Vishnu
Sign in to saveVishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation (sattva). Though not prominently represented in the Vedas Vishnu was possibly already a significant non-elite divine figure in early Vedic times. Vishnu rose to prominence in post-Vedic times, and was identified with various local traditions and deities, particularly the Bhāgavata-deities Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna and the Pāñcarātra-deity Narayana, in the last ce
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Vishnu is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the Supreme Being within Vaishnavism, a major Hindu tradition, where he is understood as the god of preservation. Though he appears less prominently in the earliest Hindu texts, Vishnu became increasingly important in later Hindu traditions and was associated with various local gods and religious practices.
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Key facts
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.type
- Hindu
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.image
- Vishnu from Gita Govinda.jpg
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.name
- Vishnu
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.caption
- Painting depicting Vishnu, c. 1730
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.deity_of
- God of Preservation
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.mantra
- Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya Hari Om
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.weapon
- Sudarshana Chakra (discus) Kaumodaki (mace) Sharanga (bow) Nandaka (sword)
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.consort
- Lakshmi and her forms
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.symbols
- Padma (lotus) Shaligram Panchajanya (conch)
- Deity <! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.member_of
- Trimurti
Article
45 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origins and development
- Origins
- Avatars
- The ''Mahabharata''
- The Puranas
- Dashavatara
- Perumal
- The Trimurti
- Textual development
- Vedas
- Trivikrama: The Three Steps of Vishnu
- Brahmanas
- Upanishads
- Puranas
- Vishnu Purana
- Bhagavata Purana
- Other Puranas
- Agama
- Sangam and Post-Sangam literature
- Bhakti movement
- Vaishnava theology
- Iconography
- Associated deities
- Lakshmi
- Garuda
- Shesha
- Vishvaksena
- Harihara
- Sister goddess
- Beyond Hinduism
- Sikhism
- Buddhism
- Theravada Buddhism
- Mahayana Buddhism
- In science
- Outside the Indian subcontinent
- Indonesia
- Temples
- List of temples
- Gallery
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- External links
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation (sattva). Though not prominently represented in the Vedas Vishnu was possibly already a significant non-elite divine figure in early Vedic times. Vishnu rose to prominence in post-Vedic times, and was identified with various local traditions and deities, particularly the Bhāgavata-deities Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna and the Pāñcarātra-deity Narayana, in the last centuries BCE and the early centuries CE.
Vishnu is known as The Preserver within the Trimurti, the triple deity of supreme divinity that includes Brahma and Shiva. In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the supreme Lord who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. Tridevi is stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Lakshmi being the equal complementary partner of Vishnu. He is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism.