Dashavatar: Ten Avatars Of Lord Vishnu

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Hindu mythologies and its mysterious stories have no end. The more you indulge yourself in these mysterious stories, the more intrigued you will be. For every ritual or custom you will find an explanation which is beautifully narrated in the form of various stories. These stories have been passed on from generation to generation and this oral tradition still continues.

Today, we have another intriguing story from the Hindu mythology which is an important part of the Hindu scriptures. This story is about the Preserver of the Universe, Lord Vishnu. It is believed that whenever injustice and negative forces prevail on Earth, Lord Vishnu comes in various forms to uproot them. So, Lord Vishnu incarnates from time to time to eradicate the evil forces which seem to threaten the existence of mankind. Lord Vishnu is believed to have taken on nine incarnations or avatars till now and the tenth avatar will descend on Earth at the end of the Kali Yuga. Hence, these ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu is collectively known as the Dashavatar.

The first three avatars which descended on Earth was during the Sat Yuga, the next three in the Treta Yuga, seventh, eight and ninth incarnations appeared in the Dwapara Yuga. The tenth avatar is said to appear in the Kali Yuga. Let us have a close look at each avatar of Lord Vishnu:

Matsya

Lord Vishnu came in the form of a huge fish during the beginning of the Sat Yuga. During the Great Flood, Lord Vishnu took the form of Matsya or fish rescued Manu and other beings who were in the boat. Manu was the first human on Earth from whom the human species is believed to emerge. During the Great Flood, Manu took one specimen of each species on Earth in his boat and Lord Vishnu as a fish helped him sail to a new world.

Kurma

Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Kurma or a giant tortoise. During the churning of the ocean, the mount Mandrachala was used as the churning staff. But the ocean was too deep and Mandrachala started to drown. Then the Lord took the form of the giant tortoise and took the mountain on His back.

Varaha

It is the third avatar of Lord Vishnu. The meaning of the word, Varaha means a wild boar. Lord Vishnu took this incarnation to kill a demon named Hiranyaksha who carried the Earth to the bottom of the cosmic world. After defeating Hiranyaksha, Lord Vishnu in the form of Varaha carried the Earth back and restored it in its original place.

Narasimha

This is a ferocious incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Narsimha is half human and half lion. He appeared in the Sat Yuga to kill a demon named Hiranyakashipu who had a boon that he could neither be killed by a man nor an animal, neither inside the house nor outside, not at day nor at night, not on earth nor in the sky and not with any weapon. So, Lord Vishnu in a half human, half lion form killed the demon with His nails at dusk, at the threshold of Hiranyakashipu's house taking the demon on His thighs.

Vamana

This avatar of Lord Vishnu appeared in the Treta Yuga. A demon king named Bali ruled over the Universe. He was immensely powerful and he took control over the three worlds forcefully. But he was a benevolent king and believed in charity. So, Lord Vishnu took the form of a Vamana or Brahmin dwarf and asked for three feet of land. To this, Bali agreed. As the Lord placed His feet, in two steps He took the heaven and the underworld. Bali realised that it was Lord Vishnu and so he offered his head to step over. As Lord Vishnu stepped over Bali's head, Bali went inside the Earth and was granted moksha.

Parashurama

Parashurama was the first Brahmin- Kshatriya in Hinduism. He was born to put an end to the tyrannical rule of the Kshatriyas. By worshipping Lord Shiva, Parashurama gained an axe which He used to wipe out the Kshatriya race from the face of the Earth.

Ram

Ram was the prince of Ayodhya and the one who vanquished the demon king Ravana. When Ram's wife Sita was abducted by Ravana and taken to Lanka, Ram set out in search of her. After a long battle Ram was able to defeat Ravana and set up a benevolent rule.

Krishna

Krishna is one of the most popular incarnations of Lord Vishnu. He appeared in the form of Krishna during the Dwapara Yuga. He was born to kill the evil king Kamsa who also happened to be His maternal uncle. Krishna was the central character of the great epic Mahabharata where He acts as a mentor to Arjuna and helps the Pandavas to conquer the battle of Kurukshetra.

Buddha/Balarama

While some people regard Gautama Buddha as the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu, other say Balarama who was the elder brother of Krishna was the ninth avatar. There is a controversy regarding the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Kalki

Kalki or the destroyer of evil is believed to take birth at the end of the present Yuga or the Kali Yuga. It is believed that this incarnation of the Lord will ride a white horse, carry a blazing sword in hand and put an end to any kind of threat to the mankind. He will destroy the evil and put an end to the Kali Yuga. It is also said that Kalki avatar will restart the Sat Yuga by preserving righteousness.