Category:Describing Visnu
Theme Analysis
The Absolute Truth is realized in various phases, but the ultimate, personal manifestation of the Supreme Lord is clearly described throughout the Vedic literatures as Lord Viṣṇu. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that while speculative philosophers describe the Absolute Truth as the impersonal Brahman or the localized Paramātmā, authorized scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Brahma-saṁhitā provide vivid descriptions of Lord Viṣṇu's transcendental, personal form. He is the ultimate origin of everything, possessing no material qualities, yet complete with unlimited spiritual attributes.
A prominent feature of these descriptions is the revelation of the three puruṣa-avatāras responsible for the cosmic manifestation. First is Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (Mahā-Viṣṇu), from whose pores universes continuously emanate. Second is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who enters each universe and from whose navel Lord Brahmā is born. Third is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Supersoul who enters every atom. The Vedic hymns, such as the Garbha-stuti, glorify these forms, describing the Lord with thousands of heads and His classical four-armed manifestation holding the conchshell, disc, club, and lotus.
Understanding and describing Lord Viṣṇu is the perfection of spiritual practice. The process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ—hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu—is the authorized method to transcend material contamination. Whether meditating on His blissful smile or hearing of His magnanimous pastimes like His dealings with Bali Mahārāja, the pure devotee realizes that Lord Viṣṇu is the supreme enjoyer, the master of all energies, and the greatest friend of the living entities.
- The Supreme Person: Lord Viṣṇu is not an impersonal force; the scriptures explicitly describe His beautiful transcendental form, His smile, and His weapons.
- The Puruṣa Expansions: The Vedas provide detailed descriptions of the three forms of Mahā-Viṣṇu who create, enter, and maintain the material universes.
- The Origin of All: Everything, both material and spiritual, emanates from Lord Viṣṇu, establishing Him as the ultimate Absolute Truth.
- The Practice of Devotion: The perfection of spiritual life is achieved by actively describing and hearing about the forms and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Describing Viṣṇu - The Supreme Puruṣa Expansions.
Pages in category "Describing Visnu"
The following 55 pages are in this category, out of 55 total.
A
- According to different phases of understanding, Lord Visnu is differently described, but in fact He is the origin of everything
- According to Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in this verse (SB 4.20.7) Lord Visnu is describing Himself, or the Paramatma
- According to this description of the transcendental body of Lord Visnu, the Lord can easily be distinguished from all other living beings. Nabhi and his priests and associates all offered the Lord obeisances and began to worship Him with various things
- Although the great activities and transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's various incarnations are wonderfully described, sometimes we are unable to understand them. Yet everything is possible for Lord Visnu
- Aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param. This is a statement made by Lord Siva to Parvati. Worshiping Lord Visnu is the supreme process of worship. & how Lord Visnu is worshiped in this payo-vrata ceremony has now been fully described - in SB 8.16.60
- As described by Bali Maharaja, Lord Visnu was actually not the enemy of the family but the best friend of the family. The principle of this friendship has already been stated. Yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih: SB 10.88.8
- As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are many manifestations of Visnu and many manifestations of living entities. Visnu manifestations are called svamsa, partial manifestations, and the living entities are called vibhinnamsa
D
- Devaki said - My dear Lord, Your eternal forms, like Narayana, Lord Rama, Sesa, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Baladeva, and millions of similar incarnations emanating from Visnu, are described in the Vedic literature as original
- Devaki said, “My dear Lord, Your eternal forms, like Narayana, Lord Rama, Hayasirsa, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Baladeva and millions of similar incarnations emanating from Visnu, are described in the Vedic literature as original"
G
- Garbhodakasayi Visnu is glorified in the Vedas in the hymns of Garbha-stuti, which begin with the description of the Lord as having thousands of heads, etc
- Generally the Visnu form is manifested with four hands holding four objects (a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower). However, here (SB 4.30.6) Lord Visnu is described as possessing eight arms with eight kinds of weapons
- God's creations are described nicely by such liberated souls as Srila Narada, Vyasa, Valmiki, Devala, Asita, Madhva, Sri Caitanya, Ramanuja, Visnu Svami, Nimbarka, Sridhara, Visvanatha, Baladeva, Bhaktivinoda, Siddhanta and Sarasvati
I
- I am very much pleased by your (Brahma's) description of Me (Visnu) in terms of My transcendental qualities, which appear mundane to the mundaners. I grant you all benedictions in your desire to glorify all the planets by your activities
- I have briefly explained to you the position of the seven Manus. Now I shall describe the future Manus, along with the incarnations of Lord Visnu
- In all Vedic scriptures Visnu has been described as being free from all material qualities
- In his description of Krsna's beauty, Lord Siva uses the words carvayata-catur-bahu sujata-rucirananam, indicating the beautiful four-armed form of Narayana, or Visnu. Those who worship Lord Krsna describe Him as sujata-rucirananam
- In the reservoir of water first created by the perspiration of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, the Lord lies on the Sesa plenary expansion of Visnu, who is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam and in the four Vedas
- In the spiritual sky the representations of Narayana are described as follows: Govinda (disc, mace, flower and conch), Visnu-murti (mace, flower, conch and disc), Madhusudana (disc, conch, flower and mace), Trivikrama - flower, mace, disc and shell
- In the tenth and eleventh verses Krsnadasa Kaviraja describes Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, successive plenary expansions of Maha-Visnu. Brahma appears upon a lotus growing from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu - CC Intro
- In the Vedic literature, we find the creation described in relationship to Maha-Visnu. As stated in the Brahma-samhita - BS 5.38
- In the Visnu Purana also, the internal potency of Visnu is described as para sakti. The Lord is never detached from the association of para sakti. This para sakti and her manifestations are described in the Brahma-samhita - BS 5.38
- In the Visnu Purana where it is said (while describing God's energies) that the living being is equal in quality to the internal potency, whereas the external potency is indirectly controlled by the chief cause of all causes
- It has been described in many places before this that the Lord assumed a gigantic body, like that of Karanodakasayi Visnu, from whose hair pores innumerable universes have generated
L
- Lord Siva says that spirit and matter are not creations of various philosophers, but are manifested by Lord Visnu, as described in this verse (SB 4.24.63): tvam eka adyah purusah
- Lord Visnu is here (in SB 4.19.3) described as harir isvarah. The Lord is so kind that He takes all miserable conditions away from His devotees. Consequently He is called Hari
- Lord Visnu's four hands hold four kinds of weapons, and the extra four hands hold an arrow, bow, trident and snake. Sri Viraraghava Acarya describes the eight weapons as sankha, cakra, gada, padma, sarnga, sara, etc
- Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is clearly described in this passage (SB 3.29.38). He is the supreme enjoyer, and all others are working as His servants
O
P
- Pariksit Maharaja was listening, and Sukadeva Gosvami was performing kirtana by describing the glories of the Lord. Prthu Maharaja simply worshiped the Lord, and Laksmidevi massaged Visnu's lotus feet
- Please also describe the incarnations of the material modes of nature - Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara - and please describe the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His magnanimous activities
S
- Sravanam kirtanam visnoh (SB 7.5.23). One must simply hear about and describe Lord Visnu and His various incarnations. This narration concerning Prahlada Maharaja and Lord Nrsimhadeva, therefore, has properly described spiritual, transcendental subjects
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, 1,300,000 yojanas (10,400,000 miles) above the planets of the seven sages is the place that learned scholars describe as the abode of Lord Visnu
T
- The Brahma-samhita (BS 5.48) says: Maha-Visnu as a plenary expansion of Krsna
- The description in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 11.30) runs as follows: "O Visnu, I see You devouring all people in Your blazing mouths and covering all the universe by Your immeasurable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest
- The Lord is present in three features - as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Because He is present everywhere, He is described as sarvam khalv idam brahma. Visnu exists beyond Brahman
- The Lord of the living entities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.20) also Srila Sukadeva Gosvami describes the Lord as pati in so many ways. BG 1972 purports
- The master of the universe is the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is worshiped as the Hiranyagarbha Supersoul. The Vedic hymns describe Him as having thousands of heads. Although He is within the material nature, He is not touched by it
- The master of the universe, however, is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is worshiped as the Hiranyagarbha Supersoul. The Vedic hymns describe Him as having thousands of heads
- The real tattva, Absolute Truth, is Bhagavan, but due to incomplete realization of the Absolute Truth, people sometimes describe the same Visnu as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramatma
- The three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva), the executive heads of the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance), are all generated from Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is described herein by Brahma
- The three different forms of Maha-visnu - namely Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who are the origin of creation and maintenance - are gradually being described - in SB 7.9.33
- The word sahasrasirsa refers to the Personality of Godhead known as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Although the Lord appeared as Ksirodakasayi Visnu, He has been described here as Sahasrasirsa Visnu because He is nondifferent from Garbhodakasayi Visnu
- These particular descriptions of meditation on the smile, laughter, face, lips and teeth all indicate conclusively that God is not impersonal. It is described here (in SB 3.28.33) that one should meditate on the laughter or smiling of Visnu
- This is only a general description. Please try to understand another meaning of tryadhisa. The three purusa incarnations of Visnu are the original cause of the material creation
W
- Whatever a philosopher may describe is ultimately Krsna, or Lord Visnu (sarvam khalv idam brahma, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan) - BG 10.12
- While offering obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sukadeva Gosvami described the unlimited potencies of Lord Visnu, who can purify the lowborn creatures mentioned herein - CC Madhya 24.179
- Who can describe completely the prowess of Visnu? Even the scientist, who might have counted the particles of the atoms of the universe, cannot do so