Vishnu is the second deity of the Hindu Triad. He represents sattvaguna and centripetal force; his tasks include maintaining, protecting the created universe and patronizing it.

Vishnu means "all-pervading," "all-embracing." It combines the transcendental and immanent reality of the universe; he is the internal reason by which everything exists.

Another very common and popular name of Vishnu is Narayana. It has several meanings:

a) living in the waters of causality;
   b) the one in which all human beings abide;
   c) abides in human hearts;
   d) the ultimate goal of all people.

The first interpretation of the name was the impetus for the appearance of the following popular and widespread description of Narayana:

After the destruction of the world at the end of the previous cycle and before the creation of the new Narayana, the Supreme God falls asleep on his bed, set up on the gigantic snake Shesha (it is also called Ananta), which floats on the waters of the dairy ocean of Kshirasamudra. Narayana's leg rests on the lap of his wife Lakshmi; she gently presses her to her. When he sees in a dream the next cycle of creation, a lotus grows from his navel with the god Brahma sitting on it. After awakening, Narayana orders Brahma to proceed with the act of creation. This is an allegorical image. The ocean serves as a symbol of the waters of causality, from which all life arises - an idea present in many other religions. Kshirasamudra, the milky ocean, here denotes the purest form of prakriti, i.e. matter in its undifferentiated state; white color underlines this purity. Among the equivalents of the word apas (water) is the word amrta (amrita, nectar, also means "bliss"). Therefore, we can say that Lord Narayana is floating on the ocean of bliss (as it should be). According to legend, the thousand-headed snake Shesha, or Ananta, supports the worlds on its hoods. Ananta, whose name translates as “infinite,” “infinite,” essentially symbolizes the cosmic infinite, infinite time. Created worlds arise and exist in time.

The value of the thousand hoods on which the worlds stand. A thousand means the infinity of the division of time. The same picture can be interpreted in such a context that the serpent is a symbol of outer space in which everything exists.

No less important is the meaning of the name Shesha. Its meaning is “remainder”, “that which remains at the end”. Since it is impossible to create from nothing, one has to agree with the fact that “something” (Shesha) remains from the previous cycle, which becomes the seed for the next. Thus, Shesha symbolizes the totality of the jiva, individual souls in a subtle form, which remained after the previous cycle and need to be revived. Serpent can also mean desire (kama), which always remains even after the desired is achieved and pleasure is received. This happens until moksha comes, the final liberation. In the cosmic plane, the serpent can symbolize the Lord’s desire after rest to begin the next cycle of creation.

Vishnu is often depicted in the form of Nilameghasyama (Nilameghasyama), dark blue, like a thundercloud, color. Since the endless void appears dark blue, Vishnu, the symbol of all-pervading cosmic force, is colored blue.

Most often, Vishnu is portrayed with one face; in four hands he holds a conch (sankha), a disk (cakra), a mace (gada), a lotus (padma); on it is a necklace with the famous jewel of Kaushubha; a lock of Srivats hair hangs on his left chest. In addition, he wears a wreath of jewelry or fragrant flowers, whose name is Vaijayanti.

Four hands mean the four cardinal points, in other words - the undivided divine power over all directions. The shell is a symbol of the five elements (earth, water, etc.), the disk is of cosmic consciousness, the mace is of the cosmic mind and the lotus is a symbol of the world in its development. Like a lotus that is born from water and gradually reveals in all its splendor, this world also arises from the waters of causality and, step by step, moves to its greatness and glory. That is why the lotus symbolizes an already developed world. Our world could appear only through a combination of five elements, consciousness and reason. The whole symbolic picture as a whole means that Lord Vishnu is the creator and master of this world. Srivatsa, a lock of hair, symbolizes all natural joys. The kaustubha jewel, lying on top of a curl, symbolizes one who receives joy. This dual world, consisting of the enjoyer and the object of enjoyment, is like a divine adornment. Vaijayanti wreath means subtle elements (bhutatanmatras).

Sometimes two more weapons are added to the arsenal of God Vishnu: the Nandak sword, a symbol of wisdom, and the bow of Sharnig, a symbol of a sense of humor.

Avatars (Incarnations) of Vishnu

In order to save humanity from deadly dangers threatening it - the demonic impact and criminal actions of people - to maintain public and moral order, God Vishnu, who is entrusted with the task of maintaining this world, often takes on a bodily appearance.

Although it is generally believed that there were 10 such incarnations, in fact they are innumerable. They can happen anytime, anywhere. Wherever dharma declines and adharma flourishes, Vishnu incarnates to restore balance to the world.

Matsya (first avatar)

During the Great Flood, Krishna took the form of Matsya, the fish, and saved Manu, who became the ancestor of mankind, the seven great sages Rishis and the sacred texts of the Vedas from death. The worship of Krishna in the form of fish is not widely accepted.

Kurma (second avatar)

The second time God came down to earth in the form of Kurma - the tortoise. During the flood, many treasures were lost, including the drink of immortality - amrita. The demigods needed him to maintain eternal youth. The demigods, deprived of amrita, were saddened, and Krishna decided to help them. He turned into a gigantic tortoise and sank to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. The demigods erected a mountain on his back and wrapped around it like a rope, a Vasuki snake. At the direction of Krishna, the demigods, along with the asuras (demons), threw various types of medicinal herbs into the ocean and, taking Vasuki by the head and tail, began to churn (i.e. shake) the ocean. Krishna the tortoise supported the mountain so that it did not fall into the swampy bottom of the ocean. So the demigods and asuras churned the ocean for 100 years, until various wonders began from it: the goddess Sri with eyes shining like the sun, a white elephant and much more. Finally, the long-awaited drink of immortality appeared in a white vessel. The demigods and demons rushed to him, everyone tried to grab the vessel first. The demons had time before, but a quarrel broke out between them: everyone wanted to taste the magic drink first. And then again Krsna came to the aid of the demigods. He took the form of the captivating heavenly beauty Mohini. Fascinated by her, the demons forgot about their struggle and the drink. And Mohini, smiling, took the cup, seated the demigods and demons separately, and gave the drink to the demigods. When the turn of demons came, the beauty disappeared. The deceived demons screamed at the demigods with a terrible scream. A battle ensued, but the demigods, fortified by the drink of immortality, of course, won.

Varaha (third avatar)

The third time, Vishnu had to go down to earth in the guise of a boar to fight the demon Hiranyaksha. The demon succeeded in being defeated by neither the demigod, nor man, nor the beast. But, listing animals in the spell, he forgot to mention the boar. Having gained strength, Hiranyaksha began to boast of it and oppress the demigods and people. In arrogance, he went so far as to push the earth into the depths of the oceans. Then the giant boar Vishnu tore the belly with fearful fangs to the arrogant demon, lifted the earth with one fang and hoisted it into place.

Vishnu-boar is revered today in some parts of India.

Narasimha (fourth avatar)

And for the fourth time, Vishnu again had to deal with a demon, this time with Hiranyakasipu, the brother of Hiranyaksha. The demon made a promise to Brahma that no one could defeat him: neither God, nor man, nor the beast, that he could not be killed day or night, neither in the house, nor outside. Having thus ensured complete safety for himself in this way, Hiranyakasipu began to persecute the demigods and people, forcing him to honor only one in his kingdom. Even his own son Prahlada, a faithful admirer of Vishnu, did not escape persecution. Fleeing from the angry king, Prahlada appealed to his beloved deity. And at sunset (i.e., neither day nor night) an unprecedented creature - Narasimha, half-human half-humans, came out of a column on the threshold of the house (i.e., not in the house and not outside it) and tore the arrogant demon king. So Vishnu freed his devotee and confirmed his own greatness ...

Vamana (fifth avatar)

For the fifth time, Vishnu was born in the guise of a dwarf Vamana. This happened when the demon of Bali seized power over the world. With the help of ascetic feats, he achieved unprecedented power and gained power over the triloka (three worlds: heaven, earth and the underworld) and the demigods. The demigods prayed and turned to Vishnu for help. Vishnu-Vamana went to Bali for alms. What the demon did not offer him! And gold and silver, and fast horses, and mighty elephants, and precious jewelry. But Vamana refused everything and just asked for some land: as much as he can measure in three steps. Bali agreed, and Vamana began to grow before his eyes and became a huge giant. He took the first step, took the second - and covered them with earth, sky and the space between them. Vamana refrained from the third step: he felt sorry for the demon of Bali, and he left him the underworld - patala, allowing once a year to visit the lost kingdom.

In the southern Indian state of Kerala, Onam is annually celebrated in honor of this event. For ten days everyone is having fun so that the former king sees his subjects happy.

Parasurama (sixth avatar)

For the sixth time, Vishnu took the form of a man named Parasurama (Rama with an ax). He was the son of a brahmin associate of Jamadagni and Princess Renuki, from childhood he was distinguished by militancy and never parted with a battle ax. By order of his father and spiritual mentor, he without hesitation decapitated his own mother, suspected of sinful thoughts. But the main act of Vishnu in the guise of Parasurama was the killing of the thousand-armed king Kartavirya, who seized power over the whole world and brutally oppressed the brahmanas. The sons of Kartavirya killed Jamadagni and Parasuram, avenging the death of their father, three times seven times exterminated all men of their kind and filled five lakes with blood with blood on Kurukshetra ...

Rama (seventh avatar)

This is one of the most popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama, son of Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya, hero of the great Indian epic Ramayana. Rama is a perfect king, a loving spouse and a brave warrior. Ramayana describes the story of this matchless prince and his beautiful and virtuous wife Sita.

Together with his brother Lakshman and his wife Sita, he led a hermit life in the forest, where he destroyed many demons who disturbed the peace of ascetics and local residents. The demon Ravana, king of Lanka, decided to avenge the fallen relatives and kidnapped Sita. For a long time Rama was looking for a wife, wandering around the world with his brother. Finally found her in the palace of Ravana. After a long and bloody battle, Rama defeated Ravana and liberated Sita.

Krishna (eighth avatar)

The eighth avatar of Vishnu is the beautiful and eternally young Krishna, the protector of the Earth and the fighter against human injustice.

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Mathura, the unrighteous king of Kansa ruled. To rid the world of him, Krishna decided to incarnate in one of the sons of his cousin Devaki, but Kansa found out from the foretellers and killed all her sons. Therefore, Krishna was secretly transported as a child to the other side of the Yamuna River and raised in a family of simple shepherds. He was a delightful child with thundercloud skin. With his beauty and playing the flute, He fascinated all the inhabitants of the village.

Krishna’s childhood, his pranks (stealing oil from Yasoda, clothes from bathing shepherds, etc.) and exploits (killing the demons that Kansa sends, absorbing the flames of a forest fire and saving cows and shepherds from him, defeating the serpent lord Kaliya; raising above his head Govardhana mountains, to protect the shepherds, shepherds and their cattle from the rain, etc.) are favorite topics of Indian poetry. An even more popular topic is the cowherd’s love for young Krishna. Hearing the flute of Krishna, the cowherd boys, abandoning husbands and household chores, run to him and dance with him in ecstasy on the banks of the Yamuna. The cowherd boys and their attraction to Krishna are treated as a symbol of human souls striving to merge with God. But God is elusive and unattainable: in the end, Krishna leaves the cowherd boys to fulfill his duty to kill Kansa. Killing a tyrant ends Krishna's youth. From a shepherdess He turns into a warrior and a politician: restores fair power in Mathura to protect the city from demons avenging Kansa. At the same time, Krishna transfers all the inhabitants of Mathura - the Yadavas to Dvaraka, the new city, which is built by His order in one night. Performing further feats, Krishna first acquires eight wives (the first of them Rukmini), and then another 16,100 wives. Possessing the wonderful ability to abide with all wives simultaneously, Krsna produces many offspring. After the Battle of Kuruksetra, which completes the circle of earthly affairs of Krishna-Vishnu, Krishna, deciding to return to the divine realms, first destroys the entire city of Yadav, and then he himself dies from the arrow of a hunter who mistook him for a deer.

Buddha (ninth avatar)

Buddha became the ninth avatar of Vishnu - the lila-avatar of Lord Krishna, who appeared at the beginning of Kali-yuga;

Kalki (tenth avatar)

The last, tenth avatar of Vishnu - Kalki (Horseman on the White Horse) - refers to the future. His coming is only expected. This will happen at the end of our dark era, when villains will prevail and unbelief will perish in the hearts of people. Then Vishnu will appear in the form of a king on a white horse, and a golden age will be established on earth.

Chaturvyugi

The religion of the Bhagavata-Pancaratra with its cult of Vishnu-Narayana-Krishna puts forward the theory that the Supreme God Vishnu has 4 forms of manifestation:

a) Couple, or the Supreme;
   b) Blizzard, or emanation;
   c) Vibhava, or incarnation;
   d) Arch (Arka), or image.

Para is the Supreme God in glory. Vibhava represents incarnations already known to the world. The arch is the descent of God into the image, which is solemnly installed in temples for veneration.

The number of blizzards (emanations) - 4; hence their name is chaturvyugi, or chaturmurthi. Their names are: Vasudeva, Shankarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddha (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha). According to Vishnuite mythology, Sri Krishna is Vasudeva, and his brother Balarama is Shankarsana. Pradyumna and Aniruddha are respectively the son and grandson of Krishna. Historically, it could be that the Yadav heroes began to deify over time under the guise of Blizzard. Here Vasudeva symbolizes chitta (consciousness), Shankarshan - ahankara (self), Pradyumna - buddhi (intellect), and Aniruddha - manas (mind). They symbolize cosmic psychological evolution.

Subsequently, the number of Blizzards increased to 24. From the point of view of iconography, all of their images are the same, except for the location of the four emblems: a conch, a disk, a club, and a lotus. Pancharatra's theology adds another form of manifestation - the Antaryamin (Antaryamin living inside) - which cannot be represented iconographically.

Small incarnations

Hindu mythology contains many traditions about the avatars of the god Vishnu, which can be purnavataras (full manifestations), like Sri Krishna, amsavataras (amsavataras, partial manifestations), like Kapila, or avesavataras (those who are temporarily filled with divine power), like Parasurama. Here are some of them.

Dattatreya

He is the son of the great sage Atri and his wife Anashui, the personification of purity in Hindu mythology. He invented magical rites and created a soma plant. He was a teacher of non-Aryan peoples. Communicating with people of low origin and indulging in pleasures, he became unclean. However, teaching and enlightenment cleansed him so much that from now on nothing can stain him. As the embodiment of the Triad, Dattatreya is portrayed with three heads, four-armed; he is accompanied by four different dogs, symbolizing the Vedas.

The concept of Dattatreya is a kind of attempt to reconcile the cults of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva among themselves. In addition, with this concept, non-Vedic cults organically entered into Hinduism.

Dhanvantari

Dhanvantari rose from the abyss when the ocean was buttermilk, holding in his hand a bowl of ragweed (amrta-kalasa). He founded medical science. Having revived in the guise of King Kasha, he brought the art of healing to the earth. The Vedas also mention Dhanvantari, the god of healing herbs and healing. He is portrayed with a beautiful appearance; he sits with a cup of ragweed in his hands, behind him are visible the traditional emblems of Vishnu.

Hayagriva, or Hayashirsha

The great sage Yajnavalkya lost the knowledge of the Yajurveda due to the curse of his guru and suffered severe punishment. The Sun God, satisfied with his repentance, appeared to him in the form of a deity with the head of a horse and taught him the same Veda in a different form. This episode became known as Vajasaneyi Samhita (Vaji - horse). Perhaps this is where the origins of the Hayagriva avatar (horse-headed deities) originate.

The demons Madhu and Kaitabha abducted the Vedas and hid them under water. God Vishnu took the form of Hayagriva, ducked to the bottom of the ocean and, having killed the demons, saved the Vedas.

Hayagriva is the god of learning, just like the goddess Saraswati. He is depicted as a man with a horse's head, with four or eight arms, in which he holds the weapon and emblems of Vishnu.

Capila

Kapila, the son of Kardama and Devahuti, was a great sage who incinerated the eyes of the 60,000 sons of King Sagara. Here an echo of tradition is clearly heard, identifying Kapila with Agni. He taught his mother Sankya philosophy.

In the ritual images, the hairs of Kapila are laid on the head in the form of a crown (jata-mukuta); he is bearded with four hands, two of which hold a jug, and the other two hold a sink and a disc.

Mohini

At the request of the gods from whom the demons stole ragweed during the churning of the ocean, God Vishnu took the form of the sorceress Mohini; she managed to trick the demons and return ragweed to the gods. They say she charmed Shiva himself. This story teaches that immortality (amrtatva) can only be achieved by defeating delusion (moha). Mohini is portrayed as a beautiful young woman in multicolored robes adorned with jewelry; in her hand she holds a vase with nectar.

Nara narayana

When the mission of the avatar of Narasimha was completed, he split in two, and his lion's half turned into the sage Narayana, and the human half into the sage Nara. Then Nara and Narayana returned to Badarikashram to lead a harsh ascetic life. When Indra, desiring to seduce them, sent heavenly nymphs, Narayana from his thigh created the nymph Urvasi (Urvasi - thigh), more beautiful than all of them combined. According to another version, these sages are the sons of Dharma and Ahimsa. They were ascetics and defeated the demon Sahasrakavaci (Sahasrakavaca - wielding a thousand weapons).

Later these sages were reborn in the guise of Sri Krishna and Arjuna.

This story is extremely instructive. In each of us there is a human and divine principle. A demon who hates gods and people is constantly trying to seduce us with a thousand tricks. To defeat him, one must practice austerity (tapas).

Naru-Narayana is sometimes portrayed as one person, sometimes two. In the first case, he has two or four hands with a rosary (japamala) or traditional emblems of God Vishnu. In the second, Naru is depicted with two heads and two arms, dressed in a deer skin; Narayana, on the other hand, has four hands in which he holds a symbolic conch, disc, lotus and rosary.

Vyasa

Vyasa is a cosmic being born in every age for the transmission and distribution of scriptures.

The sage Krishna-Dvaipayana, the son of Parasara, is the famous Vyasa of his time. He got his name because he collected all the existing Vedic hymns and divided them (vyas - divide) into four Vedas. He is the author of the great epic of the Mahabharata, of all the Puranas (mythology) and the Brahmasutra.

He is depicted as slender, dark-skinned, with hair laid in the shape of a crown. Next to him are his students Pail, Vaishampayan, Jaimini and Sumantu.

Yajna

In the early Vedic literature, Vishnu is often identified with yajna, or sacrifice. The Bhagavata calls Varahavatara “Yajna-varaha,” and correlates parts of his body with various parts of the sacrifice made. In other mythological sources, he appears under the name Yajnesha, the son of Ruchi and Akuti. The whole universe, which is in a state of constant movement and change, is similar to the ritual of sacrifice, and the Creator God is considered as the personification of this sacrifice. Hence his name is Yajna, or Yajneshvara.

He is portrayed as a two-headed, seven-armed, three-legged and four-horned. In the hands of sacred objects: a vessel with ghee (ajyapatra), ladles and spoons (juhu) of various shapes, a sink and a disk. This is undoubtedly a symbolic image where various types of sacrifices are presented, but the volume of this book does not allow us to dwell on the details of the description.

Other widely respected incarnations of Vishnu

Jagannatha Puri

Jagannatha Puri in Orissa is a Vishnuite deity attracting large crowds of worshipers, especially during the annual chariot festival. The image looks somewhat grotesque, with bulging eyes; it is carved from a log. Once every 12 years, the image is updated, and a new wooden sculpture is brought to the temple secretly. An ancient relic is invested in a new image - this is how its consecration takes place. This image represents Sri Krishna, and similar images represent Balarama and Subhadra, the sister of Krishna.

Panduranga

Withalah, also known as Wittahala or Vithoba, is the deity of the famous Vishnuite temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. Essentially, the word Vittha is a distorted Vishnu. Rakumabai, or Rukmini, is the name of his wife, who is usually portrayed standing to the left.

In this guise, Lord Vishnu revealed himself to a brahmana named Pundali as a reward for his filial devotion to his parents.

Ranganatha, along with Varadaraja from Kanchipuram and Venkatesi from Tirupati, are the most respected aspects of Vishnu in South India. The famous temple in Srirangam, in Tamil Nadu, is the center of this Vishnuite cult. It is claimed that this temple - at least the original image of the deity - arose from the depths of the sea and was donated by Sri Rama Vibhisana. On the way from Ayodhya to Lanka, Vibhisana put the temple on the ground to rest a bit. To his chagrin (and to the joy of others), the temple is firmly rooted in the ground! The image refers to the type of Yogasayan (the deity rests on a snake bed in a yogic pose). God has two hands, the right one supports the head, and the left one rests on the snake. Often, together with the deity, they depict a lotus with Brahma, Ayyudhapurushi (Ayudhapurusas, people-weapons), the demons Madhu and Kaitabhu, as well as the sages Bhrigu and Markandeya, who defeated him.

Similar Yogasayana are found in Srirangapatna (Karnataka) and Trivandrum (Kerala), where they are known as Padmanabha, or Anantasayana.

Varadaraja

Varadaraja, the most generous of gifts and mercies, is another very revered hypostasis of God Visnu. Also known as Carivarada, i.e. saving Gadjendra, the king of elephants, from the death grip of a crocodile. He is portrayed on horseback at Garuda, caught at the time of discus throwing. Nearby is Gadjendra, whose foot is sandwiched in a powerful crocodile's mouth. Sometimes near the crocodile you can see the figure of a man with his hands folded in a respectful gesture - this is the gandharva (demigod), freed from the curse, because of which he was born in the guise of a crocodile.

Sri Varadaraja Temple in Kanchipuram (South India) is one of the most important and most famous temples dedicated to Vishnu.

Venkatesha

Venkatesha, also called Venkateswara, Srinivas or Balaji of Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) - perhaps the most widely revered of the Hindu deities; the temple on the hills of Tirupati receives fabulous income. The word “Wengadam” is of Tamil origin and means “hill”; therefore, Venkatesha is the ruler of the hill. The legend tells that God Vishnu in the guise of Varaha (the boar) decided to extend his stay on the earth, and Garuda lowered the Vaikuntha hill to the earth so that he could live there. The god of Srinivas, or Venkatesha, another hypostasis of Vishnu, simultaneously with Varaha appeared in those parts and decided to stay to live on earth for the benefit of mankind.

It is claimed that this image arose spontaneously (udbhavamurti) and does not correspond to known agamic traditions. There is no consensus on the exact object and form of the image: some believe that it is Hari-Hara, others believe that Subrahmanya or even Devi.

Viswaxena

Vishvaksena or all-conquering, - the hypostasis of Vishnu, playing in the Vishnu tradition the same role as Ganesha in Shaivism. They pray to him before starting any business in order to remove possible obstacles. He is represented with four hands; in three he holds a conch, disc and mace, and the fourth froze in tarjanimudra (warning finger raised). The right leg is usually slightly lowered from the pedestal. At times, Visvaksena is portrayed as the guardian or chief minister of God Visnu. He stands on a white lotus, with long matte hair and a beard. It is a symbol of worldly sciences.

Small deities associated with Vishnu

Garutman, or Garuda, the mighty bird on which Vishnu travels, is a small deity and an invariable attribute of all Vishnuite temples. According to legend, he is the son of the wise spouses Kashyapa and Vinata and the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun God. He became famous for bringing a bowl of nectar from Indra's heaven. It was this feat that made God Vishnu choose Garuda for his travels.

In a literal translation, the word "Garuda" means "wings of speech." He essentially embodies the Vedic knowledge that descended to us on his wings from the divine world.

The image of Garuda is usually anthropomorphic. He has a sharp beak, behind two wings; hands can be 8, 4 or only 2. Two hands are always folded in a gesture of worship, in others there is a shell, a wheel, a mace, a sword, a snake and a bowl of nectar. The image is traditionally placed on the right side of the central shrine. It may seem strange that a serpent serves God Vishnu, and he travels astride an eagle, his main enemy! But this only shows that he is the God of balance and harmony, and he is entrusted with the task of supporting and preserving this many-sided universe.

Another deity invariably present in Vishnuite temples, especially in the South, is Hanuman, the monkey god. Ramayana draws him a highly educated, refined taste, cultural hero. He is strong, wise, knows how to be betrayed - combines rare qualities.

He is represented in two poses: in the company of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, he modestly stands at a distance or loyally sits at the feet of Sri Rama. In the shrines dedicated exclusively to him, Hanuman is depicted in a warlike pose, with a mace in his left hand and Sanjivini in his right.

In addition, the weapons of God Vishnu are often presented in an anthropomorphic form. Then he is called Ayyudhapurushi (weapon-people); it can be masculine, feminine and neuter, depending on the grammatical gender of the word denoting it. For example, a mace is a female deity, and a disk is a deity without a clan.

The deity of Sudarshan Chakra (disk) is depicted against a hexagon; he is a man who is dazzling like a flame, with 4, 8 or 16 arms, in which a bow, arrow, trident, lasso, and other objects and weapons, as well as traditional Vishnuite attributes. It is believed that the deity symbolizes cosmic consciousness, the will of God to increase and his infinite power to create and destroy the universe. It is claimed that the mantra of Sudarshan has the ability to neutralize poisons and expel evil spirits. Kaumodaki, the mace of God Vishnu, is a female one-faced deity with two arms folded in a gesture of worship; it is a symbol of power and independence.

The account of God Vishnu would be incomplete without mention of the Salagrama, a blackish polished stone with rounded edges and a hole in which there are tiny petrified mollusks - a symbol of God Vishnu and an object of veneration. They come in several varieties representing the different facets of God. Salagrams are set up for worship in temples or in private homes. If such a stone is kept at home, a ritual of worship becomes mandatory.

I praise the one who is everything.
   The lord of everything, the infinite
   unborn, incomprehensible, inseparable,
   Narayana, the smallest of all the smallest,
   the most extensive of all the most extensive!
   He is the one who is everything
   from whom did this (world) arise;
   he is the god of all gods
   he is the highest (refuge) of higher goals!
   “Vishnu Purana”, Prince I, ch. IX, slokas 39–41

B  (Skt. विष्णु - ‘all-pervading’, ‘all-encompassing’), according to the Vedic tradition, is one of the aspects of the triune deity - Trimurti, combining the three forces of the universe: creation (Brahma), storage (Vishnu) and destruction (Shiva). At the same time, Shiva and Vishnu are sometimes considered in unity as a manifestation of the highest form of God, presented in the joint image of “Harihara” (a combination of half Vishnu and half Shiva). Brahma and Vishnu are also the one crown of creation of the Universe, Vishnu is a manifesting force, and Brahma comes from it (Brahma is born from the navel of Vishnu). The world was created due to the transition from an abstract state to a concrete, divine primordial thought gave rise to the manifested material world, comprehended by the senses. Cosmogony and the act of creation of the universe will be described in more detail below.

An analogue in the Russian Vedic tradition is the god Vyshen, who rules the world of Glory, patronizes everyone who brings good and bright true knowledge to the world, follows the path of rule and complies with the laws of the universe. He helps everyone who embarks on the Path of spiritual self-improvement, and gives them the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

According to the Vishnu Purana, our land, the nurse of the world, called Prithivi, was born from the sole of Vishnu's foot. He is the custodian of the Universe, has 1000 names (Viṣṇusahasranāma), each of which is a reflection of a certain quality of Vishnu. The list of all 1000 names contains Vishnu-sahasranama-stotra (Mahabharata, Santiparva).

The root of the word “Vish” means ‘to penetrate’, ‘to go deep into the nature of being’. God Vishnu is all-pervading, he is one who is everything and who is within everything. All beings benefit from Visnu, who carries the energy of the mode of goodness.

  (You) are inseparable from the lower, middle and upper (zones) of the earth, from you - this Universe, from you - what was, and what will be, from you - this world, having an image, with all that exists! “Vishnu Purana”, Prince I, ch. XII, slokas 60–61

Maha Vishnu: Avatars

In Sanskrit, the word "avatar" (अवतार) is translated as ‘descent’, respectively, means the incarnation (embodiment) of the divine essence in the manifest world, manifested in a certain way. Whenever the forces of evil threaten the world, then one of Vishnu's avatars appears as a protector and protects the world from destruction and chaos.

The very concept of “avatar” is most often associated with Vishnu as the guardian of the Universe, and avatars appear in the material world when it is necessary to empower good in order to defeat evil and restore the Dharma in the Universe where harmony was broken and return the balance between manifestations of eternal forces good and evil.

   Whenever righteousness decays, and injustice and godlessness multiply in this world, I myself descend in order to protect this world from evil, to destroy the villains and free the righteous, to restore truth and justice. I come here from age to age, the Bhagavad-gita, ch. IV, texts 7–8

In the Bhagavata Purana, avatars are described as uncountable: “The incarnations of Vishnu, the ocean of goodness, are countless, like streams flowing from an inexhaustible source.” Although at the same time 22 incarnations of Vishnu are listed: the four Kumaras are the sons of Brahma born from his mind; boar of Varaha; sage Narada; twins Nara and Narayana; Sage Kapila; Dattatreya is the son of Atri; Yajna; Rishabha; King Prthu; Matsya fish; Kurma Turtle; healer Dhanvantari; the beautiful virgin Mohini; the man of Narasimha; dwarf vaman; Parasurama; the son of Satyavati and Parasara Muni, who divided the Vedas; King Rama; Balarama Krishna; Buddha; future incarnation - Kalki - son of Vishnu Yashi.

One way or another, the main avatars of Vishnu, or maha-avatars, are its ten incarnations - dashavatara (Skt. दशावतार - ‘ten avatars’). They are also mentioned in the Agni Purana and Garuda Purana.

   Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and also Kalki “Garuda Purana”, ch. VIII, texts 10–11

The Agni Purana describes all ten major incarnations of Vishnu. The first four incarnations of the god Vishnu occurred in the bright era of purity and radiance of truth - Satya-yuga: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and Narasimha; in the subsequent Treta-yuga Vishnu appeared in the images of Vamana, Parasurama and Rama; in the form of the eighth avatar of Krishna, Vishnu came to this world in Dvapara-yuga; in the form of Buddha, the god Vishnu appeared at the beginning of the current era of Kali-yuga, at the end of which his tenth incarnation, Kalki, is coming. Let's consider them in more detail.

