Who is Lord Vishnu?

Ever wondered who is Lord Vishnu and why only His incarnations as human are glorified so much?

Till I was a school student, I was made to understand that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Form, God, second of the Trinity, the पालक or the कर्ता, Administrator of the Creation. This understanding came from various Sanaatana scriptures, some original, some interpretations and some passed on to me from the environment, where I was growing as a child. 

In Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka (10-13-1), Narayana suktam, Lord Narayana is mentioned as the supreme being. The first verse of Narayana Suktam mentions the words "paramam padam", which literally mean "highest post" and may be understood as the "supreme abode for all souls". 

Aadi Shankar states (regarding Vishnu Puraan, 3.1.45): "The Power of the Supreme Being has entered within the universe. The root "विष्" or viś means 'enter into'."

The entire world of things and beings is pervaded by Him and the Upanishad emphatically insists in its mantra 'whatever that is there is the world of change.' Hence, it means that He is not limited by space, time or substance. Chinmayananda states that, that which pervades everything is Vishnu." [1]

Vishnu's other abode within the material universe is Ksheer Saagar (the ocean of milk), where he reclines and rests on Anant Shesha, (the king of the serpent deities, commonly shown with a thousand heads) [2]

His another name is नारायणः (NaaraayaNa), which literally means नरः आयणं यस्य सः which when translated into English means "he, whose abode is water".[3] 

The meaning was something very interesting for a class 10th student and it got registered in my memory since then. 

Few years later, when I was a student in a medical college, I was surprised to see the same Naaraayana in my Embryology and Obstetrics text books. 'The Foetus' inside the mother's womb!!

• Both are Administrator or paalaka of a new world.
• One is bathing in क्षीर सागरः (Ksheer Saagara) and the other, in Liquor amnii.
• Lord Vishnu is lying on अनन्तशेषः  (Ananta Shesha), where as the foetus is covered in vernix caseosa.
• From the navel of Lord Vishnu arises पद्मनालः  (padma naala), the lotus pedicle ato which there is a पद्मः (padma) or Lotus, abode of Lord Brahmaa, the Creator. On the other hand, umbilical cord arises from the navel of the foetus which is attached to the wall of the uterus or womb through a large lotus shaped placenta. It is through this placenta, the foetus gets Life Energy, from the mother.

References :

1. Matchett, Freda (2000). Krsna, Lord or Avatara? the relationship between Krsna and Visnu: in the context of the Avatara myth as presented by the Harivamsa, the Visnupurana and the Bhagavatapurana. Surrey: Routledge. p. 254. ISBN 0-7007-1281-X.
2. Swami Chinmayananda's translation of Vishnu sahasranama pgs. 16–17, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust.