Vishnu (the preserver)

Vishnu is one of the most important gods in Hinduism. He is represented as the preserver, he supports, sustains and governs the universe. Vishnu is usually represented as a god with four arms. In each of his four arms, Vishnu is holding something. In one of his arms, he holds a conch, which lets out a strange sound, "om", representing creation. In other hand he holds the chakra, or discus, and this represents the mind, or the wisdom gained with experience and old age. He also holds a lotus flower, and in Hinduism the lotus flower represents freedom, or liberation, as well as pure existence. Finally, in his fourth hand, Vishny holds a mace. This represents a balance between mental and physical strength and well-being.  Vishnu is desribed in the Vedas as having "Universal Form", meaning that he is beyond human imagination, and understanding. Since he is one of the three major gods of Hinduism, Vishnu has many avatars, but the most famous ones, that are widely worshipped, are Rama and Krishna. Rama is a great warrior, who, in one of the hindu epic tales kills the great demon, king Ravana. Krishna is a very mentally stable man, who delivered one of the most famous messages in Hinduism, called the Baghavad Gita. One of the other tasks of Vishnu is to restore the balance between good and evil. In the holy texts, especially the Rig Veda, the holiest of the Vedas, Vishnu is associated with the Sun, and light. Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi is also greatly worshipped all around India. A legend says that Vishnu ordered the gods to turn the Milky Ocean, until they found some lost artifacts, the elixir of life and the goddess Lakshmi. Once Lakshmi rose above the surface of the ocean, she was shown as an extremely pretty woman, who stood in a lotus flower. Seeing all the gods stand in front of her, she chose the one whom she thought was worth of her power. She chose Vishnu, and they became husband and wife.






**Sites used:

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/v/vishnu.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/vishnu.shtml
http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/vishnu.html