India: A four-armed, seated stone Vishnu image. Pandya Dynasty, Deccan, 8th-9th century CE. Photo by PHGCOM (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 the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe.

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Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
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