Matsya (Skt. मत्स्य - ‘fish’). Vishnu manifested itself in the form of a fish, which fell into the hands when washing the seventh Manu Vaivasvata in the river. At the request of the fish not to let it go back, he placed it in a vessel with water, the fish gradually increased in size, so he had to constantly move it to a larger tank, but, in the end, it grew to such an extent that Manu had to let it out the ocean, where it became gigantic, then he saw that his fish is a manifestation of the god Vishnu, who appeared in the form of a fish in this world in order to protect him from the forces of evil. After the world has been flooded, he saves Mana and seven rishi in a boat (in which the seeds of future plants are also stored). After the flood, living things were created again. The boat is a symbol of the Vedas, the true knowledge that the demon Hayagriva is trying to destroy, but Matsya kills him and returns the Vedas.

Kurma  (Skt. कूर्म - ‘turtle’). Vishnu manifests itself in this image during the churning of the milky ocean.

Varaha  (Skt. वराह - ‘boar’). Vishnu, who appeared in this avatar, saves the world from the invincible demon Hiranyaksha, who defeated the devas and conquered the heavens, which plunges the earth to the bottom of the ocean. The duel with him Vishnu lasted 1000 years. The boar raises the earth from the depths of the cosmic ocean on its fangs. And saves the gods.

Narasimha  (Skt. नरसिंह - ‘humane’). Vishnu appears in the image of a man with the head of a lion. Hiranyakashipa (brother of Hiranyaksha) - the king of demons, having become powerful and strong, possessing special properties that no creature has the ability to kill him, seeks to avenge the death of his brother. The lion defeats him, saves the demon Prahlada - the son of Hiranyakasipa, who opposed his father and was completely devoted to Vishnu.

Dwarf Vamana (Skt. वामन). Bali Daitya King (Prahlada's grandson) abuses his powers, having power over three worlds. The avatar of Vishnu - the dwarf of Vaman - comes to him in the form of a brahmana. Bali offers wealth untold on the day of sacrifice, when he does not refuse anyone good, but the dwarf refuses wealth and asks for a piece of land, which he can measure in just three steps. Bali bestowed upon him what he requested. The dwarf begins to grow, and with its first step it covers the earth, the second - the sky, it breaks through the shell of the universal cosmic egg, from where the waters of the Causal Ocean (Ganga) poured, reaches the highest of the paradise planets - Brahmaloka. So, he covers the whole universe. There is no space left for the third step, and Vishnu indicates to Bali that he did not fulfill his promise, that means he must go to hellish worlds, but Bali substitutes his head, on which Vishnu’s foot steps, for which Bali receives the future from Vishnu the incarnation of the king during the reign of Manu Savarni, and until that moment he will live on the planet Sutala, where old age, disease and suffering are unknown.

Sage Parasurama  (Skt. परशुराम - literally can be translated as ‘Frame with an ax’). The son of the Brahmin Jamadagni. Kshatriya warriors, having seized another's property, use their powers for pleasure. Avatar kills the king and all his warriors. Gives the supremacy in the world to the brahmanas.

Frame  (Skt. राम). The prince, the king of Ayodhya, one of whose ancestors is Surya. The embodiment of the ideal king. He destroyed the demon Ravana. This incarnation is described by Vishnu.

Krishna  (Skt. कृष्ण). This avatar of Vishnu saves the world from evil with the help of the Pandavas in order to establish the primacy of good. The story of the Mahabharata tells of this incarnation of Vishnu. His brother Balarama sometimes appears as the ninth avatar, instead of the Buddha.

Kalki  (Skt. कल्कि) is the last avatar in which Vishnu has yet to incarnate at the end of the current Kali-yuga, in the form of a man on a white horse. To exterminate evil and restore dharma is his task before the revival of the world, the advent of a new Satya Yuga. - 428 898 g. e.

Trivicrama - Vamana Avatar Phenomenon

The Rig Veda describes the feat performed by Vishnu, called Trivikrama. By the way, in the cave temple of Ellora (a Hindu temple), you can find the image of the avatar Vishnu of the dwarf Vaman and the whole legend of Trivikrama (in Sanskrit - ‘three steps’, ‘three steps’). Also, the three steps of Vishnu can be interpreted as earth, atmosphere and sky, or as sunrise, noon and sunset, as well as the descent of the divine ray into the Spirit, Soul and material form. In the images, his leg is raised up, which symbolizes a wide step forward. Also in many other Hindu temples you can find an image of Vishnu, such as in Bhaktapur (Nepal), on the high reliefs of the cave temples of Badami.

   I want to now proclaim the heroic deeds of Vishnu who measured the earthly spaces, who strengthened the upper common dwelling, three times stepping, (he,) far-reaching. Here Vishnu is glorified for heroic power, Terrible, like a beast, wandering (unknown) where, living in the mountains, In three broad steps of which dwell all the creatures of the Rigveda I.154 (Vishnu-sukta)

   Vishnu walked here.
   Three times he captured the footprints.
   In his dusty (trace everything) is concentrated.
   I walked three steps
   Vishnu is a guard not defrauded,
   From there, upholding the laws of the Atharva Veda, book VII, 27

The Rigveda (hymn I.22) describes Vishnu as a solar god who crosses the seven worlds of the Universe in three steps, enveloping the whole space with the light of his rays: “From there let the gods help us, from where Vishnu walked, through seven places of the earth. Vishnu stepped through it. Three times he captured his (his) trace. In his dusty (trace everything) is concentrated. “...” Vishnu is always looking at this highest trace of those who offer the sacrifice, as if they were looking open in the sky. “Inspired, loudly glorifying, waking up early, light one who is the highest trace of Vishnu.” In fact, it is a manifestation of solar energy, three times permeating the seven layers of the universe. He is the septenary sun.

The Vishnu energy, consisting of three Vedas and stemming from the quality of goodness, directs the sun, as well as the seven beings belonging to it; and due to the presence of this power, the sun shines with a strong radiance, dispersing with its rays the darkness that is prevalent throughout the world. “....” Vishnu, in the form of active energy, never rises or sets, and by this alone the sun is seven times different from it. In the same way as a person approaches a mirror placed on a stand and sees his reflection in it, so the energy of Vishnu never disconnects, but remains every month in the sun (like in a mirror), which is located “Vishnu Purana”, Prince II, ch. XII

Churning the Milky Ocean - Kurma's Avatar Phenomenon

When thirty gods, including Indra, having been defeated by the daityas, turned to Vishnu for help and support, he urged them to butter amrita in the milky ocean, binding Mount Mandara with a Vasuki snake. Thus, after drinking the nectar of immortality amrita, the gods will be able to gain strength and defeat daityas. The gods, having entered into an alliance with the asuras in order to obtain amrita, threw healing herbs into the ocean and, following the instructions of Vishnu, began to butter the ocean. Vishnu appeared in the form of a turtle on the back of which was Mount Mandara, at the same time he was among the gods, and also among the asuras, while sitting on the top of the mountain. The Asuras lost Rajas, for they were at the head of the fire-breathing Vasuki. From the created water whirlwind from the milky ocean began to appear: the cow of Surabhi, the goddess Varuni, the tree of Paris, the apsaras, the moon, the god Dhanvantari with a cup of amrita, the goddess Sri. Asuras captured amrita, and then Vishnu appeared in the form of a beautiful virgin, clouding the minds of the asuras, who lost their cup with nectar, and Vishnu passed it to the gods, who, overwhelmed by force, defeated the asuras in battle.

Image of Vishnu

Vishnu is usually depicted as a man with a dark or pale blue face and with four hands in which he holds a lotus flower, as a symbol of spiritual purity; a mace ("kaumodaki"), personifying divine power; a shell ("shankha"), which is a spiral that represents the cyclic existence of the universe; and a disk of fire (Sudarsana Chakra), as a symbol of restoring disturbed cosmic balance. In total, there are 24 different variations of Vishnu images, depending on what he holds in his hands.

Wahana Vishnu is the Garuda eagle. In the Vedic tradition, he is the king of birds, gifted with great power. Garuda is also a symbol of the enlightened mind. Garuda, who took the position of Indra among the birds, was born a beautiful goddess named Vinata. In order to free his mother, he stole amrita - immortality nectar from the gods, fought bravely and flew relentlessly without drinking a drop of this divine drink. Vishnu, pleased with the deed and selflessness of Garuda, endowed him with Immortality, and the king of birds became his wahana.

   Garuda said to Vishnu: "I will give you a gift too, choose you too!" And the great Krishna chose that mighty bird as a chariot and placed it (image) on his banner of the Mahabharata. Adiparva chapter 29

Garuda also represents the time cycle of Manvantara.

During the periods of rest between the manvantaras (pralaya), Vishnu is in a state of cosmic sleep on the thousand-headed blue serpent Sheshe - a symbol of infinite outer space.

Vishnu in the Vedic scriptures

You can find references to the god Vishnu in the Veda of the hymns “Rig Veda” (hymn VII.99). He, like Indra, separates heaven and earth, gives rise to the Sun (a connection with the celestial luminary Surya is visible in his name Suryanarayana, which is a source of light and heat). In hymns I.154, X.15, the abode of Vishnu is described in the highest abode for all souls. In hymn I.56, Vishnu appears as an assistant to Indra in the battle against the personification of the evil of Vritra.

In the Atharva Veda he appears as Prajapati. In the атatapatha-brahmana, Vishnu is mentioned as having placed all the worlds in himself, penetrating all the worlds and present in every living being, being the essence of everything. In the Upanishads, it is presented as the highest metaphysical reality, and various forms of worship and worship of the god Vishnu are also described here. In the Puranas one can find a variety of cosmogonic ideas about the origin of the Universe. In the Vayu-Purana, Vishnu - “Hiranyagarbha” - is the golden cosmic egg that gave birth to all forms of existence in the Universe. In the Bhagavata Purana, cosmogony is described through the avatar of Vishnu — Krishna. It tells of how initially evil defeated the forces of good (war between asuras and devas). Vishnu is reconciled with the asuras, but then defeats them, returning justice, freedom and good. Here we can trace the cyclical theme of the change of states, energies of the universe. The legends of Puranas inspired many plays and dramatic art presented through performing skills: Satria (a dance dedicated to Vishnu), a dance in honor of Krishna - Manipuri, a dance used to worship the god Vishnu - Odyssi, as well as Kachipudi, Kathakali, Kathak.

“Vishu Purana” is the central element of cosmogony, we will talk more about this later.

Cosmogony "Vishnu Puranas"

According to the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu is the source of the universe, the reason for the creation, preservation and destruction of the world. He is in the world, and the world consists of Vishnu present in every creation. He establishes the cycles of existence of the universe, he is the progenitor of pre-matter and consciousness. Primary matter is represented by the waters of the Causal Ocean, but water as a mobile substance is an allegory represented by the properties and qualities of this element.

From the pre-material at the beginning of time, the entire manifest world unfolds, and it will “absorb” into itself all the matter at the end point of the universe’s existence cycle. From the pre-mother the principle of creation appears, which is a consciousness that has three qualities: goodness, passion and inertness. Consciousness is a source of primary elements and sense organs, with the help of which the whole manifested world is comprehended. The Brahma egg is created from the primary elements combined into a single whole. It gradually increases in size, it is Vishnu, filled with the quality of rajas and manifested in the image of Brahma at the stage of creation of the Universe. Bhagavan Vishnu in goodness protects and protects the created world during kalpa. And at the end of the times of Janardana, as a bone, taking the image of Rudra, destroys this world and swallows the Universe.

And then, waking up from a dream, with the beginning of a new period in the life of the Universe, he again creates the Universe. So, the creation-existence-destruction of the Universe is repeated cyclically during calps.

   Everything that perceives the mind, perceives the eye and others (sense organs), as well as everything that differs in consciousness, - (everything) is your image! “Vishnu Purana”, Prince I, ch. IV, Sloka 19

Vishnu's Wife - The Beautiful Goddess Sri

The beautiful lotus-eyed goddess always and everywhere accompanies Vishnu. She is the companion of all avatars of the god Vishnu.

   Just as the Master of the world, the king of the gods of Janardan is born (in various images) avatars, so his girlfriend Sri. When Hari was the son of Aditi, she was born from a lotus; when he was (born) as Rama of the Bhrigu clan, she was Dharani. He was born as Raghava, she as Sita; when he was (born like) Krishna, she was (born like) Rukmini, and in other avatars of Vishnu she was his friend of the "Vishnu Purana", pr. I, ch. IX, slokas 138–141

The wife of the god Vishnu is mentioned in many Vedic literatures. In particular, in the Veda of hymns, it appears as a “sign that brings happiness” (Rig Veda, X.71.2). In the Vedha of spells "Atharvavede" (Skt. अथर्ववेद - "Veda of the priest of fire Atharvana") is presented in various aspects of a favorable state. In the Shatapatha-brahmana (Skt. शतपथ ब्राह्मण - “Brahmana is a hundred roads”), she is described as a beautiful goddess who conquers her divine beauty, possesses numerous talents and powerful power.

   Oh Loving lotuses! Padmini Holding a Lotus in Her Hands! Inhabitant in the lotus, lotusookaya! Beloved of the Universe, Propitating the mind of Vishnu, Make Your lotus feet close to me!<...> Neither anger (will not be), nor pride, nor greed, nor bad thoughts, but good merits for the devotees who constantly recite Sri-sukta "Rig Veda", part 2 Sri-sukta-phala-sruti, verses 20.26

Yantra Vishnu

Contemplating Vishnu yantra, we plunge into the divine bright world where there is no duality of perception. It is concentration on the image of Vishnu that fills us with the energy of goodness, and the illusion generated by the maya of the material world dissolves, and the world is perceived in the true light of the unity of all the creations of the universe.

In the central part of the yantra are represented: a bindu point and two intersecting triangles, one pointing upward, the other downward, which represents the unity of opposites, in other words, the unity of the inseparable, which is the essence of Vishnu - the reasons for everything that exists outside of duality. Two triangles surround two lotuses: eight-petal and twelve-petal. This whole geometric pattern is located in a protective square (bhupur).

Sri Vishnu Yantra is used to worship Vishnu, to receive blessings to achieve and maintain health, family, wealth. It is designed to protect all living things. Yantra meditation brings prosperity, peace, happiness, success.

Vishnu symbol - a sign that embodies the structure of the universe

The symbol of Vishnu is a sacred ancient Aryan sign. It is depicted as a hexagram - two intersecting equilateral triangles (three peaks - three hypostases of divine power as creating, preserving and destroying), forming at the intersection six triangles (six dimensions of space), with the bases forming a hexagon in the center. Two triangles, as mentioned above, symbolize the unity of two opposites: the active (masculine) principle - a triangle with the top up, and the passive (female) - triangle with the top down, this symbol also represents the penetration of the Spirit into matter, in other words, embodiment in the material world, unity consciousness and matter, which is the source of the false ego of living creatures during the manifest existence in the material world. The symbol of Vishnu was later borrowed by Kabbalists and is known as the “Seal of Solomon” or “Star of David” ().

Mantras of Vishnu

The main mantras that are chanted when glorifying the god Vishnu are as follows:

Eight-syllable mantra: OM Namo Narayanaya ;

“Om Namo Narayanaya - this mantra helps in the attainment of all benefits. Admirers who repeat it, reach heaven, receive liberation and success (fruits of deeds).

