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| '''Vishnu''' (also called '''Hari''') is a ] god. He is the second god of the ] (also called the Hindu Trinity, all came from an ] laid by ]), along with ] and ]. The triumvirate signify the cycle of life: Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the protector, and Shiva is the destroyer. He is a ]. In later belief, he was attented to by the ]. | |||
| Vishnu's consort is ], the Goddess of wealth. His mount is ], the eagle. He, along with the ]s, helped broker the truce between ] and ]. | |||
| He is often depicted as sitting or resting on a lotus. | |||
| It is believed that he manifested himself as a human being in ten ]s. His avatars are said to be | |||
| # ], the ] | |||
| # ], the ] | |||
| # ], the ] | |||
| # ], the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion) | |||
| # ], the ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] (meaning dark or black) | |||
| # Siddharta Gautama, the ] (some versions have it that ] is the ninth avatar instead) | |||
| # ] ("time"), who is yet to be manifested: an apocalyptic figure | |||
| Vishnu is the chief god of ]. | |||
| It is not clearly known when or how the worship of Vishnu began. In the ]s, and the information on ] beliefs, Vishnu is listed as a lesser god, strongly associated with ]. It was only later in Hindu history that he became a member of the ] and one of the most important deities of the ]. | |||