Vishnu
Vishnu is one of the three main forms or manifestations of Brahman, the Supreme Spirit or Power of the universe, and represents sustaining power. It is thought that the name Vishnu means either to 'pervade' or 'to take different forms'. These two ideas are brought together in the doctrine of avatars associated with Vishnu. An avatar is a 'descent' or 'incarnation' of a deity. It is believed that Vishnu pervades the universe by descending to earth in different forms when the forces of evil threaten to overcome the forces of good.
There are ten avatars of Vishnu commonly considered as the most prominent:
- Matsya, the fish that kills Damanaka to save the vedas and saves mankind.
- Kurma, the turtle that helps the Devas and Asuras churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality.
- Varaha, the boar that rescues the Earth and kills Hiranyaksha.
- Narasimha, the one (half-Lion half- human) who defeats the demon Hiranyakashapu (Nara = man, simha = lion).
- Vamana. the dwarf that grows into a giant to save the world from King Bali.
- Parashurama, A Sage, Rama with the axe, who appeared in the Treta Yuga.
- Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya and killed Demon King Raavana.
- Krishna (meaning 'dark coloured' or 'all attractive' or the Existence of Bliss), appeared in the Dwapara Yuga
- Buddha
- Kalki ("Eternity", or "timeless", destroyer of time or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist.
Arguably the most important of these avatars are Krishna and Rama.
Vishnu's consort (partner or wife) is Lakshmi. Lakshmi, one of the forms of the Mother Goddess, is the goddess of fortune and wealth.
Vishnu may be depicted with two or four arms. When shown with four arms, these represent his power over both the four points of the compass and the four stages of life through which the 'twice born' Hindu man was thought to travel. Images of Vishnu combine compassion and strength.
The four symbols most commonly associated with Vishnu are the conch shell which represents water and the first sound of creation, the lotus which symbolizes the unfolding universe, the mace which is interpreted as the power of knowledge conquering time and finally the discus which is associated with the conquering of evil and ignorance.Vishnu may be recognized by the U shaped symbol on his forehead.
His vehicle is Garuda, depicted either as a crowned eagle or as a bird with a man's head. He is a powerful opponent of evil.
The hood of snakes' heads which shelter him represents the endless cycles of creation and reflects one of the central stories of creation in the Hindu tradition. Three hands hold three of the standard symbols, conch shell, discus and lotus and the fourth is held in the traditional hand gesture symbolizing protection.
