DASHAVATARA Gauri Joshi
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DASHAVATARA
CONTENTS
06
Introduction Timeline
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08
Matsya Avatara
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Kurma Avatara
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Varaha Avatara
Narsimha Avatara
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23
Vamana Avatara
Parshurama Avatara
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Rama Avatara
Krishna Avatara Buddha Avatara
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Kalki Avatara Bibliography
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39
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INTRODUCTION
Vishnu is visualised as a blue-coloured warrior god, bedecked in gold and silk, adorned with a garland of forest flowers, who holds in his four hands a conch shell trumpet announcing his presence in the world, a discus representing the rhythm of life, a mace to punish law breakers and a lotus to reward law abiders. Vishnu rests on the coils of a serpent until disorder forces him to ride into a battle on his eagle and set things right. Vishnu’s serpent represents a stable earth, regularly regenerating itself with the seasons and tides.
The Trimurti, “three forms� is the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities, typically Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or the regenerator.
Lord Shiva
Lord Brahma
Lord Vishnu
DASHAVATARA
Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu
When the balance between good and evil tilts in favor of evil, Vishnu appears upon the earth as one of the ten Vishnu avataras or dashavatara to restore the balance. Vishnu is said to have taken human form on earth on ten different occasions to preserve the world, each time appearing in the shape of a different creature. During each incarnation, Vishnu has a specific task to perform. Of the ten avataras, four are
animals. The avataras gradually progress from a fish or a marine vertebrate, through the many forms of amphibious and land-based vertebrates, and reach the human stage. Here, the progression continues as Vishnu first appears as a half-man, half-lion, then as a short man, a violent man, a peaceful man, a loving man, a meditative man and a mystical man. 07
TIMELINE
Lord Vishnu
Matsya
Kurma
Kalki
Buddha
Satya Yuga
Treta Yuga
Dwapara Yuga
Kalyuga
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Varaha
Narsimha
Krishna
Rama
Vamana
Parshurama 09
01 MATSYA AVATARA
Avatara: Matsya Era: Satya Yuga
Saved the earth from the Great Deluge Matsya is the avatara of Lord Vishnu in the form of a fish. Often listed as the first avatar in the list of the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya is depicted as a giant fish or anthromorphically with a human torso connected to the rear half of a fish. There are very few temples dedicated to Matsya. Prominent ones include the Shankhodara temple in Bet Dwarka and Vedanarayana Temple in Nagalapuram. The Koneswaram Matsyakeswaram temple in Trincomalee is now destroyed.
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Legend has it that the king of pre-ancient Dravida called Satyavrata, later known as Manu, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. One day, when he was washing his hands in a river, a little fish swam into his hands. It pleaded him to save its life. The king put it in a jar and it soon outgrew. The fish was then moved to a tank, a river and then to the ocean. Lord Vishnu, who was in the disguise of the fish, told him that a flood would occur within seven days that would destroy all life. Matsya asked Satyavrata to collect herbs, seeds and animals, to assemble all the seven rishis (Saptarishis) and wait. He advised to build a giant boat and fill it up with all the flora and fauna on the earth and that Lord Vishnu would meet him again at a selected time. The boat was towed by the Lord himself and tied to a horn he had manifested on his head. The huge flood occurred as expected and it destroyed the planet. However Manu and his wife and the samples of every species were safe. The havoc stopped after a few years and the boat was then towed to a land. It is said that the king and his queen started a new life using the samples of various species. They created a new life on earth. In order to protect the world, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Matsya to save the world before its destruction.
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02 KURMA AVATARA
Avatara: Kurma Era: Satya Yuga
Helped the gods restore their vigor Kurma meaning turtle is the second Avatara of Vishnu. Sage Durvasa had cursed the Gods to be mortal and fade away. Kurma appears at this time of crisis to restore the cosmic equilibrium. His iconography is either a tortoise, or as half man-half tortoise. There are three temples dedicated to this incarnation of Vishnu in India - Kurmai of Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, Sri Kurmam in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, and Gavirangapur in the Chitradurg District of Karnataka.
