reviews [0] Lakshmi Narayan [2]
In Sanatan dharm, honoring 3 major gods: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu is the foundation of Brahmand.
Each of them have their loyal group of followers, or devotees. Many temples and places of worship in India are dedicated to one of these three.
But Vishnu and Shiva in particular have their own huge number of devotees, and in particular Vishnu is highly revered.
1. Before there was creation, there was Vishnu asleep and floating in a vast sea of nothingness. Upon waking and stirring, a lotus sprang from his belly and blossomed, giving birth to Brahma. Brahma then set out to create the entire universe.
2. Vishnu has 10 main incarnations, known as the Dashavatara: Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Vamana, Narasimha, Varaha, Kurma, Matsya, Parashurama, and Kalki.
3. Vishnu lives in Param Padam, the supreme abode. In this place, liberated souls spend eternity living in supreme bliss.
4. Vishnu would constantly come down to earth in the form of Lord Narayana in order to deliver messages or to make sure that things are going according to the Divine plan.
5. Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi, is known as the goddess of wealth. Her energy manifests as creativity, and as such, Vishnu needs her with him at all times.
6. In many representations, Vishnu is depicted with four arms, each representing a certain quality: Duty and virtue, material wealth and success, pleasure, and liberation.
7. Vishnu is the presever of the 3 worlds, comes to earth to estabilish dharma
8. Vishnu has over 1,000 names in the shastras.
9. The typical blue color of Vishnu is symbolic of his purity and his eternal nature, similar to the seemingly limitless blue ocean.
10. Vishnu is the preservation aspect of the universe; existence is supposedly actively maintained and manifested through his will.
Vishnu is best known through his ten avatars (incarnations), which appear on earth when there is disorder in the world. Rama and Krishna, whose stories are told in the Epics and the Puranas, are the most popular incarnations of Vishnu by far. The ten incarnations of Vishnu are:
- Matsya (fish)
- Kurma (turtle)
- Varaha (boar)
- Narasimha (man-lion)
- Vamana (dwarf)
- Parashurama (warrior-priest)
- Rama (prince)
- Krishna (cow-herd)
- Buddha (sage)
- Kalki (horseman, who has not yet appeared)
