Vishnu Dashavatara 10 Avatars of Vishnu

admin April 16, 2015 Vishnu Dashavatara 10 Avatars of Vishnu2015-04-19T04:26:50+00:00Avatars of Vishnu No Comment

1. MATSYA (Fish) Avatar : ( Satya Yuga ). During the deluge before the latest re-creation of the universe, the four Vedas (the holy scriptures)
which were required by Brahma for the re-creation, were drowned deep in the waters. Vishnu took the form of a fish to retrieve the sacred
scriptures. Another legend has it that Vishnu in hisMatsya Avatar instructed Manu (the progenitor of mankind in each creation) to build a huge

boat and gather samples of all species in it. The Matsya then pulled the ark to safety through the deluge and floods to enableBrahma to start
the work of re-creation.

2. KACHYUP or KURMA (Tortoise) Avatar: ( Satya Yuga ). The gods ( Devas ), suddenly lost their immortality due to the curse of a sage, soon
after the new creation of the universe. Afraid of the Asuras (Demons), they turned for help to Vishnu who advised them to churn the ocean to
obtain Amrita (Ambrosia), which would restore their power. The churning had to be done with the Mandara Mountain as the churning
stick. Vishnu then assumed the form of a Kachyup (tortoise) to hold up the mountain on his back to enable the churning to be done. The help
of Vishnu in restoration of immortality of the Devas is another example of the upholding of the dominance of Dharma .

3. VARAHA (Boar) Avatar: ( Satya Yuga ). The earth ( prithvi or goddess Bhudevi ) was swamped deep under the cosmic ocean at the end of
the deluge before the re-creation of the present universe. At this time, Hiranyaksha, an Asura (demon) who had attained extraordinary powers
through penance, was wreaking havoc among the Devas (gods). On the request of Brahma , who needed the earth for his work of recreation,
and of the Devas , who needed succor from Hiranyaksha , Vishnuassumed the form of a Varaha (boar). He carried the earth from the bottom of
the ocean on his tusks in this Avatar ; also slaying the rampaging Asura in the process.

4. NARASIMHA (half-man half-lion) Avatar : ( Satya Yuga ). Hiranyakashipu , a demon king and a tyrant, had through severe penance,
obtained a boon from Brahma that no natural-born man or animal could kill him; nor could he be killed in heaven or earth, by any weapon,
either during day or night. He started considering himself as the supreme God and banned the worship of gods; even trying to kill his own son
Prahlada, who was a Vishnu devotee. Vishnu assumed the form ofNarasimha (neither man nor animal); emerged from a pillar (not natural
born); during evening (neither day nor night); laid the demon-king across his thighs (neither heaven nor earth) and tore his entrails out with
bare claws (no weapon).

5. VAMANA (Dwarf) Avatar: ( Treta Yuga ). The legend associated with this Avatar has it that the valorous demon- king Bali , a descendant
of Hiranyakashipu , empowered by severe penance, defeated Indra , the king of the Devas and conquered the whole world. Fearing that he
would overcome all three worlds ( Swarga ,Martaand Patala or heaven, earth and the nether worlds), the Devas appealed to Vishnu . Taking
birth in a Brahmin family and growing up to be a dwarf, Vishnu approachedBali for alms when the latter was performing a religious
sacrifice. Bali, in an expansive mood promised him whatever he wanted which was as much land as he could cover in three
strides. Vishnu then covered heaven and earth in two strides to emancipate theDevas and banished Bali to the nether world.

6. PARASHURAM Avatar : (end of Satya Yuga or in the Treta Yuga as per different scholars). Vishnu took birth as aBrahman (priest) in
this Avatar to free theBrahmans from the depredations of the Kshatriyas (warrior caste) who had become arrogant oppressors of
the Brahmans . His name derives from the axe-like weapon (Parsu ) he carried a gift from Shiva . He annihilated the Kshatriyas in battles

twenty-one times. Parashuram and Rama , the seventh Avatar , are generally depicted as living at the same time even though the former is
said to have appeared in this world before Rama .

