India: Vishnu with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, Bengal, 12th century. Photo by David Monniaux (CC BY-SA License). Vishnu (Sanskrit विष्णु Viṣṇu) is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God. The Vishnu Sahasranama declares Vishnu as Paramatma (supreme soul) and Parameshwara (supreme God). It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of - and beyond - the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe.

---

Size: 3000px × 5749px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 12th, art, arts, asia, asian, bengal, bengali, century, david, deity, god, goddess, hari, hindu, hinduism, historical, history, image, images, india, indian, lakshmi, laksmi, mahabharata, monniaux, narayana, pantheon, paramatma, parameshwara, phyllite, pictures, religion, religious, sarasvati, saraswati, sculpture, south, statue, stone, trimurti, vaishnavism, vaishnavite, vishnu, visnu