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Vishnu

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The Hindu preserver god, central to Vaishnavism, known for his avatars like Rama and Krishna who restore cosmic order.

Detailed Definition
Vishnu represents divine compassion, stability, and the sustaining force of the universe in Hindu theology. Revered especially in devotional (bhakti) poetry, he is celebrated for descending to earth in various incarnations to combat evil and uphold dharma. Literary works such as the Bhagavata Purana and countless regional bhajans extol his grace, beauty, and protective nature. Poets use Vishnu’s imagery—reclining on the serpent Shesha, holding the conch and discus—to evoke themes of cosmic balance, divine love, and the soul’s yearning for refuge. His presence in poetry often signifies hope, redemption, and the eternal rhythm of preservation amid chaos.
Example
Example in poetry:
Devotional poets invoke Vishnu as "the Preserver who sleeps on cosmic serpent Shesha's coils"; A poet might describe "Vishnu's ten avatars descending through the ages to restore dharma"; In narrative verse, "Vishnu as Rama walked through Ayodhya's gates, righteousness incarnate"; Contemporary Hindu poetry references "Vishnu's blue skin like twilight sky, four arms holding cosmos in balance"; A bhakti poem celebrates "Vishnu reclining on the ocean of milk, dreaming worlds into being"; Mythological poetry depicts "when chaos threatened creation, Vishnu took form and descended"
Additional Notes
Vishnu is the "preserver" god in the Hindu Trimurti. He is known for his descent to earth in various avatars (incarnations) to restore cosmic order (dharma) whenever it is threatened. His most famous avatars are Rama and Krishna. He is often depicted lying on the cosmic serpent Shesha, or standing with his four attributes: conch, discus, mace, and lotus. For poets, Vishnu represents the sustaining force of the universe, divine intervention, and the promise of hope and order in times of chaos.
Also Known As
Narayana Hari Vasudeva
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