The Implicit Power Behind Agni, Indra, Sūrya, and Others: Vishnu in the Vedic Saṁhitās

Abstract

The article The Implicit Power Behind Agni, Indra, Sūrya, and Others: Vishnu in the Vedic Saṁhitās by Benjamin A. McClintic explores the subtle yet foundational presence of Vishnu in early Vedic literature. Although not as prominently featured as Agni, Indra, or Sūrya, the article argues that Vishnu is depicted as a pervasive, cosmic force whose understated role foreshadows his later elevation in Puranic Vaishnavism. McClintic uncovers layers of Vedic symbolism to position Vishnu within the divine hierarchy of early Hindu cosmology.