Narasimha
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Narasimha, sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is believed to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to kill Hiranyakashipu, to end religious persecution and calamity on earth, thereby restoring dharma. Narasimha is often depicted with three eyes, and is described in Vaishnavism to be the God of Destruction; he who destroys the entire universe at the time of the great dissolution (Mahapralaya). Hence, he is known as Kala (time) or Mahakala (great-time), or Parakala in his epithets. There exists a matha (monastery) dedicated to him by the name of Parakala Matha at Mysuru in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Narasimha is also described as the God of Yoga, in the form of Yoga-Narasimha.
Vishnu and his avataras (Vaikuntha Chaturmurti): Vishnu present as Krishna as a human , Narasimha as a lion, Varaha as a boar. Art of Mathura, mid-5th century CE. Boston Museum.
Narasimha, 5th century, Ramtek Kevala Narasimha temple.
Narasimha Disemboweling Hiranyakashipu, manuscript folio from a Bhagavata Purana, 1760-1770.
Vishnu
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Vishnu, also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Image: Vishnu Gandhara
Image: Museum für Indische Kunst Dahlem Berlin Mai 2006 036 2
Image: Statue of Vishnu, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK (IM 127 1927) 20090209