Vishnu

American  

[vish-noo] / ˈvɪʃ nu /

noun

Hinduism.

1. (in later Hinduism) “the Preserver,” the second member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer.

2. (in popular Hinduism) a deity believed to have descended from heaven to earth in several incarnations, or avatars, varying in number from nine to twenty-two, but always including animals. His most important human incarnation is the Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita.

3. “the Pervader,” one of a half-dozen solar deities in the Rig-Veda, daily traversing the sky in three strides, morning, afternoon, and night.

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Vishnu British  

/ ˈvɪʃnuː /

noun

1. Hinduism the Pervader or Sustainer: originally a solar deity occupying a secondary place in the Hindu pantheon; later one of the three chief gods, the second member of the Trimurti; and, later still, the saviour appearing in many incarnations

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Vishnu Cultural  

1. A deity of Hinduism, known as the Preserver. According to the Hindus, he has appeared as Krishna and as the Buddha.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Vishnuism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Vishnu

From the Sanskrit word viṣṇu

Example Sentences

It’s the story of Rama, the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu, and his army of monkeys, whose quantity is likened to a sea.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Iraq's State Organisation for Marketing of Oil said two other oil tankers, Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros, were hit on Thursday.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Elsewhere, Vishnu Sridharan and I have called this the difference between offering “natural” and “created” reasons.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

Holi is based on the Hindu legend of Holika, a female demon, who tries to kill her nephew Prahlad because he worships the Hindu god Vishnu.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024

Immediately Vishnu takes on his full cosmic size.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel