Vishnu — The Preserver, Sustainer of Worlds

Vishnu is the sthiti-kartr of the Trimurti, the all-pervading Narayana whose function is the preservation of rita (cosmic order). The Bhagavad Gita (4.7–8) records his vow: 'Whenever dharma declines, I manifest myself' — descending through the Dashavatara from Matsya to Kalki, each avatara calibrated to the crisis of its yuga. Reclining on Ananta Shesha upon the kshira sagara (cosmic ocean), Vishnu sustains the three worlds through his maya and his grace, wielding the Sudarshana Chakra, Shankha, Gada, and Padma as emblems of his protective sovereignty.

Cross-Tradition Resonances