2. Depiction of Visnu (introduction)

Introduction In the Rgveda, Visnu occupies a subordinate position and his only anthropomorphic traits are the strides, which, as a solar god, he takes across the heavens. 3 He traverses the three worlds in three strides referring probably to the Sun in the heavens through the three stages of rising, calminating and setting, or the three steps with which the encompassed the universe. He is closely related to Indra, but his connection with krsna is still obscure.4 3 Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, P. 37. In the Brahmanas, 4 Weber, IA XXX. 284 f., NIMERE., Vol. ii, P. 811 f.

475 • But the position of Visnu remains much the same as before; he is regarded as the equal of the other gods, not yet their superior. It should, however, be observed that in the Brahmanas, Visnu is repeatedly identified with the sacrifice, an honour which he shares with Prajapati, and the Satapatha Brahmana ascribes the dwarf-incarnation to Prajapati and the Taittiriya Brahmana ascribes the boar incarnation to Prajapati. general opinion ascribes the related feats to Visnu in his tortoise and boar incarnations. In the older portions of the Mbh., Visnu is little more than a hero; in others he is represented as paying homage to Biva, while in the latest portions of the poem, he is regarded as the most exalted deity. In Ramayana and the Vaisnava puranas, he is exalted to be the supreme spirit. The Brahma purana is chiefly a Vaisnava purana and exalts Visnu as the supreme deity, though " it assigns a high rank to lord Siva also and once states the liberal view that really speaking there is no distinction between lord Visnu and lord Siva and that they are two aspects of one and the same divinity (56.64-72), Physical Description follows: ' Visnu, in the Brahma purana, is described as He has thousand heads (45.40; 213.12) thousand °

476 eyes.5 The eyes are a compared to lotus (68.28, 178.29). They are wide like the lotus-leaf (178.123) and he shines He is like the lightening (68.53). He has thousand mouths (213.12), thousand tongues (213.13) and thousand hands (213.12). also said to have four hands (45.65; 68.30). He has a sign of Srivasta on his chest (45.41; 64; 68.31; 178.24). SrivasDa is a particular cure of hair on the breast of Visnu-krsna and other divine beings and it may be classified under the wellknown outward tokens of the status of cakravartin 'Universal soverign' or Mahapurusa. The explanation of the name is given as 'Sri's favourite abode'. As an asupicious sign 7 He is tall (178.151) and it has nine angles, this number often occurs in connection with precious or auspicious objects, powers and ceremonies related to warfare etc.6 Visnu is said to have thousand feet (45.403B 178.156; 213.12). very strong (68.50). His complexion is blue like the petal of a blue lotus (45.62). He is also called Syama (68.44). His brilliance is like that of a cloud full of water (45.41) and he is compared to an atasi flower (178.121). 5 45.41; 128.155; 213.12. The reading 'Sasasra' seems to be a variant of 'Sahasra' in the last reference. 6 Gonda, Early aspects of Vignuism, PP. 96 ff.

477 Dress and Ornaments He wears yellow clothes (45.65, 68.44, 178.124) and decorated himself with Vanamala, hara, keyura, mukuta and angada (45.65, 68.30, 178.123-124). Elsewhere he is said to wear thousand didems (213.13). He applies divine Candana to his body (178.125). Weapons His Sudar He wields Sankha, Cakra and Gada (45.65). -shana Cakra is terrible and the chief among all the weapons. It is white like the kunda flower, Moon, garland and Milk of the cow (68.45,46). The Pancajanya Sankha is garlanded with thousand garlands and perturbs the whole world with its sound (68.47). His Kaumodaki Gada is terrible, brings to an end all the evil factors, demons and daityas. It is formed of burning flames and is unbearable even forgods (68.48,49). The Saranga bow has the lustre of Sun and the arrows are like the rays of the Sun (68.49,50). the sastras (68.21) and bears Sarasvati on his tongue (122.71). He is well-versed in all Elsewhere it is said that Agni is his mouth, ksiti his feet, Sun and Moon his eyes, the sky together with its directions his ears and body, heaven his head, the directions his eyes, Vayu his mind, waters born out of his perspiration

478 (56,16,17), Stars the pores of his skin, oceans abounding in jewels his clothes, bed and abode (56.27-29). Again it is said that the brahmins are his mouth, the ksatriyas his hands, the vaisyas his thighs and 'sudras are his feet (56.22, 23). He is also called bahubahu, urupada, bahukarna and aksisirsaka (122.72). Consort and Abode He is called laksmibharta s (136.6) and the remains engrossed in his service (109.41). As she is the abode of lotuses, Visnu is called Padmalayakanta (65.51). As water is his abode, he is called Narayana (56,12, 60.25). Narayana is an ancient and dignified epithet which has been applied to various Hindu gods. It is not the name of any distinct Hindu divinity. The world is believed to be a patronymic, derived from 'Nara' Iman so that it means 2 , 'Son of man', but it is not known of whom it was originally used.7 8 The Rv., the Satapatha-brahmana, 9 the katyayana srautasutra,10 and the Mahanarayana upanisad (11.IX.1) relate the word Narayana with Purusa and at a much later date, 7 ERE. Vol., 9, P. 184. 8 X.20. g XII.iii.4.1; XIII.VI.1.1; 2.12. 10 XXIV. vii. 36.

479 in the Taittoriya Samhita of the black Yajurveda (vii.l.5.1) it was suggested that the word was derived from narah (the waters are called narah, for they are sprung from Nara) and ayana (moving). As in Greek thought, the world has arisen from waters is one of the earliest theories of Hindus and hence forward most Hindu writers preferred this secondary 11 derivation of the word, and the Brahma Purana also follows the same line. He resides in the Ksirasagara (45.60, 126.24) He is also said t and he sleeps on the serpent Sesa (45.60). to reside in the Visnu and the Brahma Purana provides a beautiful description of Visnuloka (A.68). The nymphs Ghrhaci, Menaka, Rambha, Sahajanya, Tilottama, Urvasi, Nimloca, Vamana, Mandodari, Subhaga, Visvaci, Vipulanana, Bhadrangi, Citrasena, Pramloca, Manohara, Rama, Candramadhya, Subhanana, Sukess, Nilakesi, Manmathadipini, Alambusa, Misrakesi, Manjiksthara, Kratusthala, Varangi, Purvacitti, Para, Paravati, Maharupa, Sasilekha, Subhanana, Mattavaranagamini, Bimbosthi, Navagarbha and others entertain lord Visnu by dancing and playing the musical instruments (68.60,67). The status of Visnu is unmodifiable, Viraja, Pura, devoid of the contact of worldly parlance and higher than the Brahmaloka (59.79,80). 11 Manu, i.8-10.

480 Particular Attributes Lord Visnu is called Hari, Sankara, Vasudeva, Deva, and krsna (8.65). Govinda, Madhusudana, Sridhara, Kesava, Madhava, Vamana, Varaha, and Trivikrama (60.39-41, 61.14,15, 39,40). Philosophical Epithets Some philosophical epithets are ascribed to him. Thus he is called Avyakta, Suddha, Mitya, Sadaikaraparupa, Sarvajisnu, Paramatman, Hiranyagarbha, gross as well as subtle, Ajara, Amara, Aksayam, Avyaya, one as well as many, Sarvajna (1.21-27), sat as well as asat (23.42), Nirguna, Santa, Sanatana (45.61-63), Kutastha, Acala, devoid of bhava and abhava, all pervading, beyond prakrti (45.66,67), the atman of all, Omnipresent, endless, Brahmarupa, Urukrama and one controlling the wheel of time (56.43,44). He is known from the vedas (126.25). He is higher than Pradhana, Buddhi and the senses (181.22). and the vyakrta world (23.43). He is avyakrta mula prakrti He is acyuta (122.70) and is called Bhutapavyakta, Bhutakrt, Bhutabhird and Bhutabhavana (178.133,135). He is also called Ksetrajna, Ksetrabhrt, Ksetri, Ksetraha, Ksetrakrd, Ksetratman, Ksetrarohita, Ksetrastasta (178.135). He is also called, Gunalaya, Gunavasa,

