Vishnu

For other uses, see Vishnu (disambiguation).

Vishnu (/vnu/; Sanskrit: ,Viu) is a Hindu god,the Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the three prin-cipal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the threesupreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism.[1] He is alsoknown as Narayana and Hari. As one of the ve primaryforms of God in the Smarta tradition,[1] he is conceivedas the Preserver or the Protector[2] within the Trimurti,the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.In Hindu sacred texts, Vishnu is usually described as hav-ing dark complexion of water-lled clouds and as havingfour arms. He is depicted as a pale blue being, as are hisincarnations Rama and Krishna He holds a padma (lotusower) in his lower left hand, theKaumodaki gada (mace)in his lower right hand, the Panchajanya shankha (conch)in his upper left hand and the discus weapon considered tobe one of the most powerful weapon acoording to HinduReligion Sudarshana Chakra in his upper right hand.

1 Etymology

The traditional explanation of the name Vishnu involvesthe root vi,meaning to settle (cognate with Latin vicus,English -wich village, Slavic: vas -ves), or also (in theRigveda) to enter into, to pervade, glossing the nameas the All-Pervading One.[3] Yaska, an early commen-tator on the Vedas, in his Nirukta, (etymological interpre-tation), denes Vishnu as viur vivater v vyanoter v,one who enters everywhere. He also writes, atha yadviito bhavati tad vinurbhavati, that which is free fromfetters and bondages is Vishnu.[4]

Adi Shankara in his commentary on the Sahasranamastates derivation from vi, with a meaning presence ev-erywhere (As he pervades everything, vevesti, he iscalled Vishnu"). Adi Shankara states (regarding VishnuPurana, 3.1.45): The Power of the Supreme Being hasentered within the universe. The root vi means 'en-ter into'. Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation ofVishnu Sahasranama further elaborates on that verse:The root vis means to enter. The entire world of thingsand beings is pervaded by Him and the Upanishad em-phatically insists in its mantra 'whatever that is there isthe world of change.' Hence, it means that He is not lim-ited by space, time or substance. Chinmayananda statesthat, that which pervades everything is Vishnu.[5]

A 4th6th century CE Sardonyx seal representing Vishnu with aworshipper. The inscription in cursive Bactrian reads: "Mihira,Vishnu (right) and Shiva".

2 Sacred texts - Shruti and Smriti

Shruti is considered to be solely of divine origin. It ispreserved as a whole, instead of verse by verse. It in-cludes the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samavedaand Atharvaveda) the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and theUpanishads with commentaries on them.Smti refers to all the knowledge derived and inculcatedafter Shruti had been received. Smrti is not 'divine' inorigin, but was 'remembered' by later Rishis (sages byinsight, who were the scribes) by transcendental meansand passed down through their followers. It includesthe Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana which areSattva Puranas.[6] These both declare Vishnu as ParaBrahman Supreme Lord who creates unlimited universesand enters each one of them as Lord of Universe.

1

2 3 SHRUTI

A 13th-century Cambodian statue of Vishnu

3 Shruti

3.1 Vaishnava CanonThe Vaishnava canon presents Vishnu as the supreme be-ing, rather than another name for the Sun God, who alsobore the name Suryanarayana and is considered only as aform of Vishnu.

3.1.1 Vedas

In the Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka (10-13-1),Narayana suktam, Lord Narayana is mentioned as thesupreme being. The rst verse of Narayana Suktam men-tions the words paramam padam, which literally meanhighest post and may be understood as the supremeabode for all souls. This is also known as Param Dhama,Paramapadam, or Vaikuntha. Rig Veda 1:22:20a alsomentions the same paramam padam. This special sta-tus is not given to any deity in the Vedas apart fromLord Vishnu/Narayana. Narayana is one of the thou-sand names of Vishnu as mentioned in the Vishnu Sa-hasranama.[7] It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervadingessence of all beings, the master ofand beyondthepast, present and future, one who supports, sustains andgoverns the Universe and originates and develops all ele-ments within. This illustrates the omnipresent character-istic of Vishnu. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservationand sustenance of the universe, so he is called Preserverof the universe.Vishnu is the Supreme God who takes manifest forms or

avatars across various ages or periods to save humanityfrom evil beings, demons or Asuras. According to theextant Hindu texts and traditions, Lord Vishnu is con-sidered to be resident in the direction of the MakaraRashi (the Shravana Nakshatra), which is about coin-cident with the Capricorn constellation.[8] In some of theextant Puranas, and Vaishnava traditions, Vishnus eye isconsidered to be situated at the innitely distant SouthernCelestial Pole.[9]