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The story starts with a meeting between Sage Durvasa and Lord Indra. Sage Durvasa as a mark of respect offers a garland of flowers to Lord Indra. The king of Gods, Lord Indra who is seated on his elephant, Airavata, takes the garland of flowers and places it on the forehead of the elephant. The elephant takes the garland and throws it down on the earth. Durvasa, angry at this disrespectful treatment of his gift, proclaims to the King of Gods that his kingdom will be ruined. Destiny acts to fulfill the words of Sage Durvasa and the Asuras (demons) declare war on the Gods. The Gods want to taste the nectar of immortality and approach Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu advises the Gods to churn the ocean along with the Demons and offer them a share of nectar as well. The Mandara mountain is to be used as the churning stick and the snake Vasuki is the churning rope. But once the churning starts, the mountain starts drowning in the ocean as there is no base to keep it afloat. It is then when Lord Vishnu took the form of the tortoise to keep the mountain afloat. It is Kurma avatar, the tortoise, that goes below the mountain and stops it from sinking in the ocean. There were a lot of divine objects and fortunate things that arose from churning the ocean-Elixir
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of immortality ‘Amrita’, wish-fulfilling tree Kalpavriksha, wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu, wishfulfilling gem Chintamani, Seven-headed flying horse Ucchaishrava, Six-tusked elephant Airavata, Conch – Panchajanya, Bow of king Saranga, Beautiful nymph Rambha, Moon-god, Chandra, Goddess of ocean Varuni, Physician Dhanvantari. Goddess of fortune Lakshmi and the poison Halahal. The Gods restored with their vigor fight the Asuras again and prevail over them.
03 VARAHA AVATARA
Avatara: Varaha Era: Satya Yuga
Saved the earth from the Demon king Varaha is the avatar of Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar. When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth, personified as the goddess Bhudevi and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to her place in the universe. Varaha may be depicted completely as a boar or in an anthropomorphic form, with a boar’s head and human body. His consort is Bhudevi, the earth. The most prominent temple of Varaha is the Sri Varahaswami Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. Another important temple is the Bhuvarahaswami Temple in Srimushnam town, to the northeast of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.
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Long ago, there lived a demon called Hiranyaksha. He was Hiranyakashyap’s brother and was gifted the boon of immortality. No god, demon, beast or man could ever kill him. Hiranyaksha’s powers grew by the day. One day, Hiranyaksha snatched the earth and took it with him under the ocean. The gods were alarmed and rushed to Vishnu for help. Vishnu remembered that Brahma had forgotten to grant Hiranyaksha immortality against Varaha, the twotusked wild boar. Vishnu changed himself into a Varaha and dived into the ocean. Seeing Hiranyaksha there he challenged him to a fight. Soon, Vishnu beheaded Hiranyaksha and brought back the earth from the depths of the ocean.
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04 NARSIMHA AVATARA
Avatara: Narsimha Era: Satya Yuga
Destroyed evil by killing the demon king Hiranyakashyapu. The word Narasimha consists of two words “nara” which means man, and “simha” which means lion. Together the term means “man-lion”. Narsimha Avatara was the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of a part-man and part-lion who killed the despotic demon king Hiranyakashyapu and restored dharma on the earth. Narsimha’s head was that of a lion and body was that of a man with his claws that of a lion.
