- Title Pages
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary of Sanskrit Words
- Introduction
- Chapter I A Conceptual Introduction
- Chapter II A Historical Survey
- Chapter III Brahman: Nirguṇa and Saguṇa
- Chapter IV Īśvara
- Chapter V Devī
- Chapter VI The Hindu Trinity (Trimūrti)
- Chapter VII Brahmā
- Chapter VIII Viṣṇu
- Chapter IX Śiva
- Chapter X Jīva
- Chapter XI Saṁsāra
- Chapter XII Karma
- Chapter XIII Dharma
- Chapter XIV Māyā
- Chapter XV Mokṣa
- Chapter XVI Jñāna-yoga
- Chapter XVII Bhakti-yoga
- Chapter XVIII Karma-yoga
- Chapter XIX Varṇa
- Chapter XX Āśrama
- Chapter XXI Puruṣārthas
- Chapter XXII Vedas
- Bibliography
- Name Index
- Subject Index
Viṣṇu
Viṣṇu
- Chapter:
- (p.82) Chapter VIII Viṣṇu
- Source:
- Classical Hindu Thought
- Author(s):
Arvind Sharma
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
If Brahmā is the otiose God, then Vishnu is the supreme, syncretic and living god. Of course, all the gods of the trinity, including Brahmā, have laid claim to supremacy; but the claim seems to have been most effective in the case of Vishnu, and perhaps a little less so in the case of Śiva. This chapter addresses the following question: How does Vishnu perform his role as a member of the trinity? Before trying to answer that question, the chapter describes about how Vishnu came into being, since that has had some bearing on it.
Keywords: Hindu trinity, god, Brahmā, Śiva, Vishnu
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- Title Pages
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary of Sanskrit Words
- Introduction
- Chapter I A Conceptual Introduction
- Chapter II A Historical Survey
- Chapter III Brahman: Nirguṇa and Saguṇa
- Chapter IV Īśvara
- Chapter V Devī
- Chapter VI The Hindu Trinity (Trimūrti)
- Chapter VII Brahmā
- Chapter VIII Viṣṇu
- Chapter IX Śiva
- Chapter X Jīva
- Chapter XI Saṁsāra
- Chapter XII Karma
- Chapter XIII Dharma
- Chapter XIV Māyā
- Chapter XV Mokṣa
- Chapter XVI Jñāna-yoga
- Chapter XVII Bhakti-yoga
- Chapter XVIII Karma-yoga
- Chapter XIX Varṇa
- Chapter XX Āśrama
- Chapter XXI Puruṣārthas
- Chapter XXII Vedas
- Bibliography
- Name Index
- Subject Index