page_title: Vishnu
section_title: Sangam & Post-Sangam Literature
hierarchical_section_title: Vishnu / Literature / Sangam & Post-Sangam Literature
caption_attribution_description: മലയാളം: കോട്ടാങ്ങൽ പടയണിയ്ക്കു അലങ്കാരമായി വെച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന കൃഷ്ണന്റെ പ്രതിമ.
context_page_description: Vishnu is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. The "preserver" in the Hindu triad, Vishnu is revered as the supreme being in Vaishnavism as identical to the metaphysical concept of Brahman, and is notable for adopting various incarnations to preserve and protect dharmic principles whenever the world is threatened with evil, chaos, and destructive forces. In the Smarta Tradition of Hinduism, Vishnu is also one of the five equivalent deities worshipped in Panchayatana puja.
context_section_description: The Sangam literature refers to an extensive regional collection in the Tamil language, mostly from the early centuries of the common era. These Tamil texts revere Vishnu and his avatars such as Krishna and Rama, as well as other pan-Indian deities such as Shiva, Muruga, Durga, Indra and others. Vishnu is described in these texts as mayon, or "one who is dark or black in color" (in north India, the equivalent word is Krishna). Other terms found for Vishnu in these ancient Tamil genre of literature include mayavan, mamiyon, netiyon, mal and mayan.
  Krishna as Vishnu avatar is the primary subject of two post-Sangam Tamil epics Silappadikaram and Manimekalai, each of which was probably composed about the 5th century CE. These Tamil epics share many aspects of the story found in other parts of India, such as those related to baby Krishna such as stealing butter, and teenage Krishna such as teasing girls who went to bathe in a river by hiding their clothes.
caption: The mythologies of Vishnu avatar Krishna are extensive, such as baby Krishna stealing butter, or playing the flute. These themes appear in ancient and medieval coins of South Asia,[93] and the motifs described by 3rd-century poet Hala.[94]
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