Vishnu rests on the surface of the original Ocean and dreams of the world: from his navel in a lotus flower appears Brahma, the god of creation XVIII B. Indian miniature
Vishnu, destroyer of evil
One of the greatest gods of India, Vishnu gives stability to the world and has many names and qualities. Together with Brahma and Shiva they constitute the divine Trinity, the Trimurti.
Vishnu appears during the struggle between devas (heavenly gods) and asuras (higher demons) for dominance over the world. The asuras agree to leave to the gods what one maiden can measure with three steps. Vishnu appears before them in the guise of the dwarf Vamana and asks their king Bali for as much land as he can measure out in three steps. Having received consent, he covers heaven and earth in two steps, but refrains from the third, leaving the underworld - patala - to the king of Bali
These three steps signify the omnipresence of Vishnu, his destiny to spread his influence endlessly throughout the world. He is identified with Brahma, the totality of all that exists. The steps of Vishnu are understood as the movement of the sun - from sunrise to zenith and further to sunset. He is the basis of the fertility of nature and the fertility of people Vishnu in Hinduism became the supreme deity. He is often depicted sleeping on a thousand-headed Serpent shesha. Thus he meditates on the world to come and prepares it in his mind. When Vishnu wakes up, a lotus flower will appear from his navel with Borah mine, the creator god. Vishnu's retinue consists of Garuda - an eagle, on which he "rides" and the monkey king Hanuman. His attributes are a disk, a shell, a club, a lotus, sometimes a sword and a bow. Vishnu's wife is called Lakshmi. She is the perfect example of a wife. She is an exceptionally beneficent goddess, the effective energy of a god, his power in action. Bhumi, Earth, is the second wife. Under the name of Narayana, Vishnu appears in the form of a radiant being, which is contemplated by the three great rishis - Ekata, Dvita and Trita - who indulged in the most severe austerities. They are blinded by the brilliance of God and at first they hear only the prayers of the "bright people" who perform the rites. Finally, a voice became clearer - it was the voice of Vishnu, and he said that only by the power of bhakti (reverent worship of God) can one achieve the contemplation of Bhagavan, hard to see in the crown of his radiance "; the study of the Vedas, the absence of cruelty and sacrifice but, apart from this, bhakti. all in vain Vishnu is everywhere, he pervades everything. He is called to destroy evil, protect virtuous people and punish villains. Yet the immutability and inaction that are part of his being prevent him from intervening directly
ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA IN THE KINGDOM OF MYTHS
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