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INDIA-2001
encyclopedia
PERCEPTIONS
DASHAAVATHAARA
(TEN INCARNATIONS OF VISHNU)
ARRIVAL OF
INCARNATIONS
Mathsyaavathaara
or 'fish incarnation'
refers to the ancient legend of the fish and
the deluge wherein Manu embarked in a
ship with, the rishis with the seeds of all
existing things.
Kurmaavathaara
or the 'tortoise incar-
nation' arrived to support the mount
Man-dara- that had started sinking during
the Samudra-manthana or churning of the
ocean.
Varaahaavathaara
or the 'boar incarna-
tion' arrived to kill the demon Hiranyaksha
and it lifted the earth out of the flood waters
in which it had been submerged. It is also a
symbolic representation of saving the world
from the 'deluge of sin'.
Narasimhaavathaara
or the 'man-lion
incarnation', is a combination of man (the
best of higher creatures) and the lion (the
best of lower creatures) representing the
embodiment of valour. He saved Prahlad the
great child devotee from the oppression and
torture by his father, the demon
Hiran-yakasipu.
Vaamanavathaara
or the 'dwarf incar-
nation' is connected to the legend of Bali.
He approached Bali for gift of land and cov-
ered the three worlds with three big steps.
The next five incarnations are in the
human form.
Parasuraama
exterminated the tyranni-
cal among the
kshatriyas
who were op-
pressing the people.
The story of
Raamaavathaara
has now
become an immortal epic —
Ramayana.
Refer
Sec.
F-Religions
Page F-40, F-44.
Krishnaavathaara
is
considered
Poor-naavathaara—
the incarnation in total
as Krishna is the supreme statesman,
warrior, hero, philosopher and teacher, God
himself. He is the expounder of the
'Bhagavad Gitd'.
Buddhaavathaara
or the incarnation of
Buddha though "originally foreign to the
cycle of the
Avataras"
was however incor-
porated as the ninth avatara as Buddha rep-
resented the enlightenment of the humans.
Kalkiavataara
has yet to come to 'inau-
gurate a reign of universal goodness, peace
and prosperity. At the end of the Kali Yuga
this incarnation bearing the name of Kalki
will arrive 'to put an end to wickedness, and
establish a kingdom of righteousness'. This
avathaara
represents the hope for wiping
out the suppression, oppression and evil and
establish the 'kingdom of truth.'
"Whenever, O descendent of Bharat, there
is decline of
Dharma
and rise of
Adharma,
then I incarnate Myself."
GOD'S MANIFESTATION IN LIFE FORM
Par'ashuraamdavathaara
Vaamanaavathaara
GOD BECAME MAN SO THAT
MAN
COULD BECOME GOD..