n.
Principal Hindu deity worshiped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of dharma .
He is known chiefly through his avatars , particularly Rama and Krishna . In theory, he manifests himself anytime he is needed to fight evil, and his appearances are innumerable, but in practice 10 are most common. His various names, numbering about 1,000, are repeated as acts of devotion by his worshipers.