7. RAMA Avatar : ( Treta Yuga ). Vishnu , in this Avatar , incarnates himself as Rama , the Kshatriya king central to the Ramayana epic. By far
one of the most popular heroes (along with Krishna ) of Hindu mythology, Ramaexemplifies the ideal, son, king, father and man. The legend,
on the one hand, is a romantic exploit of good triumphing over evil (the slaying of Ravana , the demon-king, by Rama ). On another plane, it is
a complex dissertation on love, war, brotherhood, fidelity, societal customs and traditions etc.

8. BALARAMA Avatar:

( Dwapara

Yuga ). Balarama is

the

eighth Avatar according

to Puranic ( Puranas are

part

ofVedic scriptures)

view. Balarama was the elder brother of Krishna and is said to have ably supported the latter in his fight with the evil king Kamsa whom
Krishna killed. Balarama also killed the feared Asura(demon)Dhenuka , among others, thus upholding righteousness over evil. His principal
weapon was the plough ( Hal ).

9. KRISHNA Avatar : ( Dwapara Yuga ). Vishnu , in this Avatar , incarnates himself as Krishna , one of the central figures in the
epic Mahabharata . The epic, while being a tale of two warring clans of cousins, the Pandava s and the Kaurava s, is also a discerning study of
human nature, human weaknesses, statesmanship, war and politics. Krishna is also the friend, philosopher and guide to Arjuna ,
the Pandava prince in the Kurukshetra war in the epic. His philosophical discourse to Arjuna on the eve of the war, in response to the latters
reluctance to wage war on his own kin, is revered as a sacred Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita .

BUDDHA Avatar : ( Kali Yuga ). Certain schools of thought hold the view that Balaram is not an Avatar of Vishnubut that of Shesh Nag on
whom Vishnu reclines. These schools consider Gautama Buddha , the founder of the Buddhist religion to be the ninth incarnation of Vishnu .

10. KALKI Avatar is the tenth and final Avatar of Vishnu . This Avatar is yet to appear. As per prophesy, this Avatarwill manifest itself at the end
of the presentKali Yuga which will also be the end of the current Mahayuga . He will ride a white winged horse and have a blazing sword in his
hand. He will preside over the destruction of this world and all the evil-doers in it for the next cycle of re-creation.

In the Bhagavata Purana

As many as forty specific avatars of Vishnu are mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, though the book adds that the number is
innumerable. Twenty-two avatars of Vishnu are listed numerically in the first book:

1.

Four Kumaras (Catursana) the four Sons of god Brahma and exemplified the path of devotion.

2.

Varaha

3.

Narada the divine-sage who travels the worlds as a devotee of Vishnu

4.

Nara-Narayana the twin-sages

5.

Kapila a renowned sage spoken of in the Mahabharata, son of Kardama Muni and Devahuti and sometimes identified with the
founder of the Samkhya school of philosophy

6.

Dattatreya the combined avatar of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He was born to the sage Atri became a great
seer himself.

7.

Yajna the lord of fire-sacrifice, who took was the Indra the lord of heaven

8.

Rishabha the father of King Bharata and Bahubali

9.

Prithu the sovereign-king who milked the earth as a cow to get the worlds grain and vegetation and also invented agriculture

10.

Matsya

11.

Kurma

12.

Dhanvantari the father of Ayurveda medicine and a physician to the Devas.

13.

Mohini the enchantress

14.

Narasimha

15.

Vamana

16.

Parashurama

17.

Vyasa the compiler of the scriptures Vedas and writer of the scriptures Puranas and the epic Mahabharata

18.

Rama

19.

Krishna

20.

Balarama

21.

Buddha

22.

Kalki

Besides these, several others are mentioned like Sri Hayagriva, Hari, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Vibhu, Satyasena, Vaikuntha, Sarvabhauma,
Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhama, Yogesvara, Brhadbhanu. The Golden incarnation

the avatara in Kali-yuga for propagating hari-

namasankirtan, which is sometimes interpreted as the saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also mentioned, though there is no explicit mention of a
name in the verse.

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Matsya Avatar Vishnu 1st Avatar

Kurma Avatar Vishnu 2nd Avatar

Varaha Avatar Vishnu 3rd Avatar

Narasimha Avatar Vishnu 4th Avatar

Vamana Avatar Vishnu 5th Avatar

Parashuram Avatar Vishnu 6th Avatar

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