25 Dasavatara in Puranas

V. Venkata Ramana Reddy Ramana Reddy

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1. Introduction to Avatara(Incornation)

 

The word ‘avatara’ means ‘one who descends’ (from Sanskrit avatarati). The descents of Vishnu from Vaikuntha to earth are his avatars or incarnations. The form in each time he descents will be different because the needs of the world each time are different. The different avatars thus balances and reinforce the dharma that rules and regulations that maintain order. They are harmed when the demands of evil clash with the good for order. As man’s understanding of the world changes, desires change and so do concepts of order.. Social stability and peace on the earth must not be compromised, yet new ideas that are good for mankind must be respected. Vishnu’s descents are not just about

 

The word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. The word ‘incarnation’ is can also mean as ‘one who assumed flesh body’

 

2. Meaning of Dasavatara

 

The word “dasavatara” or “dasa-avatara” denotes not a category of avataras like yuga-, lila-, manvantara-, but the most famous list of ten avataras. In Sanskrit “dasa” is equal to”10″. We can find this list as per Garuda Purana There are other lists as well, like 25 avataras in Bhagavata Purana but these ten are the most popular ones. These Avataras are praised by many saints and devotees in various forms of poems stotras. To name few Sri.Vedanta Desigar great guru of SriVaishanava order and poets like Jayadeva Goswami.

 

3.Types of Incarnation

 

There are six kinds of incarnations:

 

3.1 Purusa-avataras, Purusa-avataras There are three purusa-avataras, namely the Maha-Visnu or Karanodakasayi avatara, the Garbhodakasayi avatara and the Ksirodakasayi avatara.

 

3.2 Lila-avataras

 

lila-avataras like Krsna and Sri Rama are the famous lila-avatara. There are also listed among those 25 in Bhagavata Purana. Rama his lila are described in the epic Ramayana.

 

3.3. Guna-avataras

 

Incarnations of the qualitative nature like Brahma (rajo-guna), Visnu (sattva-guna) and Siva (tamo-guna). Brahma is one of the living entities, but due to his devotional service he is very powerful. This primal living entity, master of the mode of material passion. Vishnue is Preserver and Siva is the destroyer.

 

3.4. Manvantara-avataras

 

One day of Brahma (kalpa) consists of fourteen manvantara-avataras who appear during the fourteen ruling periods of Manus (manvantaras). They are unlimited in number. Each manvantara is presided over by various Indras.

 

3.5. The yuga-avataras:

 

Dharma is represented in the form of cow with reducing number of limbs (4-3-2-1 in each Yuga). There are four yugas they are

  • Satya Yuga
  • Treta yuga
  • Dwapara Yuga
  • Kali Yuga

The avataras taken in each Yuga are called Yuga Avataras. Dasavataras are found all the Yugas.

 

3.6. Saktyavesa-avataras is a category of avataras who are not visnu-tattva but jiva-tattva (jivas, or living beings, empowered for a special mission). Incarnations and Expansions of the Lord

 

4. Dashavatara

 

the ten avatars of Vishnu are called Dashavatara who is the Hindu god of preservation. Vishnu is said to descend in form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. These Avatars play a major role in shaping human evolution through centuries.

 

Vishnu’s earthly incarnations have many avatars. His ten avatars are 

  • Matsyavatara (fish)
  • Koorma (tortoise)
  • Varaaha (boar)
  • Narasimha (the man lion)
  • Vaamana (the dwarf)
  • Parasurama (the axe man)
  • Lord Rama (the perfect human of the Ramayana)
  • Lord Balarama (Krishna’s elder brother)
  • Lord Krishna (the divine diplomat and statesman)
  • Kalki avatar  (the yet to appear 10th incarnation)

(some consider Balarama (Krishna’s brother) as an avatar instead of Budda which is 9th in the order)

 

In the Bhagavad Gita there is a verse which supports the theory that God incarnates on earth to guide it on the right course. “Whenever there is a decline in righteous and wherever there is a predominance of unrighteousness. I incarnate on earth”- Bhagavad Gita 4:7

 

Different Traditions list the avatars differently. The most accepted list of avatars is as follows

 

4.1. MASTSYA

 

A SatyaYuga Avatar; When the world was at the brink of extinction Manu was instructed by God to rescue the life form on earth, he chooses 1 male and 1 female from every species, also collects plants of different species and loads them all on the big ship he had already built. The whole world was washed up in rain and as a result there was no land to stay. A fish (matsya) with horns comes to the rescue. The ship was tied to the horn of the fish, the fish pulls the ship with great speed towards the himalayas where there was a small island for all the life forms to gradually grow and increase in number.