Following the defeat of Indra and his displacement asthe Lord of Heaven or Swarga, Indra asks Lord Vishnufor help and thus Lord Vishnu takes his incarnations oravatars to Earth to save mankind, thus showing his posi-tion as Supreme God to all of creation.In the Puranas, Indra frequently appears proud andhaughty. These bad qualities are temporarily removedwhen Brahma and/or Shiva give boons to Asuras or Rak-shasas such as Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu and Ravana,who are then able to defeat Indra in wars between Devasand Asuras. The received boons often made Asuras vir-tually indestructible.Indra has no option but to seek help from Vishnu. In-dra prays before Vishnu for protection and the SupremeLord obliges him by taking avatars and generating himselfon Earth in various forms, rst as a water-dweller (Mat-sya, sh), then as an amphibious creature (Kurma avataror Tortoise), then as a half-man-half-animal (Varahathe pig-faced, human-bodied Lord, and Narasimha theLord with lions face and claws and a human body).Later, Vishnu appears as human beings (Vamana theshort-heighted person), Parashurama, Rama, Balarama[or Buddha according to certain schools], Krishna, andnally as Kalki for performing his task of protecting hisdevotees from demons and anti-religious entities.Vishnus supremacy is attested by his victories over thosevery powerful entities. It is further attested by the ac-cepted iconography and sculptures of Vishnu in recliningposition as producing Brahma emerging from his navel.Brahma the creator is thus created in turn by Vishnu outof his own person. Instead Vishnu takes various avatarsto slay or defeat those demons. But it is to be noted thatVishnu also provided boons to Akupresura, a bear faceddemon who was destroyed by Lord Shiva.[10][11]

Vishnus actions lowered Indras ranking among Hindudeities and led to the ascendancy of Vishnu.[10]

3.1.2 Rigveda

In the Rigveda, Vishnu is mentioned 93 times. He is fre-quently invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra,whom he helps in killing Vritra and with whom he drinksSoma. His distinguishing characteristic in the Vedas is hisassociation with light. Two Rigvedic hymns inMandala 7are dedicated to Vishnu. In 7.99, Vishnu is addressed asthe god who separates heaven and earth, a characteristic

3.1 Vaishnava Canon 3

12th century stone sculpture of God Vishnu anked by two ap-saras one with a fan (left) and the other with Tambura (right).

he shares with Indra.The Rig Veda describes Vishnu as younger brother to In-dra as Vamana. In Vaishnava canon the 'Vishnu' whois younger brother to Indra is identied as Vamana,Avatar of Vishnu, hence referred to as Vishnu byVaishnavites.[10][12] Vishnu is the Supreme God who livesin the highest celestial region, contrasted against thosewho live in the atmospheric or terrestrial regions. Vishnuis content with mere prayer, unlike almost all of theother gods who receive sacricial oerings such as Havis,which is given using claried butter, or Soma.[12] Laterforeign translators have view that Vedas place Indra ina superior position to Vishnus Avatar of Vamana but infact Vamana helps Indra by restoring his Kingdom.Jan Gonda, the late Indologist, states that Vishnu, al-though remaining in the background of Indras exploits,contributes by his presence, or is key to Indras success.Vishnu is more than a mere companion, equal in rank orpower to Indra, or sometime the one who made Indrassuccess possible.Descriptions of Vishnu as younger to Indra are found inonly the hymns to Indra, but in a kathenotheism religionlike that of the Rigveda, each god, for a time, is supremein the mind of the devotee.In the Rig Vedic texts, the deity or god referred toas Vishnu is the Sun God, who also bears the name'Suryanarayana'. By contrast, the 'Vishnu' referred to in'Vishnu Purana', 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' and 'PurushaSooktham' is Lord Narayana, the Consort of Lakshmi.

Vaishnavites make a further distinction by extolling thequalities of Vishnu by highlighting his dierences fromother deities such as Shiva, Brahma or Surya.[10]

3.1.3 Three steps

God Vishnu Bronze, 10th-11th century, Coimbatore, TamilNadu, India

Hymn 7.100 refers to the celebrated 'three steps ofVishnu (as Trivikrama) by which he strode over the uni-verse and in three places planted his step. The 'VishnuSuktam' (RV 1.154) says that the rst and second ofVishnus strides (those encompassing the earth and air)are visible to men and the third is in the heights of heaven(sky). This last place is described as Vishnus supremeabode in RV 1.22.20:

The princes evermore behold / that loftiestplace where

God Vishnu is / Laid as it were an eye inheaven.(trans. Grith)

