Talk:Viṣṇu

By Swami Harshananda

Viṣṇu, also known as Mahāviṣṇu, is the second deity of the Trinity representing Sattvaguṇa. He is the centripetal force as it were responsible for sustenance, protection and maintenance of the created universe.

Etymological Representation of Lord Viṣṇu

Interpretation of the Word Viṣṇu

Etymologically speaking, the word ‘Viṣṇu’ means ‘one who pervades, one who has entered into everything.’ So he is the transcendent as well the immanent reality of the universe. He is the inner cause and power by which things exist. Another name of Viṣṇu which is extremely common and popular is Nārāyaṇa. The word means:

1. One who has made the causal waters his abode
2. One who is the abode of all human beings
3. One who has made the hearts of human beings as his abode
4. One who is the final goal of all human beings

Viṣṇu

As Nārāyaṇa

The first interpretation has given rise to a description of Nārāyaṇa which is common and popular. After the destruction of the universe of the previous cycle and before the creation of the next, Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme God, falls asleep on his bed of the great serpent Seṣa, which is floating on the waters of the ocean Kṣirasamudra. One of his legs is resting on the lap of his consort Lakṣmī, who is gently pressing it. When he is dreaming of the next creation, a lotus springs forth from his navel along with god Brahmā seated on it. After waking up, he instructs Brahmā to proceed with the act of creation. This is a highly allegorical picture. It represents the following:

• The ocean represents causal waters from which all the living being originates, a concept not uncommonly found in other religions also.
• Since it is Kṣirasamudra, the ocean of milk, it stands for the purest form of Prakṛti or nature in its undifferentiated state, whiteness indicating this purity.
• Out of the several equivalents of the word āpas, is the word amṛta. Hence we can say that the Lord Nārāyaṇa is floating on the ocean of bliss, which is as it should be.
• The serpent Seṣa or Ananta is said to have thousand heads and supports the worlds on its hoods. Ananta, which literally means the ‘endless’ or ‘infinite’ actually stands for cosmic time which is infinite or endless.
• Created worlds come into being in their allocated time and are sustained in that specific span of time only. This is the meaning of the thousand hoods supporting the worlds. The thousand hoods simply indicate the innumerable divisions of time. The concept of the thousand hoods supporting the worlds can also lead to the interpretation that the serpent represents the cosmic space, in which everything exists.
• The word Seśa is also significant. It actually means ‘the remainder,’ ‘what is leftover at the end’. Since creation cannot proceed out of nothing, it is to be assumed that ‘something’ is ‘leftover’ from the previous creation, which forms the seed as it were, for the next. So, Seṣa represents the totality of the jīvas or individual souls in their subtle form, leftover from the previous cycle and needing more opportunities for regeneration.
• Serpent can also represent kāma or desire which is always present even after the acquisition and enjoyment of the desired object until mokṣa or final liberation. Hence, in a cosmic sense, it can stand for the desire of the Lord to proceed with the next cycle of creation after the rest.
• Viṣṇu is always described as Nilameghaśyāma of a dark blue hue, like that of the rain-bearing cloud. Since the infinite empty space appears as deep blue in color, Viṣṇu the all-pervading cosmic power, is also depicted as blue in color.

Other Forms of Viṣṇu

The commonest form of the Viṣṇu icon has one face, four arms holding śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, and padma. He wears a necklace with the famous gem Kaustubha dangling on the lock of hair known as Srīvatsa on the left chest. He is also wearing a garland of gems or fragrant flowers named Vaijayanti.

• The four arms represent the four quarters, absolute power of the Lord in all the directions.
• The śaṅkha represents the five elements like the earth, water etc.
• Cakra stands for the cosmic mind.
• Gadā indicates the cosmic intellect and the padma points to the evolving world.
• Just as the lotus is born out of water and unfolds gradually in all its glory, the world is also born out of the causal waters and evolves gradually in all its splendor. Hence the lotus stands for the evolved world.
• This world can be created only by a combination of the five elements, the mind and the intellect.
• The curl of hair, Śrīvatsa, represents all the objects of enjoyment and products of the nature.
• The gem Kaustubha, resting on it, stands for the enjoyer. So, this world of duality, consisting of the enjoyer and the enjoyed, is like an ornament for the Lord.
• The garland Vaijayantī is symbolical of the subtle elements.
• Sometimes two more weapons, Nandaka-the sword and Sārñga-the bow are added to the arsenal of Lord Viṣṇu.

Hence the total meaning of these symbols would be that the Lord Viṣṇu is the creator and master of this world.

Avatāras of Lord Viṣṇu

To ward off the extraordinary perils to which mankind is prone, maybe the visitations from the demons, maybe from the human malefactors and to preserve the socio-ethical order, Lord Viṣṇu whose duty it is to preserve this world, often incarnates himself. Though such incarnations are popularly considered to be ten; there is no limit to their number. Nor are there any restrictions regarding the time and place of their appearance. Whenever dharma declines and adharma prospers he bodies himself forth to restore the balance in the world.

Matsyāvatāra

In the Matsyāvatāra, the Lord is said to have saved Manu and the Saptarṣis along with their wives during the deluge. The world was repopulated through them later on.

Kurma

Lord Viṣṇu incarnated himself as the Kurma in order to support the mount Mandāra which started sinking during the churning of the ocean. The gods and the demons had jointly undertaken this adventure to get Amṛta from the ocean.

Varāhāvatāra

Varāhāvatāra in which the Lord killed the demon Hiraṇyākṣa and lifted the earth out of the flood waters in which it had been submerged. This may be a symbolic representation of the extrication of the world from the deluge of sin by the power of the Supreme Being.

Narasiṅha

When Prahlāda, the great devotee of Viṣṇu was being severely tortured by his father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, Narasiṅha appeared, emerging out of the pillar shown by him and killed him. Being a combination of man and lion Narasiṅha represents the best of creation. Incidentally this also proves the omnipresence of God. Narasiṅha is especially the embodiment of valor which is a divine attribute and hence he is worshiped by rulers and warriors. His mantra is said to be very powerful, capable of destroying enemies and exorcising evil.

Vāmana

When Bali the grandson of Prahlāda conquered the three worlds, Indra was deprived of his heavenly kingdom. At the request of Aditi, the mother of Indra, Lord Viṣṇu incarnated as Vāmana, a young brāhmaṇa boy and approached Bali who was known for his munificence, for a gift of land that could be covered by three steps. With the first and the second, he covered the earth and heaven and with the third, he pushed down Bali to the netherworld. Hence he is also known as Trivikrama, one who encompassed the world with three big steps. This myth teaches us that since even God had to resort to the dwarfs form while begging, one who begs makes himself small. Secondly, a true brāhmaṇa can conquer the three worlds by the power of the spirit.

Paraśurāma

These five avatāras have been referred to in the various sections of the Vedas. The next five incarnations are in the human form. Paraśurāma is the sixth avatāra. Born as the son of the sage-couple, Jamadagni and Reṇukā, he exterminated the tyrannical among the kṣattriyas led by Kārtavīrya, who were oppressing the people. Whether this story has any historical basis and represents the struggle for supremacy between the brāhmaṇas and kṣattriyas is debatable.

Śri Rāma

Śri Rāma, the next incarnation, meets Paraśurāma and absorbs his power into himself. Hence Paraśurāma is sometimes considered as āveśāvatāra, an incarnation by the temporary possession of Viṣṇu’s powers. Śrī Rāma, one of the two most popular incarnations of the Lord Viṣṇu, comes next in the series. He typifies the ideal man and his life-story, the Rāmāyaṇa, has now become an immortal epic. His name is known as the ‘Tārakamantra,’ the mantra that takes one across the ocean of transmigration.