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Lord Vishnu in his third incarnation as Varaha avatara killed Hiranyaksha who was the brother of Hiranyakashyapu. Because of this, Hiranyakashyapu had became an enemy of Lord Vishnu. In order to get more powers, he started an austere penace. Lord Brahma was pleased with him and asked him for any boon he wants. Hiranyakashyapu asked for a boon such that he could not be killed by any human, animal or god, by any weapon or by any living or non living entity created by Brahma. He also asked that he could not be killed in day or night, inside the residence or outside the residence, not in the sky or on the ground. Lord Brahma granted this boon to him. Hiranyakashyapu had a son whose name was Pralhad who was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. Realising his son’s devotion towards Vishnu made him furious. He tried to convince him that not Vishnu but him was the lord of three worlds and he should worship his father and not Vishnu. But Pralhad did not agree with him and continued his devotion towards Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyapu then ordered to kill his son as a punishment. When the soldiers tried to kill Pralhad with their swords,
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their swords could not even touch him. When asked , Pralhad told him that Lord Vishnu was protecting him and that he was present everywhere. So, Hiranyakashyapu asked him whether he was present in the pillars of his palace. Pralhad said that of course, Lord Vishnu was everywhere. So the demon kicked the big pillar. The pillar broke with a crackling noise and a lion-headed , ferocious looking man, Narsimha appeared from it. He took Hiranyakashyapu to the threshold of his courtyard and made him sleep on his lap. He yelled, ‘‘Look Hiranyakashyapu, this is neither day nor night, you are neither inside nor outside the residence I am neither human nor god and I am killing you with not any weapon but with my nails.” By saying so, Narsimha tore Hiranyakashyapu’s stomach and thus killed the demon king.
05 VAMANA AVATARA
Avatara: Vamana Era: Treta Yuga
Helped Indra maintain his supremacy Lord Vishnu incarnated Vamana Avatara in Treta- Yuga to protect Indra’s kingdom. This is the first avatara were Lord Vishnu incarnated himself in a human form – a dwarf priest.
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The Vamana Avatara starts with Mahabali, the Asura King. Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlada and the son of Virochana. The King was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. Looking at the growing popularity and fame of King Mahabali, Gods became extremely concerned and jealous. They felt threatened about their own supremacy and began to think of a strategy to get rid of the dilemma. To curb the growing reign of Mahabali and maintain their own supremacy, Aditi, the mother of Gods seeked help of Lord Vishnu whom Mahabali worshiped. It was said that Mahabali was very generous and charitable. Whenever anybody approached him for help or requested for anything, he always granted. To test the King, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf and a poor Brahmin called Vamana. He came to the Kingdom of Mahabali, just after Mahabali performed his morning prayers and was preparing to grant boons to Brahmins. Disguised as Vamana, Vishnu said he was a poor Brahmin and asked for a piece of land. The generous King said, he could have as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin said that he just wanted as much land as could be covered by his three steps. The King was surprised to hear but agreed.
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A learned adviser of the King, Shukracharya sensed that Vamana was not an ordinary person and warned the King against making the promise. But, the generous King replied that it would be a sin for a King to back on his words and asked the Brahmin to take the land. The King could not imagine that the dwarf Brahmin was Lord Vishnu himself. Just as King Mahabali agreed to grant the land, Vamana began to expand and eventually increased himself to the size of cosmic proportions. With his first step the Brahmin boy covered the whole of earth and with the other step he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali where is the space for him to keep his third foot. The King realised that he was no ordinary Brahmin and his third step will destroy the earth. Mahabali with folded hands bowed before Vamana and asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep the promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to patala, the nether world. There the King requested the Brahmin to reveal his true identity. Lord Vishnu then appeared before the King in his person. The Lord told the King that he came to test him and the King won the test. King Mahabali was pleased to see his lord.
06 PARSHURAMA AVATARA
Avatara: Parshurama Era: Treta Yuga
The immortal Brahma-Kshatriya Parshurama meaning (Rama with an axe) is the sixth avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. Like other avataras of Vishnu, he appears at a time when overwhelming evil prevailed on earth. The warrior class, with weapons and power, had begun to abuse their power, take what belonged to others by force and tyrannize people. Parshurama corrects the cosmic equilibrium by destroying these evil warriors. He is also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya and Rama Bhargava in some Hindu texts. The state of Kerala and nearby regions of the Indian peninsula (Malabar Coast, in some versions including Konkan) are considered as Parashurama Kshetra.
