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"Matsya Purana (2.25-30) gives an account of initial creation. After Mahapralaya, the great dissolution of the Universe, there was darkness everywhere. Everything was in a state of sleep. There was nothing, either moving or static. Then Svayambhu, Self-manifested Being arose, which is a form beyond senses. It created the primordial waters first and established the seed of creation into it. The seed turned into a golden womb, Hiranyagarbha. Then Svayambhu entered in the egg, and it is called Vishnu because of entering. Brahmanda Purana (1.4.25) says that it is called as Vishnu because it pervades the whole Universe." (Wikipedia - Hiranyagarbha)

For a large majority of hindus, Vishnu is the Supreme God, therefore, he was around all the time. But then, other people may consider the Mother Goddess Durga or Shiva as the Supreme God or Goddess. There are many stories.

Q: What is Vishnus origin?
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"Matsya Purana (2.25-30) gives an account of initial creation. After Mahapralaya, the great dissolution of the Universe, there was darkness everywhere. Everything was in a state of sleep. There was nothing, either moving or static. Then Svayambhu, Self-manifested Being arose, which is a form beyond senses. It created the primordial waters first and established the seed of creation into it. The seed turned into a golden womb, Hiranyagarbha. Then Svayambhu entered in the egg, and it is called Vishnu because of entering. Brahmanda Purana (1.4.25) says that it is called as Vishnu because it pervades the whole Universe." (Wikipedia - Hiranyagarbha)

For a large majority of hindus, Vishnu is the Supreme God, therefore, he was around all the time. But then, other people may consider the Mother Goddess Durga or Shiva as the Supreme God or Goddess. There are many stories.

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The Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses. At the same time they also believe in the existence on one Supreme God, whom they call variously as Paramatma (Supreme Self), Parameshwar (Supreme Lord), Parampita (Supreme Father). Iswara, Maheswara, Bhagawan, Purusha, Purushottama, Hiranyagarbha and so on.

God is one, but also many. He manifests Himself in innumerable forms and shapes. As Purusha (Universal Male), He enters Prakriti (Nature, Matter or Divine Energy) and brings forth the numerous worlds and beings into existence. He upholds His entire creation with His unlimited powers.

He is both the Known and the Unknown, the Being as well as the Non-Being, Reality as well as Unreality. As the Unknown, He is rarely known and worshiped for difficult and painful is the path for those who choose to worship Him as the Unmanifest (The Bhagavad-Gita XII.6).

He exists in all and all beings exist in him. There is nothing other than Him, and there is nothing that is outside of Him. He is Imperishable, unknowable, immortal, infinite, without a beginning and without an end. All the same when worshipped with intense devotion and unshakeable faith, He responds to the calls of His devotees and comes to their aid and rescue.

All the gods and goddess are His manifestations only. In His female aspect He is Shakti, who as the Divine Universal Mother assists the whole creation to proceed through the process of evolution in Her own mysterious ways.

The concept of monotheism is not new to Hinduism. It is as old as the Vedas themselves. References to One indivisible and mysterious God are found in the Rigveda itself. The concept is the central theme of all the Upanishads in which He is variously referred as Brahman, Iswara, Hiranyagarbha, Asat etc.

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The Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses. At the same time they also believe in the existence on one Supreme God, whom they call variously as Paramatma (Supreme Self), Parameshwar (Supreme Lord), Parampita (Supreme Father). Iswara, Maheswara, Bhagawan, Purusha, Purushottama, Hiranyagarbha and so on.

God is one, but also many. He manifests Himself in innumerable forms and shapes. As Purusha (Universal Male), He enters Prakriti (Nature, Matter or Divine Energy) and brings forth the numerous worlds and beings into existence. He upholds His entire creation with His unlimited powers.

He is both the Known and the Unknown, the Being as well as the Non-Being, Reality as well as Unreality. As the Unknown, He is rarely known and worshiped for difficult and painful is the path for those who choose to worship Him as the Unmanifest (The Bhagavad-Gita XII.6).

He exists in all and all beings exist in him. There is nothing other than Him, and there is nothing that is outside of Him. He is Imperishable, unknowable, immortal, infinite, without a beginning and without an end. All the same when worshipped with intense devotion and unshakeable faith, He responds to the calls of His devotees and comes to their aid and rescue.

All the gods and goddess are His manifestations only. In His female aspect He is Shakti, who as the Divine Universal Mother assists the whole creation to proceed through the process of evolution in Her own mysterious ways.

The concept of monotheism is not new to Hinduism. It is as old as the Vedas themselves. References to One indivisible and mysterious God are found in the Rigveda itself. The concept is the central theme of all the Upanishads in which He is variously referred as Brahman, Iswara, Hiranyagarbha, Asat etc.

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Om (or AUM) is the sacred syllable of Hinduism and represents God or Brahman - the source of all existence representing the three qualities inherent in the Cosmic Vibration.

A - represents (Brahma) creation

U - represents (Vishnu) Preservation

M - represents (Siva) Transmutation

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The confusion stems largely from the word "god". In Hinduism the term is "deva", which literally means "light".

When Hinduism was being brought to the West, "deva" was, and still is to this day, often translated with the word "god,", but this does not accurately reflect what "deva" means in Hinduism.

A deva in Hinduism is a form of Brahman, or the Absolute Reality. Or, to put in terms of "god": "A god in Hinduism is a form of God." It's important to note the use of lowercase and uppercase here.

Brahman = God

Devas ("gods") = forms of God.

In Hinduism God is, in essence, formless, but in order to conceive of what is essentially inconceivable, we give God forms to better understand God's nature. This is especially important in Bhakti Yoga, the path of Loving Devotion, in which a relationship to God is emphasized.

It is worth noting, though I don't want to further entangle the issue, that a Hindu's attitude towards God and devas will inevitably vary from Hindu to Hindu. I spoke with a Hindu ascetic once at a monastery who told me he did not conceive of any "god". What he meant was that he did not feel the need to conceive of the Divine as having any form. He did not feel the need to have a relationship with the Absolute, but rather conceived of "God" to be the ultimate grounds of being, and in fact did not feel the need to use the word "God" either. This is possible in Hinduism.

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