Balarāma

Balarāma, ‘Rāma the strong,’ the elder brother of Śri Kṛṣṇa, is the eighth incarnation. His many adventures include the slaying of the ape Dvivida and the demon Dhenuka, shaking the ramparts of Hastināvati and dragging the river Yamunā out of its course. The story that the serpent Śeṣa issued forth from his mouth at the time of his death gives credence to the belief that he was the incarnation of Śeṣa. Some scholars basing their conjecture on the weapon of Balarāma, opine that he was an agricultural hero raised to the status of an avatāra in course of time.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the ninth incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, is the most popular incarnation of all. It is so popular that he is considered as purṇāvatāra and all the other deities are regarded as his manifestations. His story and his exploits are too well-known. To the average person, he is the supreme statesman, warrior, hero, philosopher, teacher, infact the God Himself. He is the great expounder of the ‘Song Celestial,’ the Bhagavadgītā.

Kalki

The tenth Avatāra Kalki is yet to come. He will descend upon the earth at the end of the present age. Riding on the back of a white horse, with a drawn sword, he will destroy the enemies of dharma and re-establish it in all its glory.

Closure

This list of the ten avatāras of the Lord Viṣṇu which is not accepted by all. Taking Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Viṣṇu himself, he is not included in some lists. His place is taken over by Buddha. In some other lists, Buddha replaces Balarāma. Iconographically speaking, Buddha seems to have disappeared from such lists only after the 15th century. The purpose of the Buddha-incarnation was supposed to be to mislead men of low birth and genius, who had become too proficient in the sacred lore and were a threat to the supremacy of the gods which seems like a hoax. The persons sealed the fate of Buddhism in this country by absorbing Buddha into the pantheon of the avatāras. Other list of incarnations, though totaling to ten only, are:

1. Haṅsa
2. Sātvata
3. Yajña
4. Dattātreya
5. Vedavyāsa

However, the number rises sometimes to as high as twenty-three.

Caturvyuhas

The Bhāgavata or the Pāñcarātra religion, which preaches the sect of Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa, puts forth the theory that the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu has four aspects of manifestation. They are:

1. The Para or the supreme
2. The Vyuha or the emanation
3. The Vibhava or the incarnation
4. The Area or icon

Para

Para is the Supreme He in all His glory.

Vibhava

Vibhava represents the incarnations already dealt with.

Area

Area is the descent of the Lord into the icon ceremonially installed and worshiped in the temples.

Vyuhas

The Vyuhas or the emanations are four in number. Hence it is termed as caturvyuhas. It is also called caturmurtis. They are:

1. Vāsudeva
2. Śaṅkarṣaṇa
3. Pradyumna
4. Aniruddha

According to Vaiṣṇava mythologies, while Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva, his brother Balarāma is Śaṅkarṣaṇa. Pradyumna and Aniruddha are Kṛṣṇa’s son and grandson respectively. Historically speaking, it is possible that these Yādava heroes were apotheosized into these Vyuhas in course of time. Symbolically, Vāsudeva represents citta whereas Saṅkarṣaṇa stands for ahaṅkāra, Pradyumna for buddhi and Aniruddha for mānas. They represent the cosmic psychological evolution. Later on, these Vyuhas were increased to twenty-four. Iconographically, all these Vyuhas are identical in appearance except for the arrangement of the four emblems:

1. Śaṅkha
2. Cakra
3. Gadā
4. Padma

The Pāñcarātra theology often adds another aspect of the manifestations, viz., the Antaryāmin, which obviously cannot be represented through icons.

Minor Incarnations

Mythology abounds in stories of Lord Viṣṇu’s avatāras, which may be purṇāvatāras like Śri Kṛṣṇa, anśāvatāras like Kapila or āveśāvarāras like Paraśurāma. A few of these may now be dealt with.

Dattātreya

He was the son of the great sage Atri and his wife Anasuyā, one of the paragons of chastity in the mythology. He was the originator of certain magical rites and the creator of the Soma plant. He was a teacher of non-Āryan people. Association with people of low birth and objects of pleasure has made him ritually impure. But, learning and enlightenment have made him so pure that nothing can ever stain him. Being the incarnation of the Trinity, he is shown as having three heads, six hands and accompanied by four dogs of different colors which represent the four Vedas. The Dattātreya concept may be an attempt at harmonizing the three sects of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. It may also have been the medium through which non-Vedic sects were brought into the religious fold.

Dhanvantari

Dhanvantari rose from the ocean, at the time of churning, holding the amṛta-kalaśa in his hand. He is the inventor of medical sciences. Reborn as the king of Kāśī, he brought medical science to the earth. Vedas also mentions a god associated with herbs and medicines named as Dhanvantari. He is described as a handsome person holding the pot of ambrosia and seated in front of Viṣṇu’s insignias.

Hayagrīva or Hayaśirṣa

Yājñavalkya, the great sage, lost the Yajurveda as a result of his guru’s curse and performed severe penance. Sun-god, pleased by his penance, appeared before him as a deity with the horse’s head and taught him the same Veda in another form. This section has come to be known as the Vājasaneyī Samhitā. The origins of the Hayagrīva avatāra are perhaps found here.

Two demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha had stolen the Vedas and hidden them under water. Lord Viṣṇu took the form of Hayagrīva, dived to the bottom of the ocean and rescued them after killing the demons. Hayagrīva is the god of learning akin to the goddess Sarasvati. He is shown in the human form with the horse’s head possessing four or eight arms carrying the various weapons and emblems of Viṣṇu.

Kapila

Kapila, the son of Kardama and Devahuti was a great sage who reduced to ashes the sixty thousand sons of the king Sagara, just by a glance. Probably this story is the reason of being identified sometimes with Agni. He taught Sāṇkhya philosophy to his mother. Kapila icons usually have the hair dressed up as a crown, a beard, four arms, two of which are in yoga holding a pitcher and the other two holding śaṅkha and cakra.

Mohini

At the behest of the gods who had been deprived of the ambrosia by the demons during the churning of the ocean, Lord Viṣṇu appeared as Mohini, the enchantress, who successfully duped the demons and distributed the nectar among the gods. Even Śiva is said to have been bewitched by her beauty. The story teaches us that immortality can be gained only by the conquest of delusion. Mohinī is shown as a beautiful young woman wearing colorful garments, decorated with ornaments and carrying a vase of nectar in hand.

Nara-Nārāyaṇa

After the purpose of Narasiṅhavatāra was accomplished, Narasiṅha split himself into two, the lion part becoming the sage Nārāyaṇa and the human part the sage Nara. Nara and Nārāyaṇa then retired to Badarikāśrama for performing austerities. When Indra tried to seduce them through celestial nymphs, Nārayaṇa produced the nymph Urvaśī from his thigh who was more beautiful than all of them put together. According to another version, these sages were the sons of Dharma and Ahiṅsā who performed severe austerities and successfully vanquished the demon Sahasrakavaca. These sages were reborn later as Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. This story preaches us that Everyone of us is a mixture of the human and the divine elements. The anti-human and the anti-divine demon always attempt to seduce us with his thousand wiles. To successfully vanquish him, we need to perform tapas or austerity.

Nara-Nārāyaṇa is represented either as a single person or as two persons. In the former case, the icon may have two or four arms carrying the japamālā or the usual emblems of Lord Viṣṇu. In the latter case, Nara may be shown as having two heads and two arms and wearing the deer skin. Nārāyaṇa is depicted with the usual four arms carrying the following emblems:

1. Śaṅkha
2. Cakra
3. Padma
4. Japamālā

Vyāsa

Vyāsa is a cosmic entity born in every age to propagate the scriptures. The sage Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana, the son of Parāśara, is the well-known Vyāsa of this age. He got that name since he collected all the extant Vedic hymns and divided them into the four Vedas. He is the author of the great epic Mahābhārata and also all the Purāṇas and the Brahmasutras. In images, he is shown of slender build, dark in complexion and with the hair dressed up as a crown. His four disciples are also shown by his side. They are:

1. Paila
2. Vaiśampayana
3. Jaimini
4. Sumantu

Yajña

Viṣṇu has been identified with yajña or sacrifice in early Vedic literature. The Bhāgavata calls Varāhāvatāra or as Yajñavarāha and identifies his limbs with the various parts of a sacrifice. In other mythological lore, he as Yajñeśa, is described as the son of Ruci and Akuti. The entire universe which is in a constant state of flux is like a sacrifice and the Lord responsible for this creation is looked upon as the personification of that sacrifice. Hence he is Yajña or Yajñeśvara.