Griths princes are the sri, either inciters or lordsof a sacrice, or priests charged with pressing the Soma.The verse is quoted as expressing Vishnus supremacy byVaishnavites.Though such solar aspects have been associated withVishnu by tradition as well as modern-scholarship, he wasnot just the representation of the sun, as he moves bothvertically and horizontally.In hymns 1.22.17, 1.154.3, 1.154.4 he strides across theearth with three steps, in 6.49.13, 7.100.3 strides across

4 3 SHRUTI

the earth three times and in 1.154.1, 1.155.5,7.29.7 hestrides vertically, with the nal step in the heavens. Thesame Veda also says he strode wide and created space inthe cosmos for Indra to ght Vritra. By his stride he madedwelling for men possible, the three forming a symbolicrepresentation of the dwellings all-encompassing nature.This nature and benevolence to men were Vishnus en-during attributes. As the triple-strider he is known asTrivikrama and as Urukrama, for the strides were wide.

3.2 Brahmanas

A statue in Bangkok, Thailand depicting God Vishnu mountedon his vahana Garuda, the eagle

The Brahmanas are commentaries on the Vedas and formpart of the Shruti literature. They are concerned withthe detail of the proper performance of rituals. In theRigveda, Shakala Shakha: Aitareya Brahmana Verse 1declares: agnir vai devnm ava mo viu paramus,tadantarea sarv any devat - Agni is the lowest oryoungest god and Vishnu is the greatest and the highestGod.The Brahmanas assert the supremacy of Lord Vishnu, ad-dressing him as Gajapati, the one whom all sacricesare meant to please. Lord Vishnu accepts all sacricesto the demigods and allots the respective fruits to the per-former In one incident, a demonic person performs a sac-rice by abducting the Rishis (sages), who meditate byconstantly chanting Gods name. The sacrice is meantto destroy Indra. But the rishis, who worship Indra asa demigod, alter one pronunciation of the Veda Mantra,reversing the purpose of the sacrice. When the fruit of

the sacrice is given and the demon is on the verge of dy-ing, he calls to Vishnu, whom he addresses as SupremeGodhead and the father of all living entities includinghimself.Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 mentions Vishnu as theSupreme God. But in the Vaishnava canon, in dier-ent ages, with Vishnu in dierent avatars, his relationshipwith the asuras or demons, was always adversarial. Theasuras always caused harm, while the sages and devas orcelestial beings, did penance and called to Vishnu for pro-tection. Vishnu always obliged by taking an avatar to van-quish the asuras. In the Vaishnava canon, Vishnu nevergave or granted any boons to the asuras, distinguishinghim from the gods Shiva and Brahma, who did. He is theonly God called upon to save good beings by defeating orkilling the asuras.[10]

Sayana writes that in Aitareya Brahmana 1:1:1 thedeclaration agnir vai devnm ava mo viu para-mus,tadantarea sarv any devat does not indicate anyhierarchy among gods. Even in Rigveda Samhita, avamaand parama are not applied to denote rank and dignity,but only to mark place and locality.In Rigveda 1:108:9,: yadindrghn avamasypthivy madhyamasy paramasymuta stha |i.e., in the lowest place, the middle (place), and thehighest (place). Agni, the re, has, among the gods,the lowest place; for he resides with man on the earth;while the other gods are either in the air, or in thesky. Vishnu occupies the highest place. The wordsavama and parama are understood as 'First' and 'Last'respectively. To support this claim, Sayana adducesthe mantra (1,4. Asval. Sr. S. 4, 2), agnir mukhamprathamo devathanam samathanam uttamo vishnur asit,i.e., Agni was the rst of the deities assembled, (and)Vishnu the last.In the Kausitaki Brahmana (7.1) Agni is called Aarad-hya (instead of avama), and Visnu parardha(instead ofparama),i.e., belonging to the lower and higher halves(or forming the lower and higher halves).[13] The VishnuPurana gives tremendous importance to the worship ofVishnu and mentions that sacrices are to begin only withboth the lighting of re or 'Agni', pouring of sacricial of-ferings to Vishnu in 'Agni' so that those oerings reachand are accepted by Vishnu. Worship of Vishnu throughYajnas (or Homams) and other rituals, will not achievethe desired result if Agnis role is neglected.[10]

Muller says Although the gods are sometimes distinctlyinvoked as the great and the small, the young and theold (Rig veda 1:27:13), this is only an attempt to ndthe most comprehensive expression for the divine powers,and nowhere is any of the gods represented as the subor-dinate to others. It would be easy to nd, in the numeroushymns of the Veda, passages in which almost every singlegod is represented as supreme and absolute.[14]

