.22, 1.154 ff. 7.99&ndash;100), <em>Vi&#7779;&#7751;u Pur&acirc;&#7751;a<\/em> (the principal source for the theogonic tradition), <em>Bh&acirc;gavata Pur&acirc;&#7751;a<\/em> (the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The era of Greek and Roman culture, roughly 800 BCE to 600 CE.\" tabindex=\"0\">classical<\/span> Krishna source, twelve Skandhas), <em>Mahabharata<\/em> (especially the Bhi&#7779;ma-Parva with the <em>Bhagavadgita<\/em>), <em>Ramayana<\/em> (the principal source for the Rama avatara) and the <em>Pa&ntilde;car&acirc;tra<\/em> texts (the standard theological Vai&#7779;&#7751;ava collection).<\/p><p>Secondary literature: Hopkins, <em>The Hindu Religious Tradition<\/em>; Doniger, <em>Hindu Myths<\/em>; Michaels, <em>Der Hinduismus. Geschichte und Gegenwart<\/em>; Bryant (ed.), <em>Krishna. A Sourcebook<\/em>; Matchett, <em>K&#7771;&#7779;&#7751;a, Lord or Avat&acirc;ra?<\/em>; Hawley, <em>Three Bhakti Voices<\/em>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ae0637c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ae0637c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31d07739 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31d07739\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Name and variants<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7642947 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b7642947\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a086266 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a086266\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu is typically depicted as a beautiful, dark-blue man, often with four arms. In the upper right hand he carries the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Energy node within the subtle body; classical tantra recognises seven main chakras along the spine.\">chakra<\/span> (<em>Sudarshana<\/em>), a sharp-edged discus weapon. In the upper left the conch (<em>Shankha<\/em>), in the lower right the mace (<em>Gada<\/em>) and in the lower left a lotus.<\/p><p>Around his neck hangs the gemstone <em>Kaustubha<\/em>. He rests on the world serpent <em>Ananta<\/em> or <em>Shesha<\/em>, or sits in his heaven <em>Vaikuntha<\/em>. His consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-709a44a8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"709a44a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f585873 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f585873\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Description<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70621c12 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"70621c12\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4296eb49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4296eb49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu preserves the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, duty and cosmic order; in Buddhism, the teaching of the Buddha.\">dharma<\/span>, the cosmic order and justice. Whenever the world falls into chaos he appears in a new form (<em>avatara<\/em>) and restores the balance.<\/p><p>Krishna in the <em>Bhagavad Gita<\/em> teaches duty (<em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of action.\" tabindex=\"0\">dharma<\/span><\/em>); Rama in the <em>Ramayana<\/em> exemplifies the ideal ruler. Vaishnava veneration is frequently bhakti-oriented, an emotional and devoted love of god. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">Temple<\/span> pilgrimages, mantras and feast days (Rama Navami, Janmashtami for Krishna) run through the Hindu year.<\/p><p><strong>Appearance and symbolism<\/strong><\/p><p><em>Vishnu<\/em> is depicted with four arms holding the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus. His blue or black skin colour refers to the infinite. He often sits on Shesha, the world serpent, or rides the bird Garuda. His paradise Vaikuntha is described as the highest realm.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44e71476 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"44e71476\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c1fc3f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3c1fc3f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Profile: Vishnu<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84f33b8e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84f33b8e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-hqkdc67p elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"hqkdc67p\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most important aspects of Vi&#7779;&#7751;u at a glance. The following fields summarise origin, function, appearance, veneration, symbols and cross-cultural parallels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-qh9oavvu iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"qh9oavvu\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-awzx8k2k elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"awzx8k2k\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Cultural context<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x6rowhv0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x6rowhv0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu is one of the three principal deities of the Hindu <em>Trimurti<\/em> (Brahma as creator, Vishnu as preserver, Shiva as destroyer), a theological concept systematised in the <em>Pur&acirc;&#7751;as<\/em>. He is the consort of <em>Lakshmi<\/em> (prosperity and beauty) and of <em>Bh&ucirc;mi<\/em> (earth), two of his shaktis.<\/p><p>His mount is <em>Garuda<\/em>, the eagle-man and arch-enemy of the serpents. Vishnu sleeps on the world serpent <em>&Scaron;e&#7779;a<\/em> (also called <em>Ananta<\/em>, &bdquo;the endless one&ldquo;) in the cosmic milk ocean; from his navel springs the lotus on which Brahma sits and creates the next world.<\/p><p>He appears in ten principal avataras (<em>Da&scaron;&acirc;vat&acirc;ra<\/em>): Matsya (the fish, saviour of the deluge), Kurma (the turtle), Varaha (the boar, who lifts the earth), Narasimha (the lion-man), Vamana (the dwarf), Parashurama (the axe-wielding brahmin), Rama (the ideal king), Krishna (the divine lover and teacher), Buddha (integrated as an avatara in one tradition) and Kalki (the future end-time avatara).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e3o4kxs iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8e3o4kxs\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08rkdgov elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08rkdgov\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Related to<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-uwjelx8s elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"uwjelx8s\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Preserver of the cosmic order (<em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of action.\" tabindex=\"0\">dharma<\/span><\/em>). In every <em>Yuga<\/em> (cosmic age), when the imbalance between <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of action.\" tabindex=\"0\">dharma<\/span> and adharma grows too great, Vishnu incarnates in an avatara: Krishna in the Mahabharata war, Rama in the Ramayana, Buddha as a reformer.<\/p><p>In personal <em>bhakti<\/em> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the religious acts of veneration directed towards a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> the central relationship is one of love between devotee and god; Vishnu is the most important bhakti <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> alongside Shiva and Devi.<\/p><p>In the <em>Vi&scaron;i&#7779;&#7789;&acirc;dvaita<\/em> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The scholarly doctrine of God and of the faith of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theology<\/span> of Ramanuja (12th century), Vishnu is the highest <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism, the absolute, formless and attributeless being; reflected on in the Upanishads as the ground of all appearances.\">Brahman<\/span>, with whom the individual soul enters a loving union. He is the patron of fulfilling duty at the right moment (Krishna&rsquo;s teaching in the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Song of the Exalted One; a philosophical didactic dialogue in the Mahabharata, one of the most important Hindu works.\">Bhagavadgita<\/span>).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-jm2n74ec iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"jm2n74ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8vufse4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8vufse4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Depiction<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-mwb9u015 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"mwb9u015\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Anthropomorphic, as a beautiful young male figure with <em>blue skin<\/em> (a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of a notion or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbol<\/span> of cosmic infinity, of sky and sea), four arms, dressed in a golden-yellow <em>dhoti<\/em> (loincloth) and splendid brocade, with crown and jewellery (the Kausthuba gemstone on his chest, the Vanam&acirc;l&acirc; flower garland).<\/p><p>The four attributes symbolise cosmic functions: <em>Shankha<\/em> (the conch P&acirc;&ntilde;cajanya, the primordial sound Om), <em>Sudarshana Chakra<\/em> (the discus, time and fate), <em>Gada<\/em> (the mace Kaumodaki, intellectual power) and <em>Padma<\/em> (the lotus, pure creation).<\/p><p>His seated posture is Padmasana on a lotus, or he reclines on the serpent &Scaron;e&#7779;a in the milk ocean (the Anantashayana form). In avatara form he appears as Krishna, youthfully beautiful with a flute, as Rama with bow and arrow, as Narasimha lion-headed and wrathful.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-pemmx7c2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"pemmx7c2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37ss2yr6 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"37ss2yr6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3v0wp3wx elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3v0wp3wx\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Sphere of action<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-w3247g2m elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"w3247g2m\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Sphere of action:<\/strong> Vishnu is <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or invoking address to a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invoked<\/span> in every phase of life, at birth, marriage, illness and death. Daily <em>pujas<\/em> are performed in Hindu households at the domestic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An elevated place or table for offerings and religious acts.\" tabindex=\"0\">altar<\/span> (with a Vishnu or Krishna image or a Shaligrama stone).<\/p><p>Principal festivals: <em>Vaikuntha Ekadashi<\/em> (December\/January), <em>Vamana Jayanti<\/em>, <em>Krishna Janmashtami<\/em> (the birth of Krishna, August\/September, one of the largest Hindu festivals) and <em>Rama Navami<\/em> (the birth of Rama).<\/p><p>In the ISKCON tradition the Hare Krishna <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred syllable or formula repeatedly spoken in Hinduism and Buddhism.\" tabindex=\"0\">mantra<\/span> (<em>Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare<\/em>) stands at the centre of daily practice.<\/p><p>Tirupati receives more than 50,000 <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A person who undertakes a religiously motivated journey to a sacred place.\" tabindex=\"0\">pilgrims<\/span> each day; the voluntary <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The concrete object or food offered to a deity.\" tabindex=\"0\">offering<\/span> of hair (<em>tonsure<\/em>) makes the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> the largest donor of human hair in the world. In cases of illness, special Vishnu mantras are recited (the Vi&#7779;&#7751;u-sahasran&acirc;ma, the thousand names of Vishnu).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0qpjal9w iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0qpjal9w\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ndoih0o elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ndoih0o\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Protection<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6684tyh9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6684tyh9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Shankha (the conch P&acirc;&ntilde;cajanya), Sudarshana Chakra (the discus), Gada (the mace Kaumodaki), Padma (the lotus), Garuda (his eagle mount), the serpent &Scaron;e&#7779;a (his resting place in the milk ocean), the Tulsi plant (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">sacred<\/span>), the Shaligrama stone (a natural stone as an embodiment of Vishnu), the yellow-golden dhoti, the blue skin colour, the crown and the Kausthuba gemstone.<\/p><p>Sacred numbers: 10 (the avataras) and 1000 (the Sahasran&acirc;ma). Sacred plants: tulsi (basil), the banyan tree and the lotus.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3lfi7x32 iwg-steckbrief-card e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3lfi7x32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0kg99ga1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0kg99ga1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Counterparts<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-n0fum6kp elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"n0fum6kp\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Krishna<\/em> and <em>Rama<\/em> (his own principal avataras with worldwide sub-traditions), <em>Indra<\/em> (the Vedic royal god, subordinated to Vishnu in the Pur&acirc;&#7751;as), <em>Bishnu\/Bisnu<\/em> (a Buddhist-Tibetan adaptation), <em>Marduk<\/em> (Mesopotamia, preserver of the cosmic order, sharing common features with Vishnu), <em>Zeus<\/em> (Greece, king of the gods as preserver), <em>Iuppiter Optimus Maximus<\/em> (Rome) and <em>Ahura Mazda<\/em> (Persia, the cosmic god of truth).<\/p><p>Functionally, every preserver <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> that intervenes actively in times of crisis (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Divine appearance, the self-disclosure of a deity to human beings; a classical example is the theophany at Sinai.\">theophany<\/span>) shares Vishnu&rsquo;s functions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7533bc7a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7533bc7a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2447d18d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2447d18d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Protection in everyday life<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5d0260c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d5d0260c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-341be2ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"341be2ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Rituals of veneration<\/strong><\/p><p>Alongside Shiva and Brahma, Vishnu is the third god of the Trimurti, preserver and protector. The veneration of Vishnu (<em>Vaishnavism<\/em>) is one of the largest currents within Hinduism. Daily pujas are performed in the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A building dedicated to the veneration of one or several deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> and at the domestic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A raised place or table for offerings and religious acts.\" tabindex=\"0\">altar<\/span> with tulsi leaves, sandalwood paste and cooked rice.<\/p><p>Principal festivals: Janmashtami (the birth of Krishna), Rama Navami (the birth of Rama) and Vaikuntha Ekadashi (in the month of Margashira). Pilgrimage destinations: Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Puri (Jagannath) and Vrindavan (Krishna).<\/p><p><strong>Mantras and invocations<\/strong><\/p><p>The Ashtakshara <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred syllable or formula repeatedly spoken in Hinduism and Buddhism.\" tabindex=\"0\">mantra<\/span> &bdquo;Om Namo Narayanaya&ldquo; (Mahabharata 13.135) is the central <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"A ritually repeated syllable or word formula with a transformative effect; central in Indian traditions, adapted in the West as decree practice.\">mantra<\/span> of Vaishnavism. The Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names from Mahabharata 13.149) is recited daily. The Bhagavad Gita (Mahabharata 6.23-40) is considered the central Vishnu\/Krishna <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The scholarly doctrine of God and of the faith of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theology<\/span>. The Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana are the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the authoritatively recognized body of scriptures of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">canonical<\/span> narrative texts.<\/p><p><strong><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A worn object to which a protective, misfortune-averting effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">Amulets<\/span> and protective symbols<\/strong><\/p><p>The tulsi mala (a necklace of tulsi wood) and saligram stones (black ammonite fossils from the Gandaki river in Nepal) are Vishnu&rsquo;s sacred stones.<\/p><p>Shankha (the triton conch), Chakra (the discus), Gada (the mace) and Padma (the lotus) are his four symbols. The urdhva pundra (three vertical forehead lines in white, yellow and red) is the Vaishnava identifying mark.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a584676 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5a584676\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d0757bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6d0757bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Vishnu, parallels in other cultures<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60563f68 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"60563f68\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a93fdd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a93fdd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu&rsquo;s role as preserver resembles that of Zeus among the Greeks (the keeper of the world) or that of Odin among the Northern Europeans (who wanders in many forms).<\/p><p>His incarnations recall the incarnation of Christ, yet they are more numerous and continuous. In modern Western <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Collective term for teachings that claim a hidden knowledge accessible only to initiates.\" tabindex=\"0\">esoteric<\/span> traditions Vishnu is sometimes understood as an archetype of grace and redemption. The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical classic well beyond the bounds of Hinduism.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp75190fa e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp75190fa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpf17265e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cpf17265e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The teaching of the avataras<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpec729b1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpec729b1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpf83f3f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpf83f3f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A central element of Vishnu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The scholarly doctrine of God and of the faith of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theology<\/span> is the teaching of the <em>avataras<\/em>, the &#8220;descents&#8221;. It holds that Vishnu embodies himself in a particular form in the world whenever the cosmic and moral order, the <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of action.\" tabindex=\"0\">dharma<\/span><\/em>, is threatened.<\/p><p>The classical formulation of this idea stands in the <em>Bhagavadgita<\/em> (chapter 4), where Krishna explains that he creates himself anew from age to age in order to protect the good, destroy the evildoers and restore the <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of action.\" tabindex=\"0\">dharma<\/span><\/em>.<\/p><p>The most widespread enumeration recognises ten principal avataras, the <em>dashavatara<\/em>.<\/p><p>They include the fish Matsya, who survives the flood; the turtle Kurma; the boar Varaha; the man-lion Narasimha; the dwarf Vamana; Parashurama; Rama, the hero of the <em>Ramayana<\/em>; Krishna; in many lists the Buddha; and Kalkin, the still-awaited avatara at the end of the present age.<\/p><p>The number and composition of the list nevertheless varies between texts and traditions. Some sources count more avataras, others arrange them differently. The inclusion of the Buddha is regarded by scholarship as a process by which a competing religious figure was theologically classified and appropriated.<\/p><p>In terms of the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">study of religion<\/span>, the teaching of the avataras explains how Vaishnavism was able to integrate numerous originally independent regional and mythical figures into a unified system.<\/p><p>Krishna and Rama, each of whom possesses his own large <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the religious acts of veneration directed towards a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> and narrative tradition, are thus understood as manifestations of the one Vishnu. The doctrine is therefore an effective theological instrument of integration. Separate entries treat the most important avataras, for example <a href=\"\/en\/krishna-eighth-avatar-of-vishnu\/\">Krishna<\/a> and <a href=\"\/en\/rama-seventh-avatar-of-vishnu\/\">Rama<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp40c3c22 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp40c3c22\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpa9daf16 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cpa9daf16\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Iconography: attributes, mount and companions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp6ed587c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cp6ed587c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp3c7e0f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cp3c7e0f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The pictorial depiction of Vishnu is strongly fixed and rich in meaning. The god is usually shown with four arms in which he holds his characteristic attributes. These include the conch <em>shankha<\/em>, the discus <em>chakra<\/em> bearing the name Sudarshana, the mace <em>gada<\/em> and the lotus blossom <em>padma<\/em>.<\/p><p>Each of these attributes carries a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands representatively for a concept or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbolic<\/span> meaning; the discus, for instance, is regarded as a weapon against the powers of disorder, and the conch is associated with the primordial sound.<\/p><p>Vishnu&rsquo;s skin colour is described as dark blue or blue-black, recalling the vastness of sky and ocean. On his chest he often bears the curl <em>shrivatsa<\/em> and the jewel <em>kaustubha<\/em>. His mount is Garuda, a mighty eagle-like being, half man and half bird.<\/p><p>A second, equally widespread pictorial form shows Vishnu reclining. In this depiction, often called <em>Anantashayana<\/em>, he rests on the many-headed world serpent Shesha or Ananta, which floats on the cosmic primordial ocean. From his navel grows the lotus on which Brahma sits. At his feet his consort Lakshmi is often seated.<\/p><p>These iconographic conventions have remained remarkably stable since <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Epoch of Greek and Roman culture, roughly 800 BCE to 600 CE.\" tabindex=\"0\">antiquity<\/span> and are found at temples throughout South Asia and in the South-East Asian sphere of influence.<\/p><p>One of the most famous surviving pictorial works is the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A raised, three-dimensional depiction worked out from a surface.\" tabindex=\"0\">relief<\/span> of the reclining Vishnu at Angkor and in the cave complex of Mahabalipuram. The firmness of this visual language made the god immediately recognisable across regions, languages and centuries.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp6e8e87d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cp6e8e87d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp121a50c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp121a50c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">From minor Vedic god to highest deity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpcdb20f8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpcdb20f8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpa5061d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpa5061d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vishnu&rsquo;s position has changed considerably in the course of Indian religious history. In the oldest texts, the Vedic hymns, Vishnu is present but plays a comparatively subordinate role.<\/p><p>There he is associated above all with the &#8220;three steps&#8221; with which he traverses the cosmos, a deed that links him with vastness and with the penetration of cosmic space. The centre of the Vedic <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religion<\/span>, however, is occupied by other deities, such as Indra and Agni.<\/p><p>In the course of the first millennium before our common era and in the centuries that followed, Vishnu rose to become one of the two great supreme deities of Hinduism. Several developments contributed to this process.<\/p><p>Older, originally independent deities and heroic figures, such as Narayana, Vasudeva-Krishna and Bhagavat, merged with Vishnu or were assigned to him. Out of these currents, Vaishnavism developed as a broad religious tradition.<\/p><p>The great epics, the <em>Mahabharata<\/em> with the embedded <em>Bhagavadgita<\/em> and the <em>Ramayana<\/em>, together with the Puranas, especially the <em>Vishnu Purana<\/em> and the <em>Bhagavata Purana<\/em>, gave Vaishnavism its theological and narrative foundation.<\/p><p>In them Vishnu appears as the god who preserves the world, who intervenes again and again through his avataras in a saving manner and who is accessible to the faithful through devotion, <em>bhakti<\/em>.<\/p><p>From the perspective of the study of religion, this rise is a good example of the fact that the ranking within the Hindu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> is not static, but has shifted over long periods of time through mergers, theological elaboration and changes in <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The lived religious attitude and practice of a person.\" tabindex=\"0\">piety<\/span>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpfbb0336 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cpfbb0336\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cp7d6c345 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cp7d6c345\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Vishnu and Lakshmi: the divine couple<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpa95462c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cpa95462c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cpc18d4fa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cpc18d4fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the Hindu tradition, Vishnu is almost always thought of together with his consort Lakshmi, also called Shri. Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune, prosperity, abundance and beauty. Their close connection is so fundamental that a separate theological school, the Shri Vaishnava tradition, places it at the centre of its teaching.<\/p><p>In <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the transmitted narratives about the gods of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span>, Lakshmi appears during the churning of the milk ocean, one of the most famous puranic narratives, in which gods and <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">demons<\/span> together churn the primordial ocean in order to win the drink of immortality.<\/p><p>Many precious things rise from the ocean, among them Lakshmi herself, who chooses Vishnu. Wherever Vishnu appears in his avataras, Lakshmi too is, according to widespread belief, present in a corresponding form: at Rama&rsquo;s side as Sita, at Krishna&rsquo;s side as Rukmini.<\/p><p>The theological significance of this couple goes beyond a mere pairing of god and consort. In the Shri Vaishnava <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The scholarly doctrine of God and of the faith of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theology<\/span>, which has its centre in South India, Lakshmi is considered the mediator between the believer and Vishnu.<\/p><p>She receives the petitions of human beings and intercedes before the Lord, and her compassion softens the severity of the divine judgement. Vishnu and Lakshmi are thus thought of as two and at the same time as an inseparable unity.<\/p><p>From the perspective of the study of religion, this couple displays a basic trait of Hindu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The lived religious attitude and practice of a person.\" tabindex=\"0\">piety<\/span>: the highest <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> is not understood in isolation but as a relational reality, and the feminine side of the divine, the <em>shakti<\/em>, is essential to the efficacy and accessibility of the god.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36dd7469 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"36dd7469\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13760ab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"13760ab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Further reading and links<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c87796 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"28c87796\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d6538df elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d6538df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/shiva\/\">Shiva, member of the Trimurti (destroyer)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/brahma\/\">Brahma, member of the Trimurti (creator, if a page exists)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/hanuman\/\">Hanuman, helper of the Rama avatara<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/ganesha\/\">Ganesha, a related high deity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/hinduism\/\">Hinduism, pantheon overview<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/high-deities\/\">High deities, sub-category<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/en\/gods\/\">Gods, class overview<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-grl4kl40 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"grl4kl40\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bzsbfrmh elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bzsbfrmh\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Literature (selection)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c13224a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2c13224a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0eymh9ub elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0eymh9ub\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<footer class=\"iwg-literatur\" data-nosnippet=\"true\"><ul><li><span data-nosnippet>Hopkins, Thomas J.: <em>The Hindu Religious Tradition<\/em>. Belmont 1971.