24 Forms of Vishnu and their Names

  • Narayana (the universal shelter),
  • Govinda (saver of the Earth and protector of cows),
  • Madhava (Lord of knowledge),
  • Madhusudana (the destroyer of the demon Madhu),
  • Trivikrama (the one who conquered the three planetary systems),
  • Vamana (the dwarf incarnation),
  • Shridhara (the possessor of fortune),
  • Hrishikesha (Lord of the senses),
  • Padmanabha (whose navel produced the universal lotus),
  • Damodara (who is self-restrained),
  • Sankarshana (who reabsorbs),
  • Vasudeva (one who dwells within),
  • Pradyumna (who has the most wealth),
  • Aniruddha (who no one can oppose),
  • Purushottama (best of all men),
  • Adhoksaja (the expanse of the universe),
  • Nrisimha (the half-man and half-lion form),
  • Achyuta (the inconceivable),
  • Krishna (the dark and all-attractive one),
  • Hari (He who removes obstacles or sorrow),
  • Janardana (He who gives rewards), and
  • Upendra (the brother of Indra).
  • Many other names of Lord Vishnu are found in the Vishnu-sahasranam, the Thousand Names of Vishnu, located in the Anushasan Parva (149.14-120) of theMahabharata.
  • The four weapons symbolize the universal processes relevant to the divinity :
  • Lotus symbolizes creation (srshti bijam tatha padmam),
  • Discus preservation (chakram sthiti -nibandhanam),
  • Mace disolution (gadha samhara -bijam) and
  • Conch emancipation of the soul from bondage ( samkham mukti-nihandhanam)

Ref:[Parama-samhita 3,17; and Brhat-brahma-samhita, 1,12,102-103]

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