Vaikunta, the Palace of Lord Vishnu - Page 13

Vishnu's charm and beauty - his lotus shaped eyes, winsome smile, thick long hair, broad shoulders, lithe limbs and dark complexion - rouses love in devotees and passion in poets. They reflect rasa - life's mystery, beauty and awe.

Vishnu is blue as the sky, and like the sky always watches over the earth. He is dark as the rain-clouds whose presence brings joy after the hot dry days of summer. Like the colour black, Vishnu is omnipresent, seen even in the dark.

His four arms represent the four directions of the cosmos that he supports at all times.

On his chest is a characteristic tuft of hair called Shreevatsa - the symbol of MahaLakshmi, his consort, who is the goddess of life, protected and loved by him.

Brahma, the creator, sits on a lotus that springs from Vishnu's navel. This is the primal lotus that bloomed when life began.

Vishnu is known across the three worlds for his smile that is at once seductive and mysterious. The smile radiates happiness and celebrates the delights of worldly life. It also mocks man who, obsessed with his ego, has lost sight of the divine. And for all the troubled souls of the cosmos, the smile of the lord offers reassurance and love.