Vishnu's function in the classical triad is preservation, and Vaishnava theology takes that further: he is not one-third of anything but the whole, with Brahma and Shiva subordinate. He is depicted with four arms holding conch, discus, mace, and lotus, reclining on the cosmic serpent between world-cycles, and his consort is Lakshmi. The tradition's emotional register is intimacy — the devotee approaches as servant, friend, parent, or lover.