According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu is considered to be the Lord of the world. The story talks about 2 faces of the Lord. In one hand the god is depicted as calm, pleasant and gentle. But in the other face the Lord is very serious where he is shown in the posture of Kaalsarp Sheshnag, the king of snakes.
Lord Vishnu means the giver and bestower of everything. He is the patron and preacher of Hinduism. He lives in the milky waters of Vaikuntha on a bed made from the coils of a thousand hooded large snakes. Goddess Lakshmi is present along with his consort Wool. The ocean stands for consciousness and bliss. The snake for time, variety, desire and illusion and Goddess Lakshmi is present for the material things and forces of creation.
Color of Lord Vishnu:
The color of Lord Vishnu is dark blue which is the color of the sky. Their color reflects their relation to the cosmic dimensions and Vedic deities such as rain, thunder and earth. The Lord is depicted with one face, four arms and usually standing or in a relaxed posture. The Lord wears a necklace which is made of the famous Kaustubh gem. It rests on his left chest and another garland of flowers and gems named Vaijayanti.
Name of Lord Vishnu Narayan:
The first and greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu is “Narad” who utters only one name – Narayana. Since that time the Lord is called Narayan like Satyanarayan, Dhruvanarayana, Anantnarayan, Laxminarayan and Seshanarayan. Many people know about Lord Vishnu, but they do not know the secret behind it. According to the legend, water was born from the feet of Lord Vishnu. River Ganges – Vishnupadodaki originates from the feet of the Lord. And water is also known as Neer or Nar and even God lives in water, so the name “Nara” is derived from the name Narayan which means God who lives under water.
Avatars of Lord Vishnu:
God has incarnated in human form on earth to restore dharma, punish evil and protect the righteous. Generally, all incarnations of the Lord are associated with Vishnu, as he is the President of the world. The most important Vishnu avatars are listed below:
Lord Vishnu in Matsya or Matsya avatar saved Saint Vaivasvat.
2. Kurma or Koram or Turtle Avatar:
Kurma or the tortoise that supports the churning of the ocean to obtain the treasures dissolved in the ocean of milk.
3. Varaha Avatar:
In this incarnation, the Lord killed the demon Hiranyaksha. He recovered the stolen Veda and freed the earth from under the ocean.
4. Narasimha or Leo Avatar:
In this avatar the Lord was half lion and half man. He killed Nirankar’s brother Hiranyashasipu and also got the boon of immunity from attacks by humans.
5. Vamana or Dwarf Avatar:
Lord Vishnu killed the demon king Mahabali (Maveli or Bali) and gained control of the earth and chased the other gods from heaven. This Vamana avatar happened in Treta Yuga, long before the incident of Ramayana. This is the first incarnation of Vishnu who has appeared in full human form.
6. Parashurama Avatar:
Parashurama – The angry man who turns his violence to kill ungodly kings and unwanted women. In this incarnation Lord Vishnu killed King Kartavirya, who stole the sacred cow Kamadhenu, which would fulfill all wishes.
7. Rama Avatar:
In this incarnation, Lord Vishnu killed the demon king Ravana and brought Sita.
8. Krishna Avatar:
In this incarnation, the Lord killed Kansa, who was the son of the demon (King of Mathura). And this avatar appeared in Dwapara Yuga.
9. Buddha Avatar:
Lord Vishnu incarnated to remove suffering from the world. Hindus may protest to see Buddha as a Vishnu avatar. At the same time, many Hindus embraced the Buddha and worshiped him in Buddhist temples as well as Hindu temples.
10. Kalki Avatar:
At the end of Kali Yuga – Vishnu will appear on earth as a human being. and sits on a white horse in the form of Kalki.
Lord Vishnu is also called Hari. According to the scriptures, the name Hari means remover. Lord Vishnu who removes sins and problems from a person’s life.