DASA AVATARA

Dasa Avatarams. In Vaishnava philosophy the Sanskrit word Avatara means “the descent of God” or simply “incarnation.” When the Lord, from the highest realms of the heavens, chooses to come “down to earth”, this descent is called an “Avataara”. Lord Vishnu descended to earth and took on various forms to fight catastrophes and wars to save humanity. The ten most famous incarnations of Vishnu are collectively known as the “Dashavatara”. The “Garuda Purana” (1.86.10-11) denotes these avataras in terms of their influence on human society Lord Krishna has thus clarified the incarnations in the “Bhagavad Gita” “Yadhaa yadhaa hi Dharmasya Glaanir bhavathi Bhaaratha Abhyuthaanam Adharmasya Tad Aatmaanam srujaamyaham” “Whenever there is a decline in the natural order of the Universe, whenever there is a rise in evil beyond certain limits, I manifest myself” and “Paritranaaya Saadhoonaam Vinaasaaya cha Dushkritaam Dharma Samsthapanaarthaayaya Sambhavami yuge yuge” “To protect the virtuous, to destroy evil and to establish Dharma, I recreate myself in every Yuga”.

The ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu are: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki avatarams

1. MATSYA AVATARA (THE FISH)

In this incarnation, the primary purpose was the recovery of the Vedas. Once upon a time a demon called Hayagriva with the face of a horse stole all the Vedas and sasthras from Brahma, the creator, when there was the deluge and hid them deep in the sea. When Vishnu learnt about this he took the Matsya avathar – incarnation as a fish, which in time grew in size. When the deluge ended Vishnu in the form of a huge fish like a whale killed Hayagriva and retrieved the scriptures and returned them to Brahma. This symbolizes the restoration of true knowledge, subverted by egoism.

2. KURMA AVATARA (THE TORTOISE)

The second incarnation is the Tortoise. Many years ago there was a war between the devas (gods) and the daityas (demons). When they lost the war, the devas prayed to Vishnu to rescue them from the oppression of the demons. Vishnu told Brahma and the devas that they should have a temporary truce with the demons, and the two sides should get together to churn the ocean. Vishnu ensured devas that they would benefit more from this churning. The truce was agreed upon and the two sides got ready to churn the ocean. The mountain Mandara was used as a churning rod and great snake Vasuki as the rope for churning. The devas grasped Vasuki‟s tail and the daityas grasped Vasuki‟s head. As the churning began, the mountain Mandara which had no base started to get immersed in the ocean. Lord Vishnu came to the rescue. He adopted the form of a turtle and the peak was balanced on the turtle‟s back. This again symbalises that when we proceed to churn the ocean of experience in search of reality we find that knowledge itself requires a base to prove its validity. The attempt to find an ultimate base on which to erect our structure of reasoning can end in an infinite regress, unless it rests on the immovable, all-sufficient, all sustaining basis of self evident truth symbolized by the Tortoise form of God.

3. VARAHA AVATARA (THE BOAR)

The third is the Boar. God incarnated this time to lift up the Earth which had been taken away into the regions of darkness, under the Water by Hiranyaksha, a Demon. In the Bhagavatham and Vishnu Puranam the story of this avatara is as follows: The sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti had a son named Hiranyaksha, who became the king of the asuras. Hiranyaksha meditated Brahma and sought a boon that he would be invincible in the battle. Thus armed Hiranyaksha comprehensively defeated the gods and became the king of the heaven, the earth and the underworld. He himself had begun to live in Varuna‟s palace under the ocean. As the asura was not particularly fond of the earth he hurled the earth into the depths of the ocean. The gods prayed that they be restored to heaven and the earth be brought back from the depths of the ocean. In response to these prayers, Vishnu adopted the form of a boar and entered the ocean. Hiranyaksha was gored to death by the boar‟s tusks. The boar raised the earth up once again with its tusks. Vishnu thus saved the gods and the principles of righteousness or dharma.

