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the urge and honors the commands of Ganesha. The rat is symbolic of our own desires, which we must subjugate to reach our spiritual goal.
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Figure 54
Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu, the preserver and third deity in the Hindu Trinity, is also popular. As the preserver of the universe, Vishnu is filled with mercy and devotion for all creation. Vishnu often appears with a serpent with numerous heads poised like a hood above his crown. There is deep significance attached to Vishnu's demeanor and to the serpent. Vishnu represents pure consciousness. The numerous serpent heads represent the mind cluttered with thoughts, but the serpent is not moving. The thoughts of the mind are subdued.
Vishnu is blue, to indicate allpervasiveness and the infinite. It is the color attributed to the sky and endless space and to the ocean, where the depth is usually beyond our vision. The sky symbolically connects us between the world of gods and the earthly world, with blue associated with the sacred. Vishnu moves between these two worlds, moves between the unseen and the seen. The crown on Vishnu's head reflects his supreme rule, and in this capacity Vishnu is the protector and the preserver of the universe.
Each of Vishnu's four hands carries an object. The sacred lotus is the Truth and Vishnu holds it to remind us to reach within ourselves to aim for

 
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