ORIENTAL SERIES.

VISHNU. 361
Vishnu's preserving and restoring power has "been manifested
to the world in a variety of forms called Avataras, literally
scents/ "but more intelligibly
*
de-
'
incarnations/ in which a portion
of his divine essence was embodied in a human or supernatural
form possessed of superhuman powers. All these Avataras
became manifest for correcting some great evil or effecting some
great good in the world. The Avataras are ten in number, but
the Bhagavata Purana increases them to twenty-two, and adds
that in reality they are innumerable. All the ten Avataras are
honoured, but the seventh and eighth, Kama and Krishna, are
honoured as great mortal heroes and receive worship as great gods.
Krishna, is more especially looked upon as a full manifestation
of Vishnu, and as one with Vishnu himself, and he is the object
of a widely extended and very popular worship. See Avatara
The holy river Ganges is said to spring from the feet of
Vishnu.
As preserver and restorer, Vishnu is a very popular deity,
and the worship paid to him is of a joyous character. He has
a thousand names (Sahasra-nama), the repetition of which is a
meritorious act of devotion. His wife is Lakshnu or /Sri, the
goddess of fortune, his heaven is Vaikun/ha,
and his vehicle
is the bird Garuda. He is represented as a comely youth of a
dark-blue colour, and dressed like an ancient king. He has four
hands. One holds the Panchajanya (q.v.), a $ankha or conch-
shell ; another the Su-darsana or Vajra-nabha, a chakra or quoit
weapon ; the third, a Gada or club called Kaumodaki ; and the
fourth, a Padma or lotus. He has a bow called $arnga, and a
sword called Nandaka, On his breast are the peculiar mark or
curl called Sri-vatsa and the jewel Kaustubha, and on his wrist
is the jewel Syamantaka. He is sometimes represented seated
on a lotus with Lakshmi beside him, or reclining on a leaf of
that plant. Sometimes he is portrayed reclining on the serpent
/Sesha, and at others as riding on his gigantic bird Garuda.
Of the thousand names of Vishnu the following are some of
the most common : Achyuta, *unf 3
alien, imperishable;
'
'
the endless ;
Ananta-tfayana,
*
Ananta,
who sleeps on the serpent
Ananta ;' Chatur-bhuja, *
four-armed;' Damodara, 'bound round
the belly with a rope/ as Krishna ; Gjovinda or Gopala, *
the
Hrishikesa, 'lord of the organs
JanMdana,
Harij cowkeeper* (Krishna) ',
'
of sense ; Jala-sayin, ' '
who sleeps on the waters ;