54 Smriti

4.1 Vishnu SmritiThe Vishnu Smti, is one of the later books of theDharmashastra tradition of Hinduism and the only onethat focuses on the bhakti tradition and the requireddaily puja to Vishnu, rather than the means of knowingdharma. It is also known for its handling of the contro-versial subject of the practice of sati (self-immolation ofa widow on her husbands funeral pyre).[15] The text wascomposed by an individual or group. The author(s) cre-ated a collection of the commonly known legal maximsthat were attributed to Vishnu into one book, as Indianoral culture began to be recorded more formally.[16]

4.2 Bhagavata PuranaVishnu is the only Bhagavan as declared in the Bhagavata1:2:11 in the verse: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvamyaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan itisabdyate, translated as Learned transcendentalists whoknow the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance asBrahman, Paramtma and Bhagavan.[17]

5 Sangam literatureMain article: ThirumalTamil Sangam literature (300BCE to 500CE) mentions

The front-view of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple inThiruvananthapuram, Kerala, dedicated to Vishnu. Thetemple dates back to before the Sangam period, and is believedto be the wealthiest place of worship in the world, with assetsof gold and precious stones potentially estimated to be worthtrillions of dollars.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

mAyOn, or the dark one, as the supreme deity who cre-ates, sustains and destroys the universe. Paripadal 3 de-scribes the glory of Thirumal in the most superlativeterms.Paripadal(3)by kaduvan iLaveyinanAr:

thIyinuL theRal nI poovinuL naaRRanI kallinuL maNiyu nI sollinuL vaaymaiaRaththinuL anbu nI maRaththinuL mainthunI vEthaththu maRai nI boothaththu madhalunI vencudar oLiyu nI thingaLuL aLiyu nIanaiththu nI anaiththinut poruLu nI

The last line states that Lord Vishnu is the supreme de-ity who is the inner controller (Antaryamin) of the entireuniverse. This is one of the Lords glories, which is rstmentioned in Vedas and later propounded by Alwars inPrabhandams and Sri Vaishnavaite Acharyas in variouscommentariesThe Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Vishnu, Lakshmiis mentioned in Tamil works of literature of the Sangamera, including the epic Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 3540):

yiram viritteu talaiyuai aruntiapya paip palartou ttta viritiraik kviri

viyaperu turuttit tiruvamar mrpa kiantavaamum

On a magnicent cot having a thousand heads spread out,worshipped and praised by many, in an islet surroundedby Kaveri with bellowing waves, is the lying posture ofthe one who has Lakshmi sitting in his chest

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu templededicated to Vishnu located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli,Tamil Nadu, India. Srirangam temple is often listedas the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world,the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existingtemple.[25][26] The temple occupies an area of 156 acres(631,000 m) with a perimeter of 4,116m (10,710 feet)making it the largest temple in India and one of thelargest religious complexes in the world.[27]

6 6 THEOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES

6 Theological attributesMain article: Vaishnavism

The actual number of Vishnus auspicious qualities iscountless, although his six most-important divine glo-ries are:

Jnana (Omniscience); dened as the power to knowabout all beings simultaneously;

Aishvarya (Sovereignty), derived from the word Ish-vara which means unchallenged rule over all;

Shakti (Power or Energy), the capacity to make theimpossible possible;

Bala (Strength), the capacity to support everythingby will and without any fatigue;

Virya (Vigour), the power to retain immateriality asthe Supreme Spirit or Being in spite of being thematerial cause of mutable creations;

Tejas (Splendor), which expresses self-suciencyand the capacity to overpower everything by spiri-tual eulgence.[28]

Other important qualities attributed to Vishnu are Gamb-hirya (inestimatable grandeur), Audarya (generosity),and Karunya (compassion). Natya Shastra lists Vishnuas the presiding deity of the Sngara rasa.The Rigveda states that Lord Vishnu can traverse theentire Universe in three strides. The rst stride coversthe Mortal Realm. The second stride covers the inter-mediate visible sky consisting of all the lesser realms.And the third stride covers what cannot be seen by mor-tals and consists of all the countless realms where theHigher Beings and the righteous dead reside. (Thisfeature of three strides also appears in the story of hisavatar Vamana/Trivikrama.) The Sanskrit for to strideis the root kram; its reduplicated perfect is chakram (guagrade) or chakra (zero-grade), and in the Rigveda he iscalled by epithets such as vi-chakra-mas = he who hasmade 3 strides. The Sanskrit word chakra also meanswheel. That may have suggested the idea of Vishnucarrying a chakra.

6.1 Five formsSee also Pacaratra

The Sri Vaishnavism school within Hinduism dates toaround the 10th century AD and believes that Vishnu as-sumes ve forms:

1. The Para Form.

The Angkor Wat Temple is the largest existing Temple in theworld; it is the largest religious structure ever built anywhere inrecorded history; and with 6 million to 10 million blocks of sand-stone, each weighing 1.5 tons on average, it is by far the largeststone structure ever built anywhere in recorded history.[29]

Vishnu (Beikthano in Burmese) on his mount, the garuda, in thetraditional Burmese depiction.

