Vishnu

Who is Vishnu?

When the universe is in balance, Vishnu rests. On the vast primordial ocean, he reclines on the cosmic serpent Shesha — at peace, dreaming creation into being. But when darkness grows too strong, when evil tips the scales, when the people cry out — Vishnu wakes. He takes a form, steps into the world, and sets things right.

This is the essence of Vishnu (विष्णु) — the Preserver, the Sustainer, the one who keeps the cosmos from falling apart.

In the Trimurti — the Hindu trinity of cosmic functions — Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves, and Shiva dissolves. But in the Vaishnava tradition, Vishnu is not merely one member of a trio. He is the Supreme Being, Bhagavan — the Lord — from whom all existence flows and to whom it all returns.

His name comes from the Sanskrit root vish — meaning “to pervade.” Vishnu is the all-pervading presence, the invisible thread that holds the fabric of reality together. He is everywhere, in everything, sustaining every atom of creation.

Iconography and Symbolism

Vishnu’s four-armed form is one of the most recognizable images in all of Hindu art, and every detail carries deep meaning.

His blue skin represents the infinite sky and the fathomless ocean — things beyond the horizon, beyond the grasp of the limited mind. He is vast, and the blue says so without words.

He wears yellow silk (pitambara) — the color of the earth, of prosperity, of the harvest — because even as a cosmic deity, he is connected to the world he loves and preserves.

He rests on Shesha (also called Ananta — “the endless one”), the great serpent whose thousand hoods shelter Vishnu as he sleeps between cycles of creation. At Vishnu’s feet sits Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and grace, his eternal consort.

His vehicle — Garuda, the golden eagle — is the nemesis of serpents and the symbol of the Vedas themselves, carrying divine wisdom wherever Vishnu goes.

The Ten Avatars — Dashavatara

The word avatar (avatara) means “descent” — when the divine comes down into the human world. Vishnu has taken ten principal avatars across the great ages of creation, each perfectly suited to the need of the time:

The evolutionary progression is remarkable — from fish to amphibian to animal to half-animal to dwarf to man, the avatars trace something like the unfolding of life itself. Many devotees see in this sequence a deep spiritual truth about how consciousness evolves.

Worship and Practice

Ekadashi — the eleventh day of each lunar fortnight — is the most important day for Vishnu devotees. Fasting on Ekadashi is said to cleanse accumulated karma and please the Lord immensely. Of all Ekadashis, Vaikuntha Ekadashi (in the month of Margashirsha) is the holiest — tradition says the gates of Vaikuntha, Vishnu’s heavenly abode, open on this day.

Tulsi (holy basil) is Vishnu’s sacred plant. No puja to Vishnu is complete without tulsi leaves. A tulsi plant in the home is considered a sign of Vishnu’s blessing and is watered and worshipped daily by millions of households.

The Vishnu Sahasranama — the thousand names of Vishnu — is one of the most beloved prayers in all of Hinduism. Chanting it daily, or even listening to it, is said to purify the mind and attract divine grace. It comes from the Mahabharata, where the dying grandfather Bhishma reveals it to Yudhishthira as the greatest of all prayers.

The simplest practice: Om Namo Narayanaya. Eight syllables. Complete and perfect. Whisper it when you wake, when you sleep, when the world feels heavy. Vishnu is near.