Viṣṇu (pronounced Vishnu) is among the most important deities of Hinduism. Along with Brahmā (see: Father Ahman) and Śiva (Shiva, self absorbed god of destruction), Vishnu forms the principal trinity of Hindu religious practice.
“Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Vishnu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labour, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.” Chapter Six, An Unknown Friend
“That Lord Śiva lives as a poor man although his devotees appear very opulent, whereas Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Lord Viṣṇu, is always opulent and yet His devotees appear poverty-stricken, is a situation which appears appears contradictory and puzzling to a discriminating person.” Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ch 88
In his many forms, Vishnu is regarded as the preserver and protector. Hinduism teaches that when humanity is threatened by chaos or evil, Vishnu will descend into the world in one of his incarnations, or avatars, to restore righteousness.
Also, the example of fire is sometimes given: “As a blazing fire burns everything within a room, Lord Viṣṇu, situated in the heart of the yogī, burns up all kinds of impurities.”
Vishnu has many avatars, or identities, in Hinduism by which he is known.
1. Matsya (the fish) – in advance of the worldwide Flood
2. Kurma (the tortoise)
3. Varaha (The Boar)
4. Narasimha (The Lion Man) – compare Lion of Judah
5 Vamana (The Dwarf)
6 Parashurama (The Lumberjack)
7 Rama (the Perfect Man)
8 Krishna (the Bringer of Light)
9 Buddha
10 Kalki (The Horseman)
Matsya is said to be the avatar that rescued the first man, as well as other creatures of the earth, from a great flood. Matsya is sometimes depicted as a great fish or as a human torso connected to the tail of a fish. Matsya is said to have forewarned man about the coming flood and ordered him to preserve all the grains and living creatures in a boat. This story is similar to many deluge myths found in other cultures.
Kurma (or Koorma) is the tortoise incarnation that relates to the myth of churning the ocean to obtain treasures dissolved in the ocean of milk. In this myth, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise upon which to support the churning stick on his back. The Kurma avatar of Vishnu is usually seen in a mixed human-animal form.
Varaha is the boar that raised the earth from the bottom of the sea after the demon Hiranyaksha dragged it to the bottom of the sea. After a battle of 1,000 years, Varaha raised the earth out of the water with his tusks. Varaha is depicted as either a full boar form or as a boar head on a human body.
As the legend goes, the demon Hiranyakashipiu obtained a boon from Brahma that he could not be killed or harmed by any means. Now arrogant in his security, Hiranyakshipiu began to cause trouble both in heaven and on earth. However, his son Prahlada was devoted to Vishnu. One day, when the demon challenged Prahlada, Vishnu emerged in the form of a man-lion known as Narasimha to slay the demon.
In the Rig Veda, Vamana (the dwarf) appears when the demon king Bali ruled the universe and the gods lost their power. One day, Vamana visited the court of Bali and begged for as much land as he could cover in three steps. Laughing at the dwarf, Bali granted the wish. The dwarf then assumed the form of a giant. He took the whole earth with the first step and the entire middle world with the second step. With the third step, Vamana sent Bali down to rule the underworld.
In his form as Parasurama, Vishnu appears as a priest (Brahman) who comes to the world to kill bad kings and protect humanity from danger. He appears in the form of a man carrying an ax, sometimes referred to as Rama with an ax. In the original story, Parasurama appeared to restore Hindu social order which had become corrupted by the arrogant Kshatriya caste.
Lord Rama, the Perfect Man. Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Rama is said to have taken birth on earth to annihilate the evil forces of the age. He is always holding a bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils. Rama, pronounced Rahmah, is the incarnation of Vishnu as “the prince of responsibility.”
Lord Krishna (the divine statesman) is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and is one of the most widely revered deities in Hinduism. He was a cowherd (sometimes depicted as a charioteer or statesman) who shrewdly changed rules. According to legend, the famous poem, the Bhagavad Gita, is spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield. Krishna is depicted in a variety of forms because there are so many stories surrounding him. The most common story describes Krishna as a divine lover who plays the flute; he is also described in his child form. In paintings, Krishna often has blue skin and wears a crown of peacock feathers with a yellow loincloth.
Buddha is considered as a 9th avatar when we look at the incarnations from the perspective of Lord Krishna and not Lord Vishnu. When ancient texts speak about the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the 9th avatar is Lord Krishna whereas when the texts speak about 10 incarnations keeping Lord Krishna in mind, the 9th avatar is considered as Gautam Buddha. Buddha can be easily described as the pioneer of promoting peace and calmness in the world. He is the leader of popularizing non-violence amongst human beings. He is the compassionate teacher who preached the world regarding the path of ahimsa and helped each being to attain a peaceful life and after-life.
Kalki (meaning “eternity” or "mighty warrior") is the last incarnation of Vishnu. He is not expected to appear until the end of Kali Yuga, the current time period. Kalki will come, it is believed, to rid the world of oppression by unrighteous rulers. It is said that he will appear riding a white horse and carrying a fiery sword.
