The Encyclopedia of World Religions

468 S visions

the Vishnu cult. Vishnu is said to take form on Earth in several AVATARS , meaning “descents.” The standard number of avatars is 10, but traditions vary on the identity of the 10. The two most promi nent avatars are the well-known heroes R AMA and K RISHNA . These two have become objects of WOR SHIP in their own right. Indeed, some worshippers of Krishna see him, not Vishnu, as the supreme G OD . Vishnu’s special abode is the HEAVEN known as Vaikuntha. He has several consorts or female counterparts, among whom the most important are Sri, L AKSHMI , and Bhu. Sri and Lakshmi are GODDESSES of prosperity and wealth. Their symbol is the LOTUS . Bhu is the Earth. Vishnu’s vehicle or animal counterpart is Garuda, a mythical bird. His sacred plant is tulasi, a variety of basil. Worship pers offer its leaves to the god. A kind of black stone is also sacred to Vaishnavas. It is called Sala grama, from the name of the village where many specimens have been found. There are several ways to portray Vishnu. One common image shows him standing. His skin is dark-blue. His four arms hold a conch, a discus, a mace, and a lotus, symbols of his power to pro tect and govern. In addition, Vishnu wears an age old jewel known as Kaustubha. He also sports a twist of hair on his chest known as the sri-vatsa. It attests to the presence of Sri or Lakshmi. Another common image of Vishnu shows him asleep on the cosmic serpent Sesha. Accord ing to mythology, Vishnu sleeps on Sesha during the time between the end of one universe and the beginning of the next. When he awakes, a lotus sprouts from his navel. On it sits the god Brahma, creator of the world. There are several different subgroups of Vaish navas. The most encompassing classification divides them into Bhagavatas and Pancaratrins. On some accounts, Bhagavatas stress the avatars of Vishnu, while Pancaratrins speak instead of four vyuhas or emanations from Vishnu. A group known as the Sri-Vaishnavas is especially promi nent in South India. They take their name from the emphasis they place on Vishnu’s consort Sri. The prominent V EDANTA philosopher Ramanuja

belonged to this sect. Other prominent Vedanta philosophers have also worshipped Vishnu, among them Madhva. Vaishnavas have produced many masterpieces of Indian religious literature. Their writings include India’s two major EPICS , the Mahabharata and the Ramayana ( see R AMA , R AMAYANA ), the philosophi cal poem known as the Bhagavad-Gita, several collections of myths, especially the Bhagavata P URANA , and poems by important devotees such as Nammalvar, Kabir, Surdas, Tulsidas, Mirabai, and Tukaram. visions Visual images, generally of gods, SAINTS and other religious beings. Visions appear sud denly before the eyes and seem to have no natural explanation. Visions have been reported in virtu ally all ages and within all religious traditions. In the West, Roman Catholic visions of the Blessed Virgin M ARY , as at Guadalupe, Lourdes, or Fatima, or of the ANGEL who showed himself to Joseph Smith, the founder of the L ATTER - DAY S AINTS (Mor monism), are well known. Native Americans, especially those who lived on the Great Plains, deliberately sought visions as an important step in becoming an adult. Whatever their explana tion in religion or in psychology, visions have had a profound impact on religious history. Like the visions of Mary, they have often served to con firm the FAITH of those within a tradition. But like Smith’s vision, they have also served as impetus for the visionary to found a new religion ( see S HAKERS ). For many religious persons, seeing is believing. Vivekananda (1863–1902) the chief disciple of the Indian saint, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Vivekananda founded the V EDANTA Society and the Ramakrishna Mission. He was also the first advocate of H INDUISM to have a major impact on North America and Europe. Vivekananda taught the Advaita school of Vedanta combined with devotion and social con cern. He gained wide attention in 1893 when he