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Parshurama was the son of Jamadagni and Renuka. Parshurama had received an axe from Lord Shiva as a boon. Lord Shiva had also taught his methods of warfare and other skills. Born in a Brahmin family, he was unlike the other Brahmins. Instead, Parshurama carried a number of Kshatriya traits, which included aggression, warfare and valour. Hence, he is called as a ‘Brahma-Kshatriya’ as he had skills from both the clans. According to the tales, when Parashurama’s mother went to the river to fetch water, she came across a handsome prince sporting in the water along with other women. Mesmerized by his good looks, she began to desire for his company. Dazed, she completely lost the sense of time and forgot her husband was waiting for her return to start the fire sacrifice. When she returned, her husband was enraged by her adulterous intentions, which he came to know through his meditative powers. Consumed by his anger, he ordered his sons to kill her immediately. The son’s were unable to listen to their father as killing a woman (one’s own mother) is considered as a great sin. At the same time, not obeying the orders of an elder (especially their father’s) is also said to
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be a punishable offense. When the sage saw his sons decline to abide by his wish, he called upon his last son, Parashuram, and commanded him to kill his disloyal mother and disobedient brothers. Parashurama was well aware of the powers possessed by his fathers due to his powerful meditation. He predicted that his father would be pleased if be carried out the orders and in return he would be granted a boon. Parashurama planned to utilize this boon to bring his mother and brothers back to life and make sure they do not remember the fact that they have been killed by him. Knowing that his father has the powers to grant him this boon, he therefore executed the orders of his father who in return granted him his boon with which Parashurama revived his family.
07 RAMA AVATARA
Avatara: Rama Era: Treta Yuga
The ideal King, Husband, Son and Brother Rama, also known as Ramachandra, is a major deity of Hinduism. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being. Rama was born to Kaushalya and Dasharatha in Ayodhya, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kosala. His siblings included Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. He married Sita. Though born in a royal family, their life is described in the Hindu texts as one challenged by unexpected changes such as an exile into impoverished and difficult circumstances, ethical questions and moral dilemmas. Of all their travails, the most notable is the kidnapping of Sita by demon-king Ravana, followed by the determined and epic efforts of Rama and Lakshmana to gain her freedom and destroy the evil Ravana against great odds.
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Rama heads outside the Kosala kingdom, crosses Yamuna river and initially stays at Chitrakuta, on the banks of river Mandakini, in the hermitage of sage Vasishtha. The texts describe nearby hermitages of Vedic rishis (sages) such as Atri, and that Rama roamed through forests, lived a humble simple life, provided protection and relief to ascetics in the forest being harassed and persecuted by demons, as they stayed at different ashrams. After ten years of wandering and struggles, Rama arrives at Panchavati, on the banks of river Godavari. This region had numerous demons. One day, a demoness called Shurpanakha saw Rama, became enamored of him, and tried to seduce him. Rama refused her. Shurpanakha retaliated by threatening Sita. Lakshmana, the younger brother, protective of his family, in turn retaliated by cutting off the nose and ears of Shurpanakha. The cycle of violence escalated, ultimately reaching demon king Ravana, who was the brother of Shurpanakha. Ravana comes to Panchavati to take revenge on behalf of his family, sees Sita, gets attracted, and kidnaps Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. Rama and Lakshmana discover the kidnapping, worry about Sita’s safety, despair at the loss and their lack of resources to take on Ravana. Their struggles now reach their heights. They travel south, meet Sugriva, marshall an army of monkeys, and attract dedicated commanders such as Hanuman who is a minister of Sugriva. Meanwhile, Ravana harasses Sita and tries to make her into a concubine.
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Sita refuses him. Ravana is enraged. Rama ultimately reaches Lanka, fights in a war that has many ups and downs, but ultimately prevails, kills Ravana and forces of evil, and rescues his wife Sita.
08 KRISHNA AVATARA
Avatara: Krishna Era: Dwapara Yuga
The charioteer of Arjuna Krishna is a major deity of Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of compassion, tenderness and love. He is widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna is also known by numerous names, such as Govinda, Mukunda, Madhusudhana, Vasudeva and Makhan chor in affection. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna’s life are generally titled as Krishna Leela. He is a central character in the Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita, and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. His iconography reflects these legends and show him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute, a young man with Radha or surrounded by devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to Arjuna.
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According to the epic poem Mahabharata, Krishna becomes Arjuna’s charioteer for the Kurukshetra War, but on the condition that he personally will not raise any weapon. Upon arrival at the battlefield, and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, and his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna is moved and says his heart will not allow him to fight and kill others. He would rather renounce the kingdom and put down his Gandiv (Arjuna’s bow). Krishna then advises him about the nature of life, ethics, and morality when one is faced with a war between good and evil, the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul and the good, duties and responsibilities, the nature of true peace and bliss and the different types of yoga to reach this state of bliss and inner liberation. This conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is presented as a discourse called the Bhagavad Gita.
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09 BUDDHA AVATARA
Avatara: Buddha Era: Kaliyuga
The Awakened One India at the time of Buddha was spiritually very open. Every major philosophical view was present in society, and people expected spirituality to influence their daily lives in positive ways. At this time of great potential, Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, was born into a royal family in what is now Nepal, close to the border with India. Growing up, Buddha was exceptionally intelligent and compassionate. Tall, strong, and handsome, Buddha belonged to the Warrior caste. It was predicted that he would become either a great king or spiritual leader. Since his parents wanted a powerful ruler for their kingdom, they tried to prevent Siddharta from seeing the unsatisfactory nature of the world. They surrounded him with every kind of pleasure. He completely mastered the important combat training, even winning his wife, Yasodhara, in an archery contest.
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At age twenty-nine, Buddha was confronted with impermanence and suffering. On a rare outing from his luxurious palace, he saw someone desperately sick. The next day, he saw a decrepit old man, and finally a dead person. He was very upset to realize that old age, sickness and death would come to everyone he loved. Siddharta had no refuge to offer them. The next morning the prince walked past a meditator who sat in deep absorption. When their eyes met and their minds linked, Siddhartha stopped, mesmerized. In a flash, he realized that the perfection he had been seeking outside must be within mind itself. Meeting that man gave the future Buddha a first and enticing taste of mind, a true and lasting refuge, which he knew he had to experience himself for the good of all. Buddha then decided he had to leave his royal responsibilities and his family in order to realize full enlightenment. He left the palace secretly, and set off alone into the forest. Over the next six years, he met many talented meditation teachers and mastered their techniques. He always found that they showed him mind’s potential but not mind itself. Finally, at a place called Bodhgaya, the future Buddha decided
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to remain in meditation until he knew mind’s true nature and could benefit all beings. After spending six days and nights cutting through mind’s most subtle obstacles, he reached enlightenment on the full moon morning of May, a week before he turned thirty-five.At the moment of full realization, all veils of mixed feelings and stiff ideas dissolved and Buddha experienced the all-encompassing here and now. All separation in time and space disappeared. Past, present, and future, near and far, melted into one radiant state of intuitive bliss. He became timeless, all-pervading awareness. He became Buddha, the Awakened One. After his enlightenment, Buddha traveled on foot throughout northern India. He taught constantly for forty-five years. People of all castes and professions, from kings to courtesans, were drawn to him. He answered their questions, always pointing towards that which is ultimately real. Throughout his life, Buddha encouraged his students to question his teachings and confirm them through their own experience. This attitude still characterizes Buddhism today.
10 KALKI AVATARA
Avatara: Kalki Era: Kaliyuga
The destroyer of filth Kalki is the nemesis of demon Kali and the tenth avatar of Vishnu, foretold to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the current epoch. The Purana scriptures foretell that Kalki will be atop a white horse with a drawn blazing sword. He is the harbinger of the end time in Hindu eschatology, after which he will usher in Satya Yuga.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY aumamen.com › Hinduism › Topics www.drikpanchang.com › Hindu Gods ritsin.com/dashavatar-dashavtar-vishnu-incarnations.html/ https://www.shortstories.co.in/category/short-stories/genre/mythology/dashavatara/ https://sanskritdocuments.org/sanskrit/by-category/dashavatara.php
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When the balance between good and evil tilts in favour of evil, Lord Vishnu appears upon the earth as one of the ten Vishnu avataras or dashavatara to restore the balance. Vishnu is said to have taken human form on earth on ten different occasions to preserve the world, each time appearing in the shape of a different creature. During each incarnation, Vishnu has a specific task to perform.
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