Hindu God Vishnu the Preserver
"Only the unlearned deem myself (Vishnu) and Shiva to be distinct; he ,
I , and Brahma are one, assuming different names for the creation,
preservation and destruction of the universe. We, as the triune
Self, pervade all creatures; the wise therefore regard all others as
themselves."
~ Vishnu explains the
Nature of the Trinity (trimurti)~
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Vishnu
is one of the principal Hindu deities, worshipped as the protector
and preserver of the world and restorer of
dharma (moral order). He
is known chiefly through his
avatars (incarnations),
particularly Rama,
Krishna and
Buddha. In theory, Vishnu
manifests a portion of himself anytime he is needed to fight
evil, and his appearances are innumerable; but in practice, ten
incarnations are most commonly recognized.
Vishnu appears to be a prime
example of how older gods and cults have been absorbed into
Hinduism. Thought to be linked with an earlier sun god,
Vishnu's ten incarnations may
also be examples of older gods that have been amalgamated.
Vaishnavites, one of the largest Hindu groups, are the
devotees of
Vishnu as Ishvara, the Supreme
Being, worshipped in the forms of his manifestations or
incarnations. Because of his pervasive presence, images as
the focus of worship are of great importance, as are temple
architecture and carving.
Click here to view all of Lotus
Sculpture's statues of Vishnu
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The Nine Avatars of Vishnu |
Vishnu's preserving, restoring, and
protecting powers have been manifested in the world in a series of ten
earthly incarnations known as avatars. The avatars arrive either
to prevent a great evil or to effect good upon the earth. Nine are
said to have descended already: three in nonhuman form, one in hybrid
form and five in human form. The most important are Rama, fearless
upholder of the law of
dharma and
Krishna, youthful hero of the
Bhagavad Gita
Vishnu's final avatar is expected to arrive at a time when the earth is at
the end of its present cycle, with the purpose of destroying the world
and subsequently recreating it.
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Matsya the Fish -
Saved humanity and the sacred Veda text from the flood.
The first
avatar, Matsya the fish, was taken by
Vishnu at the end of the last Kalpa or
age, when there was a deluge that destroyed the world. Choosing a
sage, Rishi Satyavrata,
Lord Vishnu commanded him to gather
together the seven great sages, samples of the birds, animals, plants
and seeds and wait in a boat. The gigantic golden fish then
dragged the boat through the turbulent oceans all through the long night
till the storm ended and Brahma created the present world. The
story is very similar to the story of Noah and the arc from the old
testament of the Bible.
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Kurma the Turtle -
Helped create the world by supporting it on his back.
Vishnu’s second avatar was Kurma the
tortoise sent to help the Devas (heavenly beings or lesser gods). Obtain
the nectar of immortality which the Asuras (demons) also sought. The
Devas and Asuras churned the ocean to get this nectar, using a giant
snake, Vasuki, as the churning rope and Mount Mandara as the churning
rod. To prevent the mountain from sinking into the ocean,
Vishnu as a giant tortoise supported
the mountain under water until ht nectar of immorality emerged which
Vishnu gave to the Devas alone.
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Varaha the Boar -
Raised the earth out of water with his tusks.
At the end
of the last deluge in the last Kalpa or age, Bhoomi
Devi (Mother Earth) sank to the bottom
of the ocean.
Vishnu, taking the form of a large
boar, Varaha, dived into the ocean and carried the goddess out of the
ocean supported by his two tusks and his massive snout.
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Narasimha, half-man, half lion
-
Destroyed a tyrant
demon king.
Click here to view all of Lotus Sculpture's
statues of Vishnu |
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Vamana the Dwarf -
Subdued king Bali, a powerful demon.
In order to
destroy Bali, king of demons,
Vishnu took the form of a midget,
Vamana. He appeared during a huge yajna or sacrifice being
conducted by the king when the latter was arrogantly distributing gifts
to all who asked it to show his power and wealth. Vamana asked for
just three feet of land, measured by own small feet. With the
first foot Vamana, exploding in size changing from the midget into the
immense god
Vishnu, covered the earth. With
the second he covered the heavens. When there was no place for the
third foot to land, Bali, to show his humility before the god
Vishnu, offered his head for
Vishnu’s third foot. Vishnu third
foot pushed him down into the nether regions but Bali's act of humility
before Vishnu was glorified throughout the ages.
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Parashurama the Brahmin -
Destroyed the warrior caste.
When the
Kings of the earth became autocratic and started to harm ordinary people
and sages in the forest,
Vishnu took the Avatar of Parasurama
and destroyed all the princes who were harassing the people.
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Rama -
Rescued his wife, Sita, with his
loyal servant
Hanuman and his brother, Lakshmana,
and killed the demon Ravana.
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Krishna
- told the Epic poem
Bhagavad Gita
to the warrior Arjuna.
Click here to view all of Lotus Sculpture's
statues of Vishnu
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Buddha
- The enlightened one.
When the priesthood became arrogant and
priests used rituals to exploit the people.
Vishnu took the Avatar of the
Buddha to purify Hindu practices of
excessive ritualism. He taught that all sorrow stemmed from
attachments and desires. He also advocated a Middle path
consisting of the eight fold path.
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Kalki the Horse -
Yet to come to the earth.
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In sculpture the
standing
Vishnu is dressed in royal garments
and holds in his four, sometimes two, hands the sankha
(conch), cakra
(discus), gada (mace), or padma (lotus). On his
chest is the curl of hair known as the srivatsa mark a sign
of his immortality. Around his neck he wears the auspicious
jewel Kaustubha.
The conch represents "Om",
the first sound of creation and also the beginning of matter,
since sound and matter are consider to be synonymous.
The discus is thought to represent the sun.
Vishnu, like
Shiva, was originally a minor
deity with only five out to 1,028 hymns in the
Rig Veda addressed to him. He seems to have been
derived from a solar deity. The discus is a vestige
of his solar origins.
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Vishnu's consort is the goddess
Lakshmi.
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Garuda, the giant eagle or kite, is
Vishnu's vehicle. He is
often shown as a winged human-shaped figure with a
beaklike nose. Garuda carries Vishnu to Vaikuntha (heaven)
where he lives.
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