2. The Vyuha form.

3. The Vibhava form.

4. The Antaryami form (dwelling within or SuksmaVasudeva form).

5. The Arcavatara or image manifestation form.

7.3 Garuda 7

7 Relations with deities

The Trimurti (three forms) is a concept in Hinduism inwhich the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, anddestruction are personied by the forms of Brahma thecreator, Vishnu themaintainer, preserver or protector andShiva the destroyer or transformer.[30][31] These threedeities have also been called the Hindu triad[32] or theGreat Trinity,[33] all having the same meaning of threein One. They are the dierent forms or manifestationof One person the Supreme Being or Narayana/SvayamBhagavan.[34]

7.1 Shiva

The three gods of the Trimurti clan are inseparable andin harmony in view of their common vision and universalgood. They are perfectly ideal in all respects.Both Asuras and Devas played supportive roles in thisstory by keeping company with Vishnu in his incarnatedforms. Hanuman is a vanara who is completely dedi-cated to Rama. He gives Vishnu company and obeyshis command, while playing an important part in Ramaslife. He is regarded in Vaishnava canon because it isthrough blessings that Hanuman is born. Thus, Hanu-man, Vishnus constant companion, with his idol appear-ing temples of Rama, Krishna and Narasimha, i.e. allof Vishnus avatars, is considered by Vaishnavas. LordShiva and Lord Vishnu are considered to be devotees ofeach other and they help each other in maintaining stabil-ity and peace in world [35]

Syncretic forces produced stories in which the two deitieswere shown in cooperative relationships and combinedforms. Harihara is the name of a combined deity formof both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara).[36] This dualform, which is also called Harirudra, is mentioned in theMahabharata.[37]

7.2 Lakshmi

Vishnus consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (alsoknown as Maya). The Samvit (the primary intelli-gence/dark matter) of the universe is Vishnu, while theother ve attributes emerge from this samvit and henceMaya or dark energy of the universe is Lakshmee is hisahamata, activity, or Vishnus Power.This power of God,Maya or Shakti, is personied and has multiple names:Shree, Lakshmi, Maya, Vishnumaya or Mahamaya. Sheis said to manifest as Kriyashakti, (Creative Activity) andBhutishakti (Creation). This world requires Vishnus cre-ativity. He therefore needs Lakshmi to always be withHim. Her various avatars as Lord Vishnus consorts areVarahavatar (Bhoodevi) or Bhoomi, Ramavatar Seeta,Krishnavatar Rukmini)

Vishnu with Lakshmi (Lakshmi-Narayana) at Halebidu.

7.3 Garuda

Vishnus mount (Vahana) is Garuda, the eagle. Vishnu iscommonly depicted as riding on his shoulders.

8 AvatarsMain article: AvatarSee also: DashavataraAdherents of Hinduism believe Vishnus eternal andsupreme abode beyond the material universe is calledVaikuntha, which is also known as Paramdhama, therealm of eternal bliss and happiness and the nal or high-est place for liberated souls who have attained Moksha.Vaikuntha is situated beyond the material universe andhence, cannot be perceived or measured by material sci-ence or logic.[38][39] Vishnus other abode within the ma-terial universe is Ksheera Sagara (the ocean of milk),where he reclines and rests on Ananta Shesha, (the kingof the serpent deities, commonly shown with a thousandheads). In almost all Hindu denominations, Vishnu is ei-ther worshipped directly or in the form of his ten avatars,the most famous of whom are Rama and Krishna.[40]

The Puranabharati, an ancient text, describes these as thedashavatara, or the ten avatars of Vishnu. Ten avatars(dashavatara) of Vishnu are the most prominent:[41]

8 9 BEYOND HINDUISM

Ten avatars of Vishnu (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana,Krishna, Kalki, Buddha, Parshurama, Rama and Narasimha).Painting from Jaipur, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Among the ten, nine have occurred in the past and onewill take place in the future as Lord Kalki, at the end ofKali Yuga, (the fourth and nal stage in the cycle of yu-gas that the world goes through). These incarnations takeplace in all Yugas in cosmic scales; the avatars and theirstories show that gods are indeed unimaginable, unthink-able and inconceivable. The Bhagavad Gita mentionstheir purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma,[42] to van-quish those negative forces of evil that threaten dharma,and also to display His divine nature in front of all souls.Another 22 avatars are given in Chapter 3, Canto 1 of theBhagavata Purana, although it states that the incarnationsof the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets owing frominexhaustible sources of water.

