Vishnu

Vishnu (IAST viṣṇu, Devanagari विष्णु), (honorific: Bhagavan Vishnu), is the supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. In other traditions of Hinduism, Vishnu is considered to be one of five equal bonafide scripture-sanctioned forms of God in the panchadeva system of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. His supreme status is declared in the sacred texts of Hinduism like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita.

The Vishnu Sahasranama declares Vishnu as Paramatma that means supreme soul and Parameshwara that means supreme God. It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of and beyond the past, present and future, the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within.

In the Puranas, Vishnu is described as having the divine color of clouds (dark-blue), four-armed, holding a lotus, mace, conch and chakra (wheel). Vishnu is also described in the Bhagavad Gita as having a 'Universal Form' (Vishvarupa) which is beyond the ordinary limits of human sense perception.