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The 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu

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78 views

The 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu

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beniwalkhushi27
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE 10

AVATARS OF
LORD VISHNU
Introduction
Vishnu is among the most important deities of Hinduism. Together
with with Brahma and Shiva, Vishnu forms the principal trinity of
Hindu religious practice. The incarnations that Vishnu takes are
called avatars. The Hindu scriptures speak of ten avatars. They are
thought to have been present in the Satya Yuga (the Golden Age or
Age of Truth), when mankind was ruled by gods.
Collectively, the avatars of Vishnu are called dasavatara (10 avatars).
Each has a different form and purpose. When an individual is faced
with a challenge, a particular avatar descends to address the issue.
The First Avatar:
Matsya (The Fish)
Matsya is said to be the avatar that rescued the
first man, as well as other creatures of the earth,
from a great flood. Matsya is sometimes depicted
as a great fish or as a human torso connected to
the tail of a fish.

Matsya is said to have forewarned man about the


coming flood and ordered him to preserve all the
grains and living creatures in a boat. This story is
similar to many deluge myths found in other
cultures.
The Second Avatar: Kurma (The
Tortoise)

Kurma (or Koorma) is the tortoise incarnation that relates


to the myth of churning the ocean to obtain treasures
dissolved in the ocean of milk. In this myth, Vishnu took
the form of a tortoise upon which to support the
churning stick on his back.
The Kurma avatar of Vishnu is usually seen in a mixed
human-animal form.
The Third Avatar: Varaha (The Boar)
Varaha is the boar that raised the earth
from the bottom of the sea after the
demon Hiranyaksha dragged it to the
bottom of the sea. After a battle of 1,000
years, Varaha raised the earth out of the
water with his tusks.
Varaha is depicted as either a full boar
form or as a boar head on a human body.
.
The Fourth Avatar: Narasimha (The Man-Lion)

As the legend goes, the demon


However, his son Prahlada was
Hiranyakashipiu obtained a boon
devoted to Vishnu. One day,
from Brahma that he could not be
when the demon challenged
killed or harmed by any means.
Prahlada, Vishnu emerged in the
Now arrogant in his security,
form of a man-lion known as
Hiranyakshipiu began to cause
Narasimha to slay the demon.
trouble both in heaven and on
earth.
The Fifth Avatar: Vamana
(The Dwarf)

In the Rig Veda, Vamana (the dwarf)


appears when the demon king Bali The dwarf then assumed the form of
ruled the universe and the gods lost a giant. He took the whole earth
their power. One day, Vamana visited with the first step and the entire
the court of Bali and begged for as middle world with the second step.
much land as he could cover in three With the third step, Vamana sent
steps. Laughing at the dwarf, Bali Bali down to rule the underworld.
granted the wish.
The Sixth Avatar: Parasurama
(The Angry Man)

In his form as Parasurama, Vishnu appears as a priest (Brahman) who


comes to the world to kill bad kings and protect humanity from danger.
He appears in the form of a man carrying an ax, sometimes referred to as
Rama with an ax.
In the original story, Parasurama appeared to restore Hindu social order
which had become corrupted by the arrogant Kshatriya caste.
The Seventh Avatar: Lord
Rama (The Perfect Man)
Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and a major deity of Hinduism.
He is considered supreme in some traditions. He is the central figure of
the ancient Hindu epic "Ramayana" and is known as King of Ayodhya, the
city believed to be Rama's birthplace.

According to the Ramayana, Rama’s father was King Dasaratha and his
mother was Queen Kausalya. Rama was born at the end of the Second
Age, sent by the gods to do battle with the multi-headed demon Ravana.

Rama is often depicted with blue skin, standing with a bow and arrow.
The Eighth Avatar: Lord
Krishna (The Divine Statesman)
Lord Krishna (the divine statesman) is the eighth avatar
of Vishnu and is one of the most widely revered deities in
Hinduism. He was a cowherd (sometimes depicted as a
charioteer or statesman) who shrewdly changed rules.
According to legend, the famous poem, the Bhagavad Gita,
is spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield.
Krishna is depicted in a variety of forms because there
are so many stories surrounding him. The most common
story describes Krishna as a divine lover who plays the
flute; he is also described in his child form. In paintings,
Krishna often has blue skin and wears a crown of
peacock feathers with a yellow loincloth.
The Ninth Avatar: Balarama
(Krishna's Elder Brother)
Balarama is said to be the elder brother of Krishna. It is believed that he
engaged in many adventures alongside his brother. Balarama is rarely
worshiped independently, but stories always focus on his prodigious
strength.
In visual representations, he is usually shown with pale skin in contrast to
Krishna's blue skin.
In a number of versions of the mythology, Lord Buddha is thought to be the
ninth incarnation. However, this was an addition that came after the
dasavatara was already established.
The Tenth Avatar: Kalki (The
Mighty Warrior)
Kalki (meaning “eternity” or "mighty warrior") is
the last incarnation of Vishnu. He is not
expected to appear until the end of Kali Yuga,
the current time period. Kalki will come, it is
believed, to rid the world of oppression by
unrighteous rulers. It is said that he will appear
riding a white horse and carrying a fiery sword.
Thank
you

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