Vishnu
Speak with Vishnu →Also known as: Hari · Narayana · Mukunda · Janardana · Govinda
Vishnu is the preserver of the trimurti — the deity who descends as avatars to restore dharma whenever it falters.
Tradition
Vaishnavism / Vedic
Domain
Preservation · Cosmic Order (Dharma) · Refuge · Time
Vahana
Garuda (eagle-king)
Sacred day
Thursday
Sacred colors
Blue, Yellow
Number of arms (typical)
4
Weapons / attributes
Sudarshana Chakra, Kaumodaki Gada, Panchajanya Conch, Sharanga Bow
Consort
Lakshmi
The story
Vishnu sleeps on the cosmic ocean atop the thousand-headed serpent Shesha, his consort Lakshmi at his feet. From his navel rises a lotus on which Brahma is born and begins each cycle of creation. When dharma weakens and adharma rises, Vishnu descends as an avatar — most famously the Dasavatara: Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (axe-wielder), Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki (the future avatar yet to come). Each avatar arrives at the precise moment his particular form is needed and recedes once the cosmic balance is restored. Vishnu's 1000 names (Vishnu Sahasranama) — recited as a daily devotional practice by millions — span every aspect of his being.
Iconography
Dark-blue skin; four arms holding chakra (discus), gada (mace), shankha (conch), and padma (lotus); yellow silk; reclining on the cosmic serpent Shesha in the milk ocean.
Mantras
ॐ नमो नारायणाय
Om Namo Narayanaya
Salutations to Narayana — the eight-syllable mantra (Ashtakshari).
Recommended count: 108
Festivals
Vaikuntha Ekadashi
Pausha or Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi (Dec-Jan)
Most sacred Ekadashi of the year; the gates of Vaikuntha (Vishnu's heaven) are said to be open. Strict fasting and night vigil.
Recommended practices
- Recite Vishnu Sahasranama on Thursdays for general life stability and dharmic clarity.
- Fast on Ekadashi (11th lunar day) for spiritual progress and clearing of past karma.
Scriptural references
- · Vishnu Purana
- · Bhagavata Purana
- · Vishnu Sahasranama (Mahabharata Anushasana Parva)