Vishnu created Rudra or Lord Shiva to destroy life.
He created Vishnu as the
preserver of this universe.
“But the Supreme Lord is only one, irrespective of whatever people
address him by: Vishnu, Brahma or Shiva
“He, Lord Narayana, is the only authority behind the working of this
life system. Vishnu resides in every creature; every life has an ansh (part) of
Vishnu within it, him or her. He is the Essence; He is the Conscious, the only
Joy.”
(The relation between and/or the identities of Vishnu and Narayana is
not clear. If Narayana is the Supreme God, he created Vishnu along with the
Shiva and Brahma; but in places it has been said that Lakshmi is Narayana’s
spouse, and that Lakshmi is Vishnu’s spouse, then this makes Vishnu and
Narayana one and the same.
The Master of the universe, Lord Vishnu who is always in peace, who has
a serpent bed; He is the one from whose navel blooms the lotus; He is an
authority on gods, whose form consists of the entire universe; He pervades the
sky, the hue of cloud and is a beauty; He is the lord of Lakshmi; He is
lotus-eyed; He is always liked by yogis and can be reached by meditating on
Him;
He is the destroyer of all fears prevailing in this world.”
Vishnu’s Appearance
The blue-complexioned Vishnu is depicted in illustrations as a
four-armed deity, with Rishi Bhrigu’s feet marked on his chest. A garland of
flowers and the Kaustubha jewel encircles his neck; it is said that Lakshmi,
his consort, dwells in the Kaustubha jewel. He wears a crown on his head and
earrings. Virtually every aspect of Vishnu represents something unique, and has
a deeper meaning to it:
His blue complexion again reiterates his omnipresent quality, as blue is
commonly regarded as the colour of the infinite space and ocean, where he
lives.
The crown adorning his head is indicative of his absolute power. In some
illustrations, a peacock feather decorates his crown, reflecting his
reincarnation as Krishna.
The earrings correspond to the innate opposites in creation: knowledge- ignorance, pleasure-pain, etc.
Vishnu;s four arms are synonymous of his omnipotent and omnipresent
nature. In each hand, Vishnu holds a chakra, a conch, a gada (mace) and a
lotus.
His upper left hand holds a shankh (conch) known as the
"Panchajanya". The conch is indicative of Vishnu's power in creating
and maintaining the universe. The Panchajanya symbolizes water, fire, air,
earth and sky or space; these are collectively known as the five elements
or Panchabhoota. It also represents the five airs or pranas that are within the
body and mind. The conch also symbolizes that Vishnu himself is the “Om”.
His upper right hand holds the Sudarshana Chakra, a discus, which
symbolizes a purified, spiritualized mind. The chakra stands for the
annihilation of one's ego, of spiritual ignorance and delusion, and developing
a superior spiritual revelation and insight, thereby recognizing the presence
of the Almighty.
Vishnu holds the Kaumodaki", a gada by lower left hand, symbolizing
that he the power behind all spiritual, mental and physical force. The
Kaumodaki represents the divine power that exists within us to release
ourselves from all materialistic bonds.
The lower right hand holds a lotus, which represents spiritual release
and the unfolding of spiritual consciousness within us.
Vishnu is shown as either standing straight and tall on a lotus, with
Lakshmi beside him,Lakshmi seated near his feet,
Brahma sitting on a lotus that has emerged from his navel, or riding on Garuda,
an eagle, his vahana.
The Dus Avatars
of Vishnu
It is believed that there are Dus
Avatars or ten incarnations of Vishnu. Religious texts tell us that
whenever the world has been endangered or beset with grave trouble, Vishnu has
taken birth either in the form of a creature or as a mortal to relieve the
world of such problems. Nine such incarnations have already occurred since the
world began, while the tenth incarnation is yet to take place.
The First avatar is Matsya Avatar, in which
Vishnu took the form of a big fish. Once a demon stole all the four Vedas and
hid these in the deep sea. To retrieve the Vedas, Vishnu reincarnated as a matsya (fish), found the Vedas and
restored them.
TheSecond avatar is Kurma where Vishnu is seen
as a tortoise. He took this form to assist in the churning of the ocean to
enable the demons and deities acquire Amrit
or the Nectar of Immortality. He dedicated himself as the base of Mount Mandar.
TheThird avatar is Varaaha or wild boar, when
Vishnu as varaaha dived into the
ocean to save Bhoomi Devi, who had sunk into the depths of the ocean. The
temple of Varhamurthy can be visited at Tiruvidandai, which is quite close to
Chennai.
The Forth avatar is in the form of half-man
half-lion-Narasingha Avatar in which
he killed the demon king Hiranyakashyap.
The Fifth avatar is Vamana . In this form, Vishnu came as a vamana (midget or dwarf) to destroy the
demon Bali.
The sixth avtar is Parashurama, Vishnu
singlehandedly annihilated egotistical kings and kshatriyas who routinely
disturbed saints and sages. Parashurama was an arrogant rishi who was a master in warcraft and weaponry.
The seventh avataris Shri Rama Chandra, a
prince of Ayodhya. This avatar is
said to be the model of the ideal man, who is honest, and dedicated to dharma and truth. As Prince Rama
Chandra, Vishnu, along with his younger brother Lakshman fought and killed
demons and their king Ravana of Lanka, who had abducted his wife Sita. Ramayana, the holy scripture, details
the life and activities of Prince Rama Chandra. Rama is worshiped all over
India with tremendous fervor and piety, and Deepawali or Diwali, the festival
of lights too is celebrated with passion and gaiety as it marks the day when
Rama returned home victorious to Ayodhya after having defeated Ravana, King of
Lanka, as well as completing 14 years of exile in forests,
The eighth avatar is Krishna which portrays
divine romance and superior intellect. Krishna displayed innocence, romance,
power of karma, and power to decide
what is wrong and right. He dictated the Bhagwad Gita, the holy book of Hindus,
which discusses the type of life one should lead, what duties to perform, and
what one should abstain from. Krishna’s life story and the Gita, and battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas are narrated in
the epic, Mahabharata.
The Ninth avatar is Balram as that of the
elder brother of Krishna. This form was taken simultaneously along with that of
Krishna. It is believed that gods can take multiple forms at the one and same
time, if required.
The tenth avatar is Kalki, who hasn’t taken
birth as yet. The Bhagvata Purana
says that when the world will face a turbulent time, Vishnu will incarnate as
Kalki and destroy all evils. He will redefine humanity and bring kindness in
every human being.
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