Book review
Vishnu, the Preserver, is the second of the Hindu triad. Whenever evil is on the ascent, Vishnu descends on earth to uphold righteousness and to destroy evil. The tales of these descents or avtars told in various Puranas have contributed in no small measure to make Vishnu the most popular of Hindu deities. His worshippers are called Vaishnavas. Of the eighteen major Puranas six are known as the Vaishnava Puranas as they eulogise Vishnu and depict him as the Supreme Self. In the Vedas, Vishnu is sometimes referred to as a deputy of Indra. In the Rig Veda, only five hymns are devoted to him, as against the two hundred and fifty devoted to Indra. However, Vishnu eventually overshadowed Indra and shot into prominence as the God of gods. According to some scholars, the identification of Vishnu with Vasudeva-Krishna, the deified Yadava hero, contributed significantly to the rise of Vishnu as the greatest of the gods in the hierarchy of the Hindu pantheon. In fact Vasudeva-Krishna came to be considered the eighth avtar of Vishnu. Vishnu is more a love inspiring that a fear inspiring deity. The Bhagvata Purana, from which these tales are adapted, abounds in narratives of the benevolent acts of Vishnu. Although he is kind and sympathetic, he is never taken in by the apparent devotion of evil men. Even when they success in wresting favours from other gods, Vishnu manoeuvres to bring about their destruction without falsifying the boons given to them by the gods.