Vishnu

Vishnu, also known as Narayana and Hari, is the supreme god in Hinduism. He is the Absolute truth (Parabrahman), Supreme self (Paramatma) and Ultimate reality in Vaishnavism, the largest denomination of Hinduism. He is considered as one of the principal deities, generally a representation of the Trimurti, the supreme trinity of Hinduism.^[13]

Vishnu
God of Preservation[1] God of Time[2] The Protector of Good [3] Bestower of Karma[4] The Supreme Being (Vaishnavism)[5]
Member of Trimurti[6]
Depiction of Vishnu bearing his attributes
Other names	Narayana Hari Madhava (Vishnu) Madhava Keshava Achyuta Janardana Govinda and various others listed in the Vishnu Sahasranama
Affiliation	Trimurti Brahman Bhagavan Ishvara Dashavatara
Abode	Vaikuntha Kshira Sagara
Mantra	Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya Hari Om
Weapon	Sudarshana Chakra (discus) Kaumodaki (mace) Sharanga (bow) Nandaka (sword)[7]
Day	Thursday
Mount	Garuda[7] Shesha[8]
Festivals	Holi Rama Navami Krishna Janmashtami Narasimha Jayanti Deepavali Onam Vivaha Panchami Vishu Vijayadashami Kartik Purnima Tulasi Vivaha Buddha Purnima Ananta Chaturdashi Shayani Ekadashi Prabodhini Ekadashi Vaikuntha Ekadashi and other Ekadashis [9]
Personal information
Consort	Lakshmi and her forms
Children	Bala and Utsaha (according to some Puranas)[10]
Siblings	Durga as Yogamaya (ceremonial sister)[11][12]

He is venerated as the Supreme Being in Vaishnavism and as Purushottama or Supreme Purusha in many ancient sacred texts like the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata (including Bhagavad Gita), etc. The Vishnu Sahasranama declares Vishnu as Paramatma (supreme soul) and Parameshvara (supreme god). It describes Vishnu as the all-pervading essence of all beings, the master of—and beyond—the past, present, future, the creator, preserver, destroyer of all existences, one who supports, preserves, sustains, governs, rules the universe and originates and develops all elements within.

Vishnu is also venerated as Mukunda, the supreme god who is the giver of mukti (liberation from the cycle of rebirths) to his devotees, the worthy ones who deserve salvation from the material world.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, he is the "Teacher of the Universe". The Bhagavata Purana declares that Narayana as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who engages in the creation of 14 worlds within the universe as Brahma, who is the god of rajas-guna, who engages in the preservation of 14 worlds within the universe as Vishnu, who is the god of sattvas-guna, who engages in the destruction of 14 worlds within the universe as Shiva, who is the god of tamas-guna.

This Narayana is Vishnu himself, who incarnates in various avataras. In the Bhagavata Purana, Purusha Sukta, Narayana Sukta, Narayana Upanishad, Mahanarayana Upanishad, he is the absolute truth.^[14][15]

Vishnu is the god of preservation. This means that he protects the universe from being destroyed. It is believed that Vishnu holds the Earth and all living organisms. According to Hindu religion, he has set foot and arrived on the Earth in nine forms called avataras, so far with one incarnation yet to come that is Kalki at the last to be Kali Yuga, to destroy evil. His most famous incarnations are Rama, Krishna, Parashurama, Narasimha.

Vishnu holds a lotus (Padma), the indestructible mace of Vishnu (Kaumodaki), a conch (Shankha), the unstoppable disc of Vishnu (Sudarshana Chakra) in each of his four hands. He is known to take many disguises such as having an eight-armed form in Angkor Wat or having a thousand forms, eyes, faces, mouths, arms as Sahasrshirsha. A universal form known to be Vishvarupa is the supreme form of Vishnu, where the whole universe is described as contained within him. but the three main forms of Vishnu are Karanodakshayi Vishnu (Mahavishnu), Garbhodaksayi Vishnu, Kshirodakashayi Vishnu, the other two are the expansions of Karanodakshayi Vishnu.

Avataras

There are 10 avataras of Vishnu (in the order they appeared):

• Matsya (fish)
• Kurma (turtle)
• Varaha (wild boar)
• Narasimha (half lion, half man)
• Vamana (dwarf)
• Parashurama (Hunter)
• Rama (king)
• Krishna (king)
• Hayagriva (horse)
• Kalki (king)

A list may be given in one place but additional avataras may be mentioned the 24 avataras of Vishnu in the Bhagavata Purana in Canto 1, but mentions others elsewhere :

• Adi Purusha
• Sanaka Kumaras
• Varaha
• Narada
• Nara and Narayana
• Kapila
• Dattatreya
• Yajna
• Rishabha
• Prithu
• Hamsa
• Hayagriva
• Matsya
• Kurma
• Dhanvantari
• Mohini
• Narasimha
• Vamana
• Parashurama
• Vyasa
• Rama
• Balarama and Krishna
• Sugata Buddha
• Kalki.^[16]

Iconography

Vishnu holds four items in his four hands. He holds a conch in the upper left hand, which represents victory. He holds the Sudarshana Chakra in the upper right hand, which represents spiritual energy. In his lower left hand, a lotus (flower) represents peacefulness, and in his lower right hand, the Kaumodaki represents powers.

Vishnu as Krishna reveals his true form to Arjuna

Temples of Vishnu

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu located in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (630,000 m²) with a perimeter of 4,116 m (13,504 ft) making it the largest Hindu temple in in the Indian subcontinent and one of the largest Hindu temples in the world.^[17]

The front-view of Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple that is dedicated to Vishnu.^[18]

The Vishnu temple at Prambanan temple complex, Java, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

1. 108 Divya Desams in the Indian subcontinent
2. 108 Abhimana Kshethrams in the Indian subcontinent
3. Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
4. Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli
5. Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
6. Jagannath Temple, Puri
7. Badrinath Temple
8. Swaminarayan temples throughout the World
9. Candi Wisnu, Prambanan, Java, Indonesia
10. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
11. Birla Mandir, Dehli
12. Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh
13. Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai
14. Kallazhagar temple, Madurai
15. Guruvayur Temple, Thrissur
16. Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasaragod

Kodlamane Shree Vishnumurthy Temple, Karnataka.

The Kodlamane Shree Vishnumurthy Temple, Karnataka^[19] is dedicated to Vishnu and is the ancient Tirta Kshetra. There is no other place like this anywhere in this Universe.

Powers and abilities

Vishnu has omniverse manipulation, absolute manipulation, meta manipulation, preservation. As the preserver, Vishnu can control anything and everything. The power to protect everything from anything is the reason he is also called the supreme protector of his devotees.^[20]

Absolute destruction: In the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu is also described as the creator, destroyer, preserver. As the destroyer, he can even destroy infinity or the omniverse.^[20]

Absolute creation: As the creator in the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu has the power to create everything, even infinity and beyond.^[20] The power to have limitless power upon seeing the supreme form of Vishnu. Arjuna describes him as having infinite prowess or power.^[14]

Absolute omnipotence : Vishnu has the power to do absolutely everything, even creating something that is bigger than infinity itself. In chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu shows Arjuna everything—all creation: time, space, past, present, future, the omniverse, existing and future humans, and more. It is beyond human imagination to actually comprehend it. ^[14]

Absolute omniscience: The power of Vishnu to have infinite wisdom experience and knowledge.^[21]

Absolute omnipresence: The power to be everywhere at every time including beyond the omniverse in both past, present, future.^[14][22] When Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu shows his supreme appearance, it is described being everywhere, yet people can't see it because they don't have the divine vision. Only sages, gods, Sanjaya, Arjuna are able to see this Vishvarupa.

Absolute formlessness: Vishnu's true form is described as formless, infinite, boundless, inapplicable, without shape and color, according to the Vishnu Purana.^[20]

Absolute immortality: Chapter 1 of the Vishnu Purana describes Vishnu being boundlessly above the concepts of death, birth, life, growth, age.^[23]

Absolute transcendence: The Vishnu Purana also describes Vishnu as being above all descriptions such as logic, time, space, etc.^[23] He is an infinite dimensional being according to the Vishnu Sahasranama.