 

4.2. KOORMA

 

A SatyaYuga Avatar; When the devas and asuras were churning the Ocean of milk in order to get amrita, the nectar of immortality, with serpent Vasuki as the rope and the mount Mandara as the churning staff, the mountain starts to sink, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise to bear the weight of the mountain.

 

4.3.VARAHA

 

A SatyaYuga Avatar; When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth (goddess Bhudevi) and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to have lasted for a thousand years. Varaha finally slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to her place in the universe.

 

In the Vishnu Purana, Varaha represents yajna (sacrifice), as the eternal upholder of the earth.

 

During the Varaha avatara His feet represent the Vedas (scriptures)

 

His tusks represent sacrificial stakes. His teeth are offerings. His mouth is the altar with tongue of sacrificial fire. The hair on his head denotes the sacrificial grass The eyes represent the day and the night. His coarse hair represents sexual prowess The head represents the seat of the Brahmin (priest) The mane represents the hymns of the Vedas His nostrils are for oblation His joints represent the various ceremonies The ears are said to indicate rites (voluntary and obligatory) Thus, Varaha is the embodiment of the Supreme Being who brings order amidst chaos in the world by his sacrifice

 

4.4.NARASIMHA

 

A  SatyaYuga Avatar; The younger brother of Hirṇayakṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted revenge on Viṣṇu and his followers. He undertook many years of austere penance to take revenge on Viṣṇu for the death of his brother. Brahma thus offers the demon a boon and Hiraṇyakaśipu asks for immortality. Brahma tells him this is not possible, but that he could bind the death of Hiraṇyakaśipu with conditions.

 

Hranyakashipu asks that he not be killed by man or animal, inside or out, day or night, on earth or the stars, with a weapon either living or inanimate.

 

Vishnu descended as an anthropomorphic incarnation, with the body of a man and head and claws of a lion. He then disembowels the rakshasa at the courtyard threshold of his house, at dusk, with his claws, while he lay on his thighs.

 

4.5.VAMANA

 

A Treta yuga Avatar; The dwarf incarnation, son of Kasyapa Muni and Aditi Assuming the form of a dwarf brahmacari the Lord visited the fire sacrifice of Bali Maharaja. He begged three steps of land and with those steps He took the whole universe. The fourth descendant of Hiranyakashyap, Bali, with devotion and penance was able to defeat Indra, the god of firmament. This humbled the other deities and extended his authority over the three worlds. The gods appealed to Vishnu for protection and he descended as the dwarf Vamana. During a yajna of the king, Vamana approached him and Bali promised him for whatever he asked. Vamana asked for three paces of land. Bali agreed, and the dwarf then changed his size to that of a giant. He stepped over heaven in his first stride, and the netherworld with the second.

 

Bali realized that Vamana was Vishnu incarnate. In deference, the king offered his head as the third place for Vamana to place his foot. The avatar did so and thus granted Bali immortality. Then in appreciation to Bali and his grandfather Prahlada, Vamana made him ruler of Pathala, the netherworld. Vamana taught King Mahabali that pride should be abandoned for advancement in life, and that wealth should be appreciated as it can easily disappear.

 

4.6.PARASURAMA

 

A Treta yuga Avatar; King Kartavirya Arjuna and his army visited the father of Parashurama at his ashram, and the saint was able to feed them with the divine cow Kamadhenu. The king demanded the animal, Jamadagni refused, and the king took it by force and destroyed the ashram. Parashurama then killed the king at his palace and destroyed his army. In revenge, the sons of Kartavirya killed Jamadagni. Parashurama took a vow to kill every Kshatriya on earth twenty-one times over, and filled five lakes with their blood. Ultimately, his grandfather, rishi Rucheeka, appeared and made him halt. He is a Chiranjivi (immortal), and believed to be alive today in penance at Mahendragiri.

 

Parashurama is most known for ridding the world of kshatriyas twenty-one times over after the mighty king Kartavirya killed his father. He played important roles in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, serving as mentor to Bhishma, Karna and Drona. Parashurama also fought back the advancing seas to save the lands of Konkan, Malabar and Kerala. He is one of the seven immortals mentioned in the scriptures.

 

4.7.SRIRAMA

 

A Treta yuga Avatar; The prince and king of Ayodhya. Rama’s life and journey is one of adherence to dharma despite harsh tests and obstacles and many pains of life and time. He is pictured as the ideal man and the perfect human. For the sake of his father’s honour, Ram abandons his claim to Ayodhaya’s throne to serve an exile of fourteen years in the forest. While in exile from his own kingdom with his brother Lakshman and the monkey king Hanuman, his wife Sita was abducted by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. He travelled to Ashoka Vatika in Lanka, killed the demon king and saved Sita. Lord Ramacandra, son of King Dasaratha and Kausalya. He came to perform pleasing work for the demigods, protect His devotees and kill Ravana and his followers. The Lord assumed the form of a human being and exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean.

 

4.8. BALARAMA

 

There are is a schools of thought who consider Balarama the elder brother of Krishna as the 7th Incarnation among the Dasavathara. Balarama is elder brother of Sri Krishna performed many miracles along with Lord Krishna during the Avatar. He is portrayed as short tempered and righteous. He was teacher for Bhima and Duryodhana in the skill of Mace fighting. Throughout Krishnaleela Balarama supported Srikrishna and depicted as inseparable brother.

 

4.9. VASUDEVA SRI KRISHNA

 

A DwaparaYuga Avatar; During the last DwaparaYuga, which was predominantly an age of Rajas (passion/power) the earth was filled with Rajasic people and there was chaos and war everywhere. Fight for power was destroying the earth. On the plea of mother earth Lord Vishnu incarnated as Lord Krishna and killed many demons and evil kings.His mission was not only to destroy the evil but also to give the pious people with true Dharma so that the true spirituality is understood by the people of the age. Both Balarama and Krsna appeared in the family of Vrsni (Yadu dynasty) and in doing so removed the burden of the world.

 

4.10. BUDDHA

 

A KaliYuga Avatar; This avatar is considered by a set of people among the Dasavatara as 9th Avatar instead of Balarama Avatar. In kaliyuga when the world had lost real understanding of the scriptures and was stooped in ignorance and practices without right understanding. Siddartha a prince of Sakya clan renounces his materialistic riches and left his kingdom in quest of the Truth. Later known as Buddha an enlightened man reiterated the importance of self-realization and self-effort in realizing oneself. When the world had lost real understanding of the scriptures and was stooped in ignorance (practices without right philosophy), Buddha an enlightened man reiterated the importance of self-realization and self-effort in realizing oneself.

 

He was responsible for changing the course of Hinduism towards the philosophy of Liberation away from the philosophy of heaven and hell. He also appeared to stop animal slaughter in the name of Vedic sacrifices by preaching non-violence and by not accepting Vedic authorities

 

4.11. KALKI

 

A KaliYuga Avatar; Kalki is the final incarnation of Vishnu in the current Mahayuga, foretold to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the current epoch. Religious texts called the Puranas foretell that Kalki will be atop a white horse with a drawn blazing sword. He will mount a horse, Devadatta, and taking His sword, will kill millions upon millions of degraded barbarian humans. He will also commence Satya-yuga.

 

5. Scientific analogy of Avataras and Darwinian Theory of Evolution

 

While many explanations are given for the 10 avatars of Vishnu, one can see striking similarity of these stories with the theory of evolution of life. There is a clear striking similarity with first 6 Avatars of Vishnu.

 

Some modern interpreters sequence Vishnu’s ten main avatars in a definitive order, from simple life-forms to more complex, and see the Dashavataras as a reflection, or a foreshadowing, of the modern theory of evolution. Such an interpretation was first propounded byTheosophist Helena Blavatsky in her 1877 opus Isis Unveiled, in which she proposed the following ordering of the Dashavataras

 

INCARNATIONS OF VISHNU DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION

 

Summary:

 

Vishnu is often depicted as reclining on a Sheshanaga – the coiled, many-headed snake floating on cosmic waters that represents the peaceful Universe. This pose symbolizes the calm and patience in the face of fear and worries that the poisonous snake represents. The message here is that you should not let fear overpower you and disturb your peace.

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Bibliography

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  • Arthasastra. See Kangle below.
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  • PanditPustakalaya, 1949.
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  • Yajnavalkyasmriti. See Setlur, S. S. above.