His image has two heads, seven hands, three legs and four horns. The hands carry the sacrificial implements like ājyapātra śruk, śruva and juhu apart from śaṅkha and cakra. This is a symbolical representation, the various limbs representing the various items of the sacrifice. The description is rather too technical to be dealt with in a small essay like this.

Other Aspects of Viṣṇu Commonly Worshiped

Jagannātha

Jagannātha of Puri in Orissa is a Vaiṣṇava deity which draws huge crowds, especially during the annual car festival. The image appears rather grotesque and is shaped out of a log and has prominent eyes. Once in twelve years the log-image is renewed, the log being brought every time mysteriously. The insertion of some ancient relic into the new image sanctifies it. It represents Srī Kṛṣṇa, with similar images representing Balarāma and Subhadrā.

Pāṇḍuraṅga Viṭṭhala

Pāṇḍuraṅga Viṭṭhala commonly known as Viṭṭhala or Viṭhoba is the deity of the famous Viṣṇu temple at Pandharpur in Maharashtra. In fact, the word ‘Viṭṭha’ is a corrupted form of the word Viṣṇu. Rakumābāi, his consort, is standing by his left side. This is the form of the Lord Viṣṇu revealed to a brāhmaṇa, Puṇḍali by name, because of his intense devotion to his parents.

Raṅganātha

Raṅganātha, along with Varadarāja of Kāñcīpuram and Veṅkaṭeśa of Tirupati, is the most popular aspect of Viṣṇu worshiped in South India. The well- known temple at Srīraṅgam in Tamil Nadu is the very heart of the Srīvaiṣṇava sect. This temple, at least the original icon, is said to have been born out of the ocean and given by Srī Rāma to Vibhīṣaṇa. While carrying it from Ayodhyā to Lañkā, Vibhīṣaṇa placed it on the ground at the present site, in order to rest a while. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for others, it got firmly fixed there.

The image is of the Yogaśayana type with only two hands, the right hand apparently supporting the head while the left rests on the serpent-bed. The lotus with Brahmā, the Āyudha- puruṣas, the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha who were killed by him, as also some sages like Bhṛgu and Mārkaṇḍeya are often depicted along with the Lord. Similar Yogaśayana images are found in Śrirangapatna and Śivasamudram of Karnataka and Tiruvanantapuram of Kerala, where it is known as Padmanābha or Anantaśayana.

Varadarāja

Varadarāja, the king among the bestowers of boons, is another aspect of Lord Viṣṇu which is very popular. Also known as Karivarada, it represents that aspect of the Lord responsible for saving Gajendra, the elephant king, from the death-clutches of the crocodile. He is shown as riding on his vehicle Garuda and in the act of discharging the discus. The elephant Gajendra with its foot caught by the powerful teeth of the crocodile is also shown. Sometimes a human figure with its hands in obeisance is also shown near the crocodile, to represent the Gandharva who had been delivered from his curse which had resulted in his birth as a crocodile. The temple of Varadarāja at Kāñcīpuram in South India is one of the most important and famous Viṣṇu temples.

Veṅkaṭeśa

Veṅkaṭeśa, also known as Veṅkaṭeśvara, Śrīnivāsa or Bālājī of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is perhaps the most popular of all the deities in our country and the temple on the Tirupati hills gets fabulous income. The word Veṅgaḍam of Tamil origin signifies a hill. So Veṅkaṭeśa is the Lord of the hill. The story goes that Lord Viṣṇu as Varāha decided to continue his stay on the earth and Garuḍa brought down the hill of Vaikuṇṭha to earth for the Lord’s residence. Lord Śrīnivāsa or Veṅkaṭeśa, another aspect of Viṣṇu, also manifested himself there at that time to reside on the earth for the good of mankind. The image is said to be an Udbhavamurti and does not conform to known Āgama traditions. As regards the exact nature and form of the image, doubts exist, some opining that it represents Harihara, and others consider it as Subrahmaṇya or even Devi.

