Week 12 Reading Notes: Vishnu

Vishnu

 Characters:

Vishnu (M) "the protector of good" supreme being

Anata (M) the king of Ayodhya

Rama (M) "Supreme Being" the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu

Balaram (M) "farmer" God of Agriculture and Strength 

Krishna (M) "cowherd" God of Protection, Compassion, and Love

Shiva (M) "the destroyer of evil" 

Asanas:

Anata-asana "Vishnu's giant serpent" carefree position of relaxation that requires a fair amount of concentration to prevent falling.  

Important Phrases:

When Vishnu sleeps the world ceases to exist; when he wakes up, the world comes into being. 

The world is a creation of subjective reality. 

His yogic powers served as a reminder that all good things are accompanied by the bad. Unless one can handle the bad through yoga, one cannot enjoy the good. 

Shiva uses Ananta as the cosmic bowstring, with Meru as the shaft of his bow, to destroy, with a single arrow. 

Image Information: Screenshot from my personal Kindle device in 'Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas and Their Stories.' Source: Kindle Reader. 

Bibliography: 'Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas and Their Stories' by Devdutt Kindle Reader.