Vishnu · विष्णु

He rests on the cosmic serpent in an ocean of milk, yet he keeps coming down to earth — as a fish, a boar, a dwarf, a prince and a cowherd. Why does Vishnu descend again and again, and what do the ten avatars tell us about the way the universe is held together?

Viṣṇu comes from the root viś — "to enter, to pervade". He is the one who is present in all things. In the Rigveda he is the god of three great strides that measured the whole universe; in the Puranas he becomes the preserver of the world, the one who keeps creation from falling apart. His other great name, Nārāyaṇa, is read as "the refuge of all beings" or "the one who rests on the waters".

On the field of Kurukshetra, Krishna — himself an avatar of Vishnu — made a promise to Arjuna that Hindus have repeated for thousands of years: whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, "I bring myself forth". It is the most hopeful idea in the tradition: the divine does not abandon the world. But why does he come in such different forms — first as a fish, then a tortoise, then a boar…

• The Dashavatara — ten descents
• Different lists, one idea
• His symbols
• How Vishnu worship developed
• Festivals
• What Vishnu teaches

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• Rigveda — 1.154 (the three strides)
• Bhagavad Gita — 4.7–4.8
• Bhagavata Purana — 1.3
• Vishnu Purana
• Gita Govinda — Jayadeva