Viṣvakṣena

Viṣvakṣena or ‘the all-conquering’ is an aspect of Viṣṇu, which occupies the same place in Vaiṣṇava tradition as Gaṇeśa in the Śaiva tradition. He is worshiped at the beginning of any undertaking, to avoid obstacles. He is shown with four hands, wearing śaṅkha, cakra and gadā in three hands and the fourth exhibiting the tarjanīmudrā. The right leg is usually hanging down from the pedestal. Viṣvaksena is also depicted sometimes as the gate-keeper or chief attendant of Lord Viṣṇu. He is shown standing on a white lotus with long matted hair and a beard. He represents the worldly sciences.

Minor Deities Associated with Viṣṇu

Garuḍa

Garutmān or Garuḍa, the mighty bird-vehicle of Lord Viṣṇu is a minor deity invariably found in all the Vaiṣṇava temples. He is described as the son of the sage couple Kaśyapa and Vinatā and as the younger brother of Aruṇa, the charioteer of Sun-god. The chief among his multifarious exploits is his bringing of the pot of nectar from Indra’s heaven. It is precisely this that made Lord Viṣṇu choose him as his vehicle. Literally, the word Garuda means ‘wings of speech’. He actually personifies Vedic knowledge. On his wings, Vedic knowledge has come down to us from the world of God.

The Garuda image is usually anthropomorphic. He is shown with a sharp beak, and two wings at the back. The hands may be eight or four or just two. Two of the hands are always in the adoration pose. In the others, he carries the conch, wheel, mace, sword, snake and nectar pot. The image is usually installed right opposite the central shrine. It is intriguing that Lord Viṣṇu has a serpent as his couch and an eagle as its arch enemy and vehicle which elucidates that he is the Lord of balance and harmony which is an essential quality for one charged with the responsibility of sustaining this multifarious universe.

Hanumān

Another deity invariably found in the Viṣṇu temples, especially in the South, is Hanumān the monkey-god. The Rāmāyaṇa pictures him as a highly erudite, cultured and refined person. He is very strong, wise and devoted which is a rare combination indeed. He is represented in two postures:

1. When in the company of Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, he is shown standing humbly at a distance or sitting devotedly at the feet of Srī Rāma.
2. In shrines specially erected for him, he strikes a heroic pose, usually with the mace in his left hand and carrying the Sañjīvinī mountain in his right hand.

Āyudha-puruṣa

Apart from these, it is common to show the weapons of Lord Viṣṇu also in human form. They are then called Āyudha-puruṣas. The Āyudha-puruṣa may be male, female, or neuter, depending upon the gender of the word indicating it. For instance:

• Gadā is a female deity whereas the Cakra is a neuter deity.
• The Sudarśana-cakra is shown as a person with a hexagon as his background, brilliant as fire and having four or eight or sixteen arms holding bow, arrow, trident, noose, goad and other weapons and also implements, apart from the usual Vaiṣṇavite symbols. It is said to represent the cosmic mind, the will of the Lord to multiply as well as his infinite power to create and destroy the universe.
• The Sudarśana-mantra is said to possess the power to neutralize poisons and exorcise malignant spirits.
• The Kaumodakī, the gadā of Lord Viṣṇu is depicted as a female deity with one face and two hands which are in the posture of adoration. It symbolizes power and sovereignty.
• No account of Lord Viṣṇu will be complete without mentioning the Śālagrāma, a blackish rounded and polished stone with a hole containing the fossils of tiny molluscs which is worshiped as His emblem. There are several varieties of them representing different aspects of the Lord. Śālagrāmas can be installed in the temples but are usually worshiped in one’s own home privately. Once it is kept at home, its worship becomes obligatory.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore