One of Hinduism’s Three Great Gods, "the Preserver"
In Hindu tradition, Vishnu is the preserver of cosmic order; whenever Dharma decays and evil runs rampant, he descends to earth to set the world right, in a form called an "avatar." Traditionally there are ten great avatars, of which Krishna and Rama are the best known; in some Hindu traditions the Buddha too is counted among Vishnu’s avatars, an example of Hinduism’s inclusiveness toward many paths of faith. Vishnu is often depicted reclining on a thousand-headed serpent, floating in the cosmic ocean in meditation.
Hindu tradition records Vishnu’s ten avatars in turn: the fish, the tortoise, the boar, the man-lion, the dwarf, Parashurama (Rama with the axe), Rama, Krishna, the Buddha (in one account, Balarama), and the yet-to-come Kalki, who will appear at the end of the age. Each avatar answers a moment when Dharma nears collapse and divine intervention is needed to set things right.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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