4. NARASIMHA AVATARA ( THE MAN-LION )

In this Man-Lion incarnation, the emphasis is on devotion. Lord Vishnu guarded the child devotee Prahlada, who was put to endless torture by his father Hirayanakshapu, a Demon, for repeating God’s name instead of his own. But Prahlada withstood all these tortures with steadfast devotion. Finally God appeared in the terrible form as Man-Lion, and killed the demon. *

5. VAAMANA AVATARA (THE DWARF)

The Dwarf incarnation shows us that valour finds its fulfilment only in complete surrender to God. King Bali, vanquished all gods including Indra, the Lord of Heaven. But he found his true fulfillment when he surrendered himself to God. Emperor Mahabali who ruled over the Pathala-loka captured the other lokas. To the appeal of the devas, Lord Vishnu assured them of his help to control Mahabali. Once Mahabali was performing a big “yaga”(sacrificial fire) and at the end of the yaga was giving away gold and other things in charity. Whoever went to the palace on that day could ask whatever they wished and the king would certainly oblige them. God seized this opportunity and came to Mahabali’s palace as a dwarf-mendicant. The dwarf asked the King for just 3 foot measure of land for himself. The king was perplexed and wondering why the dwarf was asking for only a 3 foot-measure of land when he could ask for acres and acres of land. However the king agreed and asked the dwarf to measure the land with his feet. Suddenly God assumed gigantic proportions, his head reaching up to the sky – the highest world above, and his feet down at Pathala-loka – the lowest of the worlds below the earth. God took one step and that covered all the worlds above the second step covered all the worlds below and there was no place left for his third foot measure. God asked king Mahabali, “I have taken two steps and have covered all the lokas tell me where to keep my foot for the third foot-measure.” Mahabali realising that the dwarf was none other than God himself bowed before the dwarf and said “Please my lord you may keep your foot over my head as the third measure.” Accordingly God put his foot on Mahabali’s head and pressed hard to push the King to ‘Pathala’loka’ and told him “O king! this is where you belong and you should confine your self to this loka only.” Mahabali realized his folly and ruled long over Pathala-loka. It is believed that Mahabali comes to earth once a year, which is being celebrated as “Onam” festival. This is to show the people that they should live in their own places and should not be greedy to occupy the other lands.

6. PARASURAMA AVATARA

When the power conferred for protection, grown mighty and degenerated into an oppressive tyranny, it had to be crushed ruthlessly. The terrible Parasurama was the appropriate form for this need. Parasurama was the fourth son of sage Jamadhagni and Vasugi. The sage was a highly learned person and used to teach vedas and sasthras to a number of disciples. Those days young princes and children of humble parents used to stay together without any distinction with the master. Parasurama was one of the disciples and was extremely obedient to his father besides being a very diligent student. He learnt all the sasthras taught by his father in earnestness. Sage Jamadhagni’s wife, Vasugi was very devoted to her husband and her children and looked after all the students with kindness and great care. Everday she used to go to the river close by to bathe. After taking bath she would make an earthern pot and fetch water for the family. One day as she was making the pot a ‘gandharva’ ( celestial beings) passed over-head in the sky. She saw the reflection of the gandharva in the river water and was struck by the handsome features just for a moment. That wavering of the mind was considered being untrue to her husband. As a result that day however much she tried she could not make the pot. It broke every time she shaped it. Vasugi was unnerved by this and was afraid to go home. Sage Jamadhagni sensed this through his mental powers and became incensed that his wife admired the beauty of some one other than her husband. Wanting to punish her he ordered Parasurama to behead his mother. Being an obedient son he immediately carried out his father’s order.

7. RAMA AVATARA

This incarnation demonstrates how a man can rise to divinity by unswerving adherence to the law of his being, his Dharma in all its details. He assumed this avatara to crush the demon king Ravana. Sri Rama was perfect in his general dharma as man and in his particular dharma as King. Rama avathar is called Dharma Avathar. He not only overcame ‘adharma’ (evil forces) but also taught mankind how to lead a perfect life of truthfulness, kindness, obeisance to parents.

8. BALARAMA AVATARA

Balaram is the elder brother of Lord Krishna, and generally he is acknowledged as being the manifestation of Adisesha, the serpent on whom Vishnu rests. Balarama was born to Vasudeva and his first wife Rohini. Thus he becomes the elder brother of Lord Krishna. There is not much significance in this avathar. From the evolutionary angle this avathar marks the period when humans started a settled way of life taking to agriculture- Balarama is pictured as carrying a plough on his shoulders. Being a contemporary of Krishna the spot light is more on Krishna than on Balarama.

9. KRISHNA AVATARA

Vishnu appeared as Krishna to rid the world of a tyrannical king named Kamsa, a demon king. In Mahabharata, Krishna acts as the charioteer of Arjuna, and delivers the celebrated discourse on duty and life known as the ”Bhagavad-Gita”. Lord Krishna gave Bhagavat Gita to mankind – a compilation that is a religious classic with profound philosophical thoughts. Sri Krishna avathar is completely Divine.

10. KALKI AVATAR

The last incarnation is believed to be as Kalki, the mighty warrior born in a pious family to rid the world of the oppression of its unrighteous rulers. (Avathar is believe d yet to take place)