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Doniger, Wendy: <em>Hindu Myths. A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit<\/em>. London 1975.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Michaels, Axel: <em>Der Hinduismus. Geschichte und Gegenwart<\/em>. Munich 1998.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Bryant, Edwin F. (ed.): <em>Krishna. A Sourcebook<\/em>. Oxford 2007.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Matchett, Freda: <em>K&#7771;&#7779;&#7751;a, Lord or Avat&acirc;ra? The Relationship between K&#7771;&#7779;&#7751;a and Vi&#7779;&#7751;u<\/em>. Richmond 2001.<\/span><\/li><li><span data-nosnippet>Hawley, John Stratton: <em>Three Bhakti Voices. Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir in their Time and Ours<\/em>. Oxford 2005.<\/span><\/li><li>Pa&ntilde;car&acirc;tra Sa&#7747;hit&acirc; texts and Bh&acirc;gavata Pur&acirc;&#7751;a, numerous translations.<\/li><li>Walde, Christine (ed.): <em>Der Neue Pauly<\/em> (entry &bdquo;Vi&#7779;&#7751;u&ldquo;).<\/li><\/ul><\/footer>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b15618 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0b15618\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f7d887 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9f7d887\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Frequently asked questions about Vishnu<\/h2><div class=\"iwg-faq-q\"><h3>Who is Vishnu in Hinduism?<\/h3><p>Vishnu is the preserver god of the Trimurti, alongside Brahma (the creator) and Shiva (the destroyer) the third of the great gods. He is typically depicted with blue skin and four arms, holding the conch (Shankha), the discus (Sudarshana Chakra), the mace (Gada) and the lotus.<\/p><p>Vishnu sleeps in the cosmic primordial ocean on the world serpent Shesha; when the world is in danger he awakens and incarnates as an avatara. His consort is Lakshmi (the goddess of fortune), and his mount is the eagle Garuda.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"iwg-faq-q\"><h3>What are the ten avataras of Vishnu?<\/h3><p>The Dashavatara (ten avataras) are Vishnu&rsquo;s incarnations in critical world periods: Matsya (the fish, who saves the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Oldest Indian scriptures (c. 1500 to 500 BCE); Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.\" tabindex=\"0\">Vedas<\/span>), Kurma (the turtle, churning <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span>), Varaha (the boar, who lifts the earth), Narasimha (the man-lion, who kills Hiranyakashipu), Vamana (the dwarf, who outwits Bali), Parashurama (the warrior brahmin), Rama (the hero of the Ramayana), Krishna (the teacher of the Bhagavadgita), Buddha (regarded as an avatara of Vishnu in the Hindu understanding) and Kalki (the coming avatara at the end of the world).<\/p><p>Krishna and Rama are the most popular avataras.<\/p><\/div><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who is Vishnu in Hinduism?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Vishnu is the preserver god of the Trimurti, alongside Brahma (the creator) and Shiva (the destroyer) the third of the great gods. He is typically depicted with blue skin and four arms, holding the conch (Shankha), the discus (Sudarshana Chakra), the mace (Gada) and the lotus. Vishnu sleeps in the cosmic primordial ocean on the world serpent Shesha; when the world is in danger he awakens and incarnates as an avatara. His consort is Lakshmi (the goddess of fortune), and his mount is the eagle Garuda.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the ten avataras of Vishnu?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Dashavatara (ten avataras) are Vishnu\\u2019s incarnations in critical world periods: Matsya (the fish, who saves the Vedas), Kurma (the turtle, churning <span class=\\\"iwg-fachbegriff\\\" data-tooltip=\\\"A transmitted narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\\\" tabindex=\\\"0\\\">myth<\/span>), Varaha (the boar, who lifts the earth), Narasimha (the man-lion, who kills Hiranyakashipu), Vamana (the dwarf, who outwits Bali), Parashurama (the warrior brahmin), Rama (the hero of the Ramayana), Krishna (the teacher of the Bhagavadgita), Buddha (regarded as an avatara of Vishnu in the Hindu understanding) and Kalki (the coming avatara at the end of the world). Krishna and Rama are the most popular avataras.\"}}]}<\/script>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vishnu, god of the Hindu tradition Vishnu is a god of the Hindu tradition. The preserver of the universe, the thousand-armed god of protection. GodHinduism Table of contents Vishnu Vishnu is the second god of the Trimurti. While Brahma creates and Shiva destroys, Vishnu preserves and maintains the cosmic order. With his blue skin, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4206,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Vishnu","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Vishnu, Preserver of the Hindu Trimurti","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Vishnu, preserver of the Hindu Trimurti. 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