9 Beyond Hinduism

9.1 SikhismGuru Granth Sahib of Sikhism mentions Vishnu, oneverse goes:-

The true Vaishnaav, the devotee of Vishnu,is the one with whom God is thoroughlypleased. He dwells apart from Maya. Per-forming good deeds, he does not seek rewards.Spotlessly pure is the religion of such a Vaish-naav; he has no desire for the fruits of hislabors. He is absorbed in devotional worship

and the singing of Kirtan, the songs of theLords Glory. Within his mind and body, hemeditates in remembrance on the Lord of theUniverse. He is kind to all creatures. He holdsfast to the Naam, and inspires others to chantit. O Nanak, such a Vaishnaav obtains thesupreme status.[43]

9.2 Buddhism

Uthpalawarna Vishnu Devalaya in Devinuwara, Matara, SriLanka

While some Hindus consider Buddha as an incarnationof Vishnu, Buddhists in Sri Lanka venerate Vishnu asthe custodian deity of Sri Lanka and protector of Bud-dhism. Lord Vishnu is also known as upulvan, or uth-pala varna, meaning Blue Lotus coloured. Some pos-tulate that Uthpala varna was a local deity who latermerged with Vishnu while another belief is that Uth-pala Varna was an early form of Vishnu before he be-came a supreme deity in Puranic Hinduism. According toChronicles "Mahawamsa", Chulawamsa, and folklorein Sri Lanka, Buddha himself handed over the custodi-anship to Vishnu. Others believe that Buddha entrustedthis task to Sakra(Indra) and Sakra delegated this taskof custodianship to god Vishnu.[44] In contrary to vedicHinduism, in assimilation of Hindu god Vishnu into Sin-halese Buddhism, Vishnu becomes a mortal being and aBodhisattva aspiring Buddhahood. Additionally, Vishnuis considered as the god of home and hearth represent-ing mercy, goodness, order and stability. Many Buddhistand Hindu shrines are dedicated to Vishnu in Sri Lanka.In addition to specic Vishnu Kovils or devalayas,all Buddhist temples necessarily house shrine rooms (De-valayas) closer to the main Buddhist shrine dedicated toVishnu.[45]

John Holt in his groundbreaking study examines theassimilation, transformation, and subordination of theHindu deity Vishnu within the contexts of Sri Lankanhistory and Sinhala Buddhist religious culture. He thenexplores the role and rationale of medieval Sinhala kingsin assimilating Visnu into Sinhala Buddhism.[46] Accord-

9ing to Holt the veneration of Vishnu in Sri Lanka is ev-idence of a remarkable ability, over many centuries, toreiterate and reinvent culture as other ethnicities havebeen absorbed into their own. Though the Vishnu cult inCeylon was formally endorsed by Kandyan kings in theearly 1700s, Holt states that vishnu images and shrinesare among conspicuous ruins in the medieval capitalPolonnaruwa.In Buddhist mythology, when Vishnu failed to tra-verse the universe in three steps, he was given the titleArdha Vishnu (Half-Vishnu)" and when Vishnu ban-ished demons from the Vaishali (Vishala )in India, hebecame Mulu Vishnu or Whole Vishnu. The ex-treme signicance of god Vishnu in Sinhala society is re-ected in recitals of the traditional oerings to dwarfsand crossing the door frame (bahirwayanta dola pideemsaha uluwahu peneema) that starts with Sri Vishnu in-vocation. In the recitals, mentioning of the aspiring Bud-dhahood of Vishnu which is of prime importance to Bud-dhists and wishes for him to live ve thousand and moreyears highlight the central role of Vishnu in the psyche ofSri Lankan Buddhists.[47]

9.3 Others

Similarities between Vishnu and Ancient Egyptian GodHorus have been noted by James Freeman Clarke,[48]Richard Leviton,[49] James Cowles Prichard,[50] and oth-ers.During an excavation in an abandoned village of Russia inthe Volga region, archaeologist Alexander Kozhevin ex-cavated an ancient idol of Vishnu. The idol dates frombetween the 7th and 10th centuries. In the interviewKozhevin, stated that, Wemay consider it incredible, butwe have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region wasthe original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis,but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research.[51]

10 Thousand names of Vishnu

Main article: Vishnu sahasranama

Vishnus many names and followers are collected in theVishnusahasranama (Vishnus thousand names), onewell-known version of which is found in the Mahab-harata. The character Bhishma recites the names be-fore Krishna on the battleeld of Kurukshetra, praisingVishnu as the supreme god. These sahasranama are re-garded as the essence of all Vedas by followers of Vaish-navism, who believe sincere chanting of Vishnusahas-ranama results in spiritual well-being and greater aware-ness of God.