481 (178.136). Gunasraya, Gunavaha, Gunabhoktr, Gunarana, and Gunatyagi He is Rk, Yajus, and Saman (178.143). He is day, night, Vatsara, Kala, Kastha, Muhurta, Ksana, Lava (178.145,146), etc. He is called Jagadbija, Jagada hama, Jagatsaksi (178.128) and Jagatpati (68.28). The historically important fact here is that he is lauded with the vedanta epithets. Various Forms In different continents, he is worshipped in different forms. Thus it is said that in the Plaksadvipa, he is worshipped in the form of Soma ( 20.19), in Salmaladvipa in the form of Vayu (20.32), in the Kusadvipa in the form of Brahma (20.40), in Krauncadvipa in the form of Rudra (20.57) and in the Sakadvipa in the form of Sun (20.72). His dharma is said to possess different colours in the different yugas. Thus it is said that his dharma becomes white in the Krtayuga, Syama in the Tretayuga, Red in the Dvaparayuga and Krsna in the Kaliyuga (56.40,41). Desire, anger, joy, fear and moha are his other forms (56.29,30). He has a sacrificial form which is lauded at great length. It consists of Savana, Hota, Havya, Pavitraka, Vedi, Diksa, Samidh, Sruva, Sruk, Soma, Jupa, Musala, Proksani, Daksinayana, Adhvaryu, a brahmin knowing the recitation of Samans, Sadasya, Sadana, Sabha, Yupa, Cakra, Dhruv: Dhruva, Darvi, Caru, Ulukhala, Pragvamsa, Yajnabhumi, Sthandila,

482 Kusa, Mantra, sacrifical share, somabhokta and hutarci and he is called Agrasanabhoji. The constant identification of Visnu with the sacrifice is a special feature of the Brahmanas. Gonda 12 discusses at length the relation between lord Visnu and sacrifice and concludes, 'The Parallelism between the objects and presumed effects of the allimportant ritual, the nighty means of securing the fulfilment of any desire on the one hand and the activity of a god who was believed to obtain, for men and other beings shang Control of those powers which were considered to be of vital importance, and to prepare the way for the representatives of fertility and productivity on the other, might have led to an early identification of that divine power and activity which was denoted by the name of Visnu and the mighty instrument in the hands of the priests.' Elsewhere it is said that lord Visnu has four forms. The first is known by the name Vasudeva. It is near as well as far and has a white complex. -ion. It is always pure. 1 Its nature is indescribable. The second form is called Sesa. It holds the earth on his head and is the Tamasa form of lord Visnu. The third form arises out of the Sattva quality of lord Visnu, maintains the 12 Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, P.40. 13 J. Gonda, Aspects of early Visnuism, PP.77-80.

483 world, establishes dharma, destroys the demons and protects the gods. The fourth form lies in the ocean on a big serpent and remains engrossed in creating the world. main quality (180.18-24). Rajas is his His Functions The primary function of lord Visnu is the maintenance of the world but it is said that he created god Brahma whose primary function is the creation of the world. Thus it is said that when at the beginning of a Kalpa, all the moving and non-moving beings were destroyed, when the gods, Gandharvas, daityes, Vidyadharas and Uragas were absorbed in darkness, When nothing was distinguishable on account of all-pervading daribiess, lord Visnu treated lord Brahma from his navel-lotus at the end of his Yoganidra.14 Elsewhere it is said that lord Visnu created water from which a golden egg came out and out of it, lord Brahma emerged (1.38- 40). This conception seems to have arisen from the ancient belief of the one or primordial being resting on or emanating from the primeval waters, where Hiranyagarbha, identified with Prajapati and, in later times, with Brahma, is said to have arisen in the beginning from the great water which pervaded the universe. 15 According to the popular Indian belief the 14 45.26-30, 213.28.29. 15 Rv. 10.121, 129; 82.6.

484 the god Visnu goes to sleep for a period of four months on the 11th day of the bright half of Asadha but the Brahmapurana states that lord Visnu goes to sleep for a thousand yugas and at the end of that he manifests himself in order to perform his functions (213.24,25). From the olden times, the term nabhi was almost exclusively used in connection with very potent conceptions, powers or divinities associated with the same sphere of interests and activities as Visnu and the gods or goddesses connected with him. It is a remarkable fact that, in post-vedic times, the navel-lotus should have been transferred to one deity, viz. Visnu. 16 At the end of the Kalpa, all beings together with lord Brahma merge in lord Visnu (1.60,62). Lord Visnu helps Prakrti and Purusa in retaining their relationship. The power of lord Visnu forms the pradhana and the purusa, it maintains their equilibrium and at the time of creation, it disturbs them (23.29,32). The four vedas spring from him and lord Narayana consists of all the things in the world (60.26,33).