Vishnu is an aspect of God, or Brahman, whom Hindus pray to. He is the second God of the Trimurti (also called the Hindu Trinity), along with Brahma and Shiva. Known as the Preserver, he is most famously identified with his avatars, or incarnations of God, most especially Krishna and Rama.
Unlike Christianity, and Shaivism, Vaishnavism believes that God incarnates many times whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of evil (from the Bhagavad Gita). Lord Krishna, avatar of Vishnu, famously said in the Gita: “For the protection of the good and for the establishment of righteousness, I incarnate from age to age.�
Alternatively, He is God in his form as Preserver of the Universe.
Aspects of God such as Vishnu or Shiva are simple personal attributes of the impersonal Brahman, God without attributes, the type of God similar in Semitic religions such as Islam or Judaism.(without personal characteristics)
Hindus also worship Vishnu as an abstract form (i.e., God without form) as a saligrama. Use of the saligrama is similar as the lingam is used for Shiva
The term Hindu god should not be equated with Vishnu and is confused with Devas.
Devas or demigods, are celestial beings similar to angels as discussed in Judaeo-Christian traditions.
__Theological attributes and more__
Vishnu is the all-inclusive deity, known as purusha or mahä purusha, paramätma (Supreme Soul) antaryämi (In-dweller) and He is the shèshin (Totality) in whom all souls are contained. He is Bhagavat where bhâga is Divine Glory,
Vishnu possesses six such divine glories, namely,
*jñäna (Omniscient)
*aishvarya (Sovereign)
*shakti (Potent)
*bala (Energetic)
*vërya (Immutable)
*tèjas (Resplendent)
__Relations with other Deities__
Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. Shakti is the samvit (the primary intelligence) of God, while the other five attributes emerge from this samvid and hence Shakti is God's ahamata (personality and activity.) Thus this Shakti of God is personified in mythological lore and is called Shri or Lakshmi, and She is said to manifest herself in, 1) kriyäshakti, (Creative Activity) and 2) bhütishakti (Creation) of God. Hence Vishnu cannot part with His own personality or creativity i.e., ahamta, which in its feminine form is called Sri or Lakshmi. He therefore needs his consort Goddess Lakshmi to be with Him always, untouched by any. Thus Lakshmi has to accompany Vishnu in all His incarnations.
His mount is Garuda, the eagle. He, along with the rishis, helped broker the truce between Vritra and Indra.Air Jordan IV 4 Shoes