<…> "Destroying all sins, blessed, the highest of all mantras, Having uttered this eight-syllable mantra, one should remember Narayana."

(Narsimha Purana)

Greeting Vishnu: OM Vishnave Namaha ;

Worship of Vasudeva: "Om N amo Bhagavate Vasudevaya » ;

“Om, eternal glory to Vasudeva, Bhagavan, to one who is no different (from everything) and who is different from everything (the world)!”

(Vishnu Purana, Book I, Ch. XIX, 78)

Vishnu-Gayatri Mantra:

«OM Narayanaya vidmahe

   Vasudevaya dhimahi

   Tanno Vishnuh prachodayat » ;

On the website you can find recordings of the mantras Om Vishnave Namaha and Vishnu-Gayatri performed by Daria Chudina in an excellent performance.

When we chant the mantras of Vishnu, we are in a state of unity and harmony with the world around us, in the absolute awareness of the inseparability of everything that has come from a single source and is one. All being is a divine creation and carries within itself a particle of divine nature.

Matsya (first avatar)

During the Great Flood, Krishna took the form of Matsya, the fish, and saved Manu, who became the ancestor of mankind, the seven great sages Rishis and the sacred texts of the Vedas from death. The worship of Krishna in the form of fish is not widespread.

Kurma (second avatar)

The second time God came down to earth in the form of Kurma - the tortoise. During the flood, many treasures were lost, including the drink of immortality - amrita. The demigods needed him to maintain eternal youth. The demigods, deprived of amrita, were saddened, and Krishna decided to help them. He turned into a gigantic tortoise and sank to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. The demigods erected a mountain on his back and wrapped around it like a rope, a Vasuki snake. At the direction of Krishna, the demigods, along with the asuras (demons), threw various types of medicinal herbs into the ocean and, taking Vasuki by the head and tail, began to churn (i.e. shake) the ocean. Krishna the tortoise supported the mountain so that it did not fall into the swampy bottom of the ocean.

So the demigods and asuras have been churning the ocean for 100 years, until various wonders began to appear from it: the goddess Sri with eyes shining like the sun, a white elephant and much more. Finally, the long-awaited drink of immortality appeared in a white vessel. The demigods and demons rushed to him, everyone tried to grab the vessel first. The demons had time before, but a quarrel broke out between them: everyone wanted to taste the magic drink first. And then again Krsna came to the aid of the demigods. He took the form of the captivating heavenly beauty Mohini. Fascinated by her, the demons forgot about their struggle and the drink. And Mohini, smiling, took the cup, seated the demigods and demons separately, and gave the drink to the demigods. When the turn of demons came, the beauty disappeared. The deceived demons screamed at the demigods with a terrible scream. A battle ensued, but the demigods, fortified by the drink of immortality, of course, won.

Varaha (third avatar)

The third time, Vishnu had to go down to earth in the guise of a boar to fight the demon Hiranyaksha. The demon succeeded in being defeated by neither the demigod, nor man, nor the beast. But, listing animals in the spell, he forgot to mention the boar. Having gained strength, Hiranyaksha began to boast of it and oppress the demigods and people. In arrogance, he went so far as to push the earth into the depths of the oceans. Then the giant boar Vishnu tore the belly with fearful fangs to the arrogant demon, lifted the earth with one fang and hoisted it into place.

Vishnu-boar is revered today in some parts of India.

Narasimha (fourth avatar)

And for the fourth time, Vishnu again had to deal with a demon, this time with Hiranyakasipu, the brother of Hiranyaksha. The demon made a promise to Brahma that no one could defeat him: neither God, nor man, nor the beast, that he could not be killed day or night, neither in the house, nor outside. Having thus ensured complete safety for himself in this way, Hiranyakasipu began to persecute the demigods and people, forcing him to honor only one in his kingdom. Even his own son Prahlada, a faithful admirer of Vishnu, did not escape persecution. Fleeing from the angry king, Prahlada appealed to his beloved deity. And at sunset (i.e., neither day nor night) an unprecedented creature - Narasimha, half-human half-humans, came out of a column on the threshold of the house (i.e., not in the house and not outside it) and tore the arrogant demon king. So Vishnu freed his devotee and confirmed his own greatness ...

Vamana (fifth avatar)

For the fifth time, Vishnu was born in the guise of a dwarf Vamana. This happened when the demon of Bali seized power over the world. With the help of ascetic feats, he achieved unprecedented power and gained power over the triloka (three worlds: heaven, earth and the underworld) and the demigods. The demigods prayed and turned to Vishnu for help. Vishnu-Vamana went to Bali for alms. What the demon did not offer him! And gold and silver, and fast horses, and mighty elephants, and precious jewelry. But Vamana refused everything and just asked for some land: as much as he can measure in three steps. Bali agreed, and Vamana began to grow before his eyes and became a huge giant. He took the first step, took the second - and covered them with earth, sky and the space between them. Vamana refrained from the third step: he felt sorry for the demon of Bali, and he left him the underworld - patala, allowing once a year to visit the lost kingdom.

In the southern Indian state of Kerala, Onam is annually celebrated in honor of this event. For ten days everyone is having fun so that the former king sees his subjects happy.

Parasurama (sixth avatar)

For the sixth time, Vishnu took the form of a man named Parasurama (Rama with an ax). He was the son of a brahmin associate of Jamadagni and Princess Renuki, from childhood he was distinguished by militancy and never parted with a battle ax. By order of his father and spiritual mentor, he without hesitation decapitated his own mother, suspected of sinful thoughts. But the main act of Vishnu in the guise of Parasurama was the killing of the thousand-armed king Kartavirya, who seized power over the whole world and brutally oppressed the brahmanas. The sons of Kartaviriya killed Jamadagni and Parasuram, avenging the death of their father, three times seven times exterminated all men of their kind and filled five lakes with blood with blood on Kurukshetra ...

Rama (seventh avatar)

This is one of the most popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama, son of Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya, hero of the great Indian epic Ramayana. Rama is a perfect king, a loving spouse and a brave warrior. Ramayana describes the story of this matchless prince and his beautiful and virtuous wife Sita.

Together with his brother Lakshman and his wife Sita, he led a hermit life in the forest, where he destroyed many demons who disturbed the peace of ascetics and local residents. The demon Ravana, king of Lanka, decided to avenge the fallen relatives and kidnapped Sita. For a long time Rama was looking for a wife, wandering around the world with his brother. Finally found her in the palace of Ravana. After a long and bloody battle, Rama defeated Ravana and liberated Sita.

Krishna (eighth avatar)

The eighth avatar of Vishnu is the beautiful and eternally young Krishna, the protector of the Earth and the fighter against human injustice.

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Mathura, the unrighteous king Kamsa ruled. To rid the world of him, Krishna decided to incarnate in one of the sons of his cousin Devaki, but Kamsa found out from the foretellers and killed all her sons. Therefore, Krishna was secretly transported as a child to the other side of the Yamuna River and raised in a family of simple shepherds. He was a delightful child with thundercloud skin. With his beauty and playing the flute, He fascinated all the inhabitants of the village.

Krishna’s childhood, his pranks (stealing oil from Yasoda, clothes from bathing shepherds, etc.) and exploits (killing the demons that Kamsa sends, absorbing the flames of a forest fire and saving cows and shepherds from him, defeating the serpent lord Kaliya; raising above his head Govardhana mountains, to protect the shepherds, shepherds and their cattle from the rain, etc.) are favorite topics of Indian poetry.