11 In popular culture4034 Vishnu is an asteroid discovered by Eleanor F.Helin.[52]

Vishnu rocks are a type of volcanic sediment found inthe Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Consequently, massformations are know as as Vishnu temples.[53]

12 See alsoMedia related to Vishnu at Wikimedia Commons

Jagannath Narayana Keshava Krishna Keshava Namas Dashavatara Great Architect of the Universe List of names of Vishnu Mahavishnu Amaterasu

13 References[1] Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism (1996), p. 17.

[2] Zimmer, Heinrich Robert. Myths and Symbols in IndianArt and Civilization. Princeton University Press. p. 124.ISBN 9780691017785.

[3] Collected writings - Volume 12, by Helena PetrovnaBlavatsky, Boris De Zirko, p. 149

[4] Adluri, Vishwa; Joydeep Bagchee (February 2012).FromPoetic Immortality to Salvation: Ruru andOrpheusin Indic and Greek Myth (PDF). History of Religions 51(3): 245246. doi:10.1086/662191. Retrieved 24 March2014.

[5] Swami Chinmayanandas translation of Vishnu sahas-ranama pgs. 1617, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust.

[6] As categorized in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, 236.1821

[7] Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Transliteration and Transla-tion of Chanting. Swami-krishnananda.org. Retrieved2011-11-30.

[8] Hart De Fouw; Robert Svoboda (2003). Light on Life:An Introduction to the Astrology of India. ISBN 978-0-940985-69-8. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

10 13 REFERENCES

[9] White, David Gordon (2010-07-15). Sinister Yogis.ISBN 978-0-226-89515-4.

[10] Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1980). Advanced History of India,Allied Publishers, New Delhi.

[11] This story is told in Vishnu agama and is quoted inMoores Hindu Pantheon pp. 1920.

[12] H. G Narahari (2007). Atman in Pre-Upanisadic VedicLiterature. Read Books. p. 86. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

[13] Aitareya Brahmana , By Martin Haug, SUDHINDRANATH VASU, M. B., AT THE PANINI OFFICE, BA-HADURGANJ, ALLAHABAD.,1922. page 1 note 1

[14] History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature by Prof Maxmuller. Printed by Spottiswoode and Co. New-StreetSquare London. page 533

[15] Olivelle, Patrick (2007). The Date and Provenance ofthe Vinu Smti. Indologica Taurinensia (33): 149150.

[16] Lariviere 1989: xxiii

[17] Bhagavata Purana 1.2.11

[18] http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kerala-temple-may-reveal-more-riches/1/144004.html

[19] http://www.mgsrefining.com/blog/post/2012/06/13/Worlds-Largest-Gold-Hoard.aspx

[20] http://www.commodityonline.com/news/gold-treasure-at-india-temple-could-be-the-largest-in-the-world-40475-3-40476.html

[21] http://www.ivanhenares.com/2014/03/kerala-trivandrum-padmanabhaswamy-temple-padmanabhapuram-palace.html

[22] http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/eclectic-architecture-exquisite-features/article2236138.ece

[23] http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-interview-with-prof-mg-sashibhushan-on-padmanabhaswamy-temple%20treasure/20110712.htm

[24] http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-build-world-class-museum-near-padmanabha-temple/20110718.htm

[25] Vater 2010, p. 40.

[26] Jones 2004, p. 4.

[27] Mittal 2005, p. 456.

[28] Tapasyananda (1991). Bhakti Schools of Vednta.Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math. ISBN 81-7120-226-8.

[29] http://www.livescience.com/24440-angkor-wat-canals.html

[30] For quotation dening the trimurti see Matchett, Freda.The Puras, in: Flood (2003), p. 139.

[31] For the Trimurti system having Brahma as the creator,Vishnu as the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva as thetransformer or destroyer see: Zimmer (1972) p. 124.

[32] For denition of trimurti as the unied form of Brahm,Viu and iva and use of the phrase theHindu triad see:Apte, p. 485.

[33] For the term Great Trinity in relation to the Trimurtisee: Jansen, p. 83.

[34] Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 Verse 23. Ved-abase.net. Retrieved 2011-11-30.

[35] Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1977) Reprint 1980, AdvancedHistory of India, Allied Publishers, New Delhi.

[36] Chakravarti, pp. 5455.[37] For Harirudra citation toMahabharata 3:39:76f see: Hop-

kins (1969), p. 221.[38] Sapthagiri. Tirumala.org. 2010-11-19. Retrieved

2013-03-05.[39] Chapter 2: Beyond the Senses. Teachings of Queen

Kunt. Bhaktivedanta VedaBase Network. Retrieved 27April 2014. ... like the modern scientist. They want toknow everything by their experimental knowledge. But itis not possible to know the Supreme Person by imperfectexperimental knowledge. He is described herein as ad-hokaja, or beyond the range of experimental knowledge.