An even more popular topic is the cowherd’s love for young Krishna. Hearing the flute of Krishna, the cowherd boys, abandoning husbands and household chores, run to him and dance with him in ecstasy on the banks of the Yamuna. The cowherd boys and their attraction to Krishna are treated as a symbol of human souls striving to merge with God. But God is elusive and unattainable: in the end, Krishna leaves the cowherd boys to fulfill his duty to kill Kamsa. Killing a tyrant ends Krishna's youth. From a shepherdess He turns into a warrior and a politician: restores fair power in Mathura and protects the city from demons avenging Kamsa. At the same time, Krishna transfers all the inhabitants of Mathura - the Yadavas to Dvaraka, the new city, which is built by His order in one night.

Performing further feats, Krishna first acquires eight wives (the first of them Rukmini), and then another 16,100 wives. Possessing the wonderful ability to abide with all wives simultaneously, Krsna produces many offspring. After the Battle of Kurukshetra, which completes the circle of earthly affairs of Krishna-Vishnu, Krishna, deciding to return to the divine realms, first destroys the entire city of Yadav, and then he himself dies from the arrow of a hunter who mistook him for a deer.

Buddha (ninth avatar)

Buddha became the ninth avatar of Vishnu - the lila-avatar of Lord Krishna, who appeared at the beginning of Kali-yuga. Buddha (Sakyamuni Buddha), also known as Siddhart Gautama (624-544 BC) - the founder of modern Buddhism. He appeared, supposedly then, to dissuade the asuras in the sanctity of the Vedas and thereby deprive them of their strength.

Kalki (tenth avatar)

The last, tenth avatar of Vishnu - Kalki (Horseman on the White Horse) - refers to the future. His coming is only expected. This will happen at the end of our dark era, when villains will prevail and unbelief will perish in the hearts of people. Then Vishnu will appear in the form of a king on a white horse, and a golden age will be established on earth.

Ability god vishnu  in different eras, taking on a different look makes it a truly unique deity. In Hinduism, this feature is called Dashavatar - 10 incarnations of Vishnu.

Dashavatar - 10 incarnations of Vishnu

The first is the incarnation of the god Vishnu  into the fish - Matsya. In this guise, God saves the seventh Manu, as well as a variety of plant seeds, from a global flood from a ship.

Kurma (turtle), god Vishnu takes the form of a turtleto plunge to the very bottom of the oceans, for salvation during a flood of valuables. The gods erect Mount Mandara on the turtle, a Vasuki snake is wrapped around it, and they begin to spin very quickly, whipping the ocean, thus the Moon, amrita (drink of immortality) and many other sacred creatures and objects begin to emerge from it.

Varaha ("boar"), embodied in which Vishnu  saved the world by killing the demon Hiranyaksha, who was trying to drown the earth, which after God vishnu  raised on his fangs from the abyss.

Narasimha - Vishnu becomes a lion man. He is tearing to pieces the evil demon Hiranyakasipu, who has seized power, both on earth and in heaven.

Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Vishna

Vamana ("dwarf") - another incarnation of god Vishnuto appear before Bali - the king of the givers who subjugated three worlds (heaven, earth, the underworld). The dwarf asked Bali as much space as he could measure with his three steps. Bali agreed, having received the consent of Vamana, measured the earth with the first step, and the sky with the second. As a result, leaving Bali the underworld, abandoning the last third step.

Parasurama ("Frame with an Ax") - vishnu incarnation  in the son of a brahmana, for the extermination of the ksatriyas, who represented the castes of warriors, so that the brahmanas became even more varied.

Rama ("Dark-skinned") - the most beautiful prince, the wisest ruler - the ideal king and husband. He defeats the demon dragon with the many-headed Ravana (“Howling”). After cutting off the heads, they grew again and again. The demon was struck by the arrow of Brahma.

Krishna ("Dark", "Black") the eighth incarnation of Vishnuis considered the most complete embodiment. Krishna Vishnu  very popular in India; thereby Krishna is often revered as Vishnu. Story Krishna Visnu diverse fairy-tale episodes. In his youth, Krishna was a sweet cowherd who attracted the attention of many cowherd boys. With the sounds of a magic flute Krishna Vishnu  fascinated both people and animals.

Buddha (Enlightened, Awakened) is the ninth incarnation of Vishnu.

Kalki ("White Horse") - the last, tenth, incarnation of Vishnu. In this incarnation, God will come to earth at the end of time. With the sword of justice in hand to exterminate all evil and evil, on top he will be on a white horse. He is destined to restore peace and order on the sinful earth, as well as renew and revive humanity.

When in ancient times innumerable living creatures multiplied, the Earth was exhausted under the burden of mountains and forests and the creatures that bred on it. She could not bear this burden and, having sunk into the bowels of Patala, plunged into the water there. Then, for her salvation, Vishnu turned into a huge boar with a body like a dark thundercloud, and eyes sparkling like stars. He went down to Patala and, having tucked the earth with his fang, pulled it out of the water and lifted it up. The mighty asur Hiranyaksha, the son of Diti, was at that time in Patal; he saw a giant boar carrying fangs of earth from which streams of water flowed, flooding the underground halls of the asuras and naga. And Hiranyaksha attacked the boar to take away the land from him and take possession of it. Vishnu in the guise of a boar was defeated in battle by the great asura. Then he took the land out of Patala and established it in the middle of the ocean so that it would never fail again.

Another time, Vishnu incarnated on earth when its well-being was threatened by the king of asuras Hiranyakasipu, the elder brother of Hiranyaksha. Proud of his power, Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti, left the path of virtue and began to cruelly oppress living beings. The son of Hiranyakasipu, the pious Prahlada, condemning the atrocities of his father, turned to veneration of Vishnu. In vain did the king of the asuras try to force his son to renounce virtue; finally he imprisoned Prahlada in prison. The evil Hiranyakashipu was not afraid of anyone, for he had once received the gift of invulnerability from the Progenitor; as a reward for the long and exhausting asceticism, Brahma made him irresistible for the gods and demons, for people and animals. Then Vishnu incarnated on earth in the form of not a human and not an animal - half-half-human, half-human - and appeared in the halls of Hiranyakasipu. Seeing the outlandish creature, the king of the asuras rushed at him, shaking his trident, but the human creature threw Hiranyakashipu to the ground and tore it to pieces with his claws. Then Vishnu freed virtuous Prahlada from the dungeon and restored justice to the earth.

After Hiranyakasipu’s death, his son Prahlada became king of daityas and danavas. Thanks to his piety and asceticism, he gained great power, and the gods could not defeat him. On the advice of Brihaspati, Indra appeared to Prahlada in the guise of a brahmana and asked for his gift of his virtue. The pious king could not refuse a brahmana. His virtue came out of him in the form of a shadow and settled in Indra. Only then could the lord of the gods defeat Prahlada.

The son of Prahlada was Virocana, the son of Virocana - the powerful Bali, who later became the king of the asuras. By piety, Bali surpassed his grandfather and all those living in the three worlds. By the power of his piety and asceticism, he gained power over the universe. And the sky, and the earth, and the underworlds belonged to him, and the gods themselves fell under the rule of the king of the Asuras. Offended by the humiliation of her sons, Aditi appealed to Vishnu: “Only you can return the kingdom to your brother Indra. Help the gods, your brothers, oh wise! ”Then Vishnu turned into a dwarf and came to Bali, the ruler of the universe, and asked him for as much space as he could measure in three steps. “Refuse him,” advised the king of Ushanas, son of Bhrigu. But the proud and generous Bali did not listen to the advice of a wise mentor and agreed to give the dwarf as much space as he asks. Then the dwarf grew immeasurably in front of the shocked Bali, and with one step he crossed the celestial spheres, and with the second he covered all the earth at once. Vishnu did not take the third step; at the request of Brahma, he spared the noble Bali and left in his possession the underworld, Patal. So the gods regained power over the universe, while the asuras were expelled into the underworld.