[40] Matchett, Freda (2000). Krsna, Lord or Avatara? the re-lationship between Krsna and Visnu: in the context of theAvatara myth as presented by the Harivamsa, the Visnupu-rana and the Bhagavatapurana. Surrey: Routledge. p.254. ISBN 0-7007-1281-X.

[41] Garuda Purana Texts 1.86.1011[42] Bhagavad Gita 4.7 "... at that time I descend Myself[43] The Truth of Nanak and the Sikhs Part One, page. 353[44] Wilhelm Geiger. Mahawamsa: English Transla-

tion(1908).[45] SwarnaWickremeratne (2012). Buddha in Sri Lanka: Re-

membered Yesterdays. SUNY press. p. 226.[46] John C Holt (2004). The Buddhist Vishnu:Religious trans-

formation,politics and culture. Columbia University Press.[47] Bonnie G MacDougall. Door frame crossing: English

Translation.[48] Richard Leviton (1871). Ten Great Religions: an Essay in

Comparative Theology. Trbner & Company. p. 247.[49] Richard Leviton (2002). Whats Beyond That Star: A

Chronicle of Geomythic Adventure. Clairview Books. p.160.

[50] James Cowles Prichard (1819). An Analysis of the Egyp-tian Mythology: To which is Subjoined a Critical Exami-nation of the Remains of Egyptian Chronology. J. and A.Arch. p. 285.

[51] Ancient Vishnu idol found in Russian town" Times of In-dia 4 Jan 2007

[52] http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMH64M_Vishnu_4034_Vishnu_Asteroid__Pasadena_CA

[53] http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2012/08/vishnu-temple-a.html

11

14 Further reading Translation by Richard W. Lariviere (1989). The

Nradasmrti. University of Philadelphia. Patrick Olivelle. The Date and Provenance of theViu Smti. Indologica Taurinensia, 33 (2007):149163.

Devdutt Pattanaik (2011). 7 Secrets of Vishnu. west-land ltd. ISBN 978-93-80658-68-1.

15 External links Vishnu, the god of Preservation, by Dr.C.P.Ramaswami Aiyar

BBCReligion&Ethics Who is Vishnu (bbc.co.uk)

12 16 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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newguy, Krishna.Sanker.1987, Raghav Sharman, BenTheChemist, Fanatical Footloose Frankensteino, Aditimandavgane11, Taab555, Hi-manshuatwiki, Rameshnta909, Njol, JaconaFrere, Dialgathoverlord, Zkala, Mirtuh, MythoEditor, Monkbot, 10mishapanch, Filedelink-erbot, Prymshbmg, Sam.Scott123, Madhurima13, Millionmiles101, Pumanis, Pratik Basu tkwbi, Sunainasaraf, Tabby Parsley, Wayoyo,Ssven2, Ankisur2, EmmaSmith0711, Rahulbh1990, Skandasol, Greecoroman, Shivam kr. Singh, Ashwin2345, Samuel Sagan, Brah-madutta, Sam.Scott1234, Shrofshrs, Maygodblessall, Bnbhatta, Superspysid, My mum vishnu, FourViolas, YaboiLayne, Bidhanbarabazar,Mytholo, Annonymus2002, Rajkishortripathy, Grosshigh, Swami tusharananda, Stinkypoopoo369, Highest Religion, Xman71, HamzaTer-minator, Ankush 89, Indiansjl, KasparBot, YaDaOcial and Anonymous: 952

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Own work Original artist: Bjrn Christian Trrissen File:Avatars.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Avatars.jpg License: Public domain Contributors:

Painting from Jaipur, India; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (site is redesigned, old description is also available in Britannica"Original artist: the Victoria and Albert Museum

File:Beikthano_(Vishnu)_Nat.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Beikthano_%28Vishnu%29_Nat.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: The Thirty Seven Nats, from Southeast Asia Digital Library Original artist: Temple, RichardCarnac, Sir

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Etymology Sacred texts - Shruti and Smriti ShrutiVaishnava Canon Vedas Rigveda Three steps

Brahmanas

SmritiVishnu Smriti Bhagavata Purana

Sangam literature Theological attributes Five forms

Relations with deities ShivaLakshmi Garuda

Avatars Beyond Hinduism Sikhism Buddhism Others

Thousand names of Vishnu In popular culture See also References Further reading External links Text and image sources, contributors, and licensesTextImagesContent license