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Home > Temples of Kerala > Avataras or Incarnations of Lord Vishnu Avataras or Incarnations of Lord VishnuAvataras or Incarnations of Lord VishnuTo ward off extraordinary perils to which mankind is prone maybe the visitations from the demons, maybe from the human malefactors and to preserve the socio-ethical order, Lord Vishnu whose duty is to preserve this world, often incarnates himself. Though such incarnations are popularly considered to be ten, there is no limit to their number. Nor are there any restrictions regarding the time and place of their appearance. Whenever Dharma declines and Adharma prospers He bodies Himself forth to restore the balance in the world. In the Matsyavatara (Fish incarnation), the Lord is said to have saved Manu (the progenitor of mankind) and the Saptaris (the seven sages, mind born sons of Brahma) along with their wives during the deluge. The world was repopulated through them later on. Matsyavatara
KurmavataraLord Vishnu incarnated himself as the Kurma ( the Tortoise) in order to support the mount Mandara which started sinking during the churning of the ocean (Samudramathana), The gods and the demons had jointly undertaken this adventure to get Amrta (nectar) from the ocean.
VarahavataraNext in the series is the Varahavatara (Boar incarnation) in which the Lord killed the demon Hiranyaksa and lifted the earth out of the flood waters in which it had been submerged. This may be a symbolic representation of the extrication of the world from the deluge of sin by the power of the Supreme Being.
NarasimhavataraWhen Prahlada, the great devotee of Vishnu was being severely tortured by his father, the demon Hiranyakasipu, (who was a non believer in the existence of an omnipresent and omnipotent God), Narasimha (Man-Lion) appeared, emerging out of the pillar shown by him and killed him. Being a combination of man (the best of higher creatures) and lion (the best of lower creatures) Narasimha represents the best of creation. Incidentally this also proves the omnipresence of God. Narasimha is especially the embodiment of valour which is a divine attribute and hence worshipped by rulers and warriors. His mantra is said to be very powerful, capable of destroying enemies and exorcising evil.
VamanavataraWhen Bali the grandson of Prahlada conquered the three worlds, Indra was deprived of his heavenly kingdom. At the request of Aditi, the mother of Indra, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana (the Dwarf), a young Brahmana boy, and approached Bali who was known for his munificence, for a gift of land that could be covered by three steps, With the first and the second he covered the earth and heaven and with the third, he pushed down Bali to the netherworld. Hence he is also known as Trivikrama, one who encompassed the world with three big steps.
This myth teaches us that since even God had to resort to the dwarfs form while begging, one who begs makes himself small. Secondly a true Brahmana can conquer the three worlds by the power of the spirit. These five Avataras have been referred to in the various sections of the Vedas. The next five incarnations are in the human form.ParasuramavataraParasurama (Rama with the battle-axe) is the sixth Avatara. Born as the son of the sage-couple, Jamadagni and Renuka, he exterminated the tyrannical among the Ksattriyas led by Kartavirya, who were oppressing the people. Whether this story has any historical basis and represents the struggle for supremacy between the Brahmanas and Ksattriyas, it is difficult to say.
Sri Rama, the next incarnation, met Parasurama and absorbed his power into himself. Hence the latter is sometimes considered as avesavatara, an incarnation by the temporary possession of Vishnus powers. Sri RamavataraSri Rama, one of the two most popular incarnations of the Lord Vishnu, comes next in the series. His story is too well known to need any repetition. He typifies the ideal man. His story, the Ramayana has now become an immortal epic. His name is known as the Taraka-mantra the mantra that takes one across the ocean of transmigration.
BalaramavataraBalarama, Rama the strong, the elder brother of Sri Krishna, is the eighth incarnation. His many adventures include the slaying of the ape Dvivida and the demon Dhenuka, shaking the ramparts of Hastinavati (the capital city of the Pandavas) and dragging the river Yamuna out of its course. The story that the serpent Sesa issued forth from his mouth at the time of his death gives credence to the belief that he was the incarnation of Sesa. Some scholars, basing their conjecture on the weapon of Balarama (the Hala or Plough), opine that he was an agricultural hero raised to the status of an Avatara in course of time.
Sri KrishnavataraSri Krishna, the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu is, perhaps, the most popular, so much so, that he is considered Purnavatara (the incarnation in toto) and all other deities are regarded as his manifestations. His story and his exploits are too numerous and too well known to be mentioned here. To the average Hindu, he is the supreme statesman, warrior, hero, philosopher and teacher, nay, God Himself. He is the great expounder of the Song Celestial, the Bhagavad Gita.
Kalki AvataraThe tenth Avatara Kalki, is yet to come. He will descend upon the earth at the end of the present age (Kali Yuga). Riding on the back of a white horse, with a drawn sword, he will destroy the enemies of Dharma and re-establish it in all its glory.
BuddhavataraThe list of the ten Avataras of Lord Vishnu is by no means the standard one accepted by all. Taking Sri Krishna as Vishnu Himself, he is not included in some lists. His place is taken over by Buddha. In some other lists, Buddha replaces Balarama. Iconographically speaking, Buddha seems to have disappeared from such lists only after the 15th century.
Strangely enough, the purpose of the Buddha incarnation was to mislead men of low birth and genius, who had become too proficient in the sacred lore and were a threat to the supremacy of the gods. This looks more like a joke than a serious proposition. It is obvious that the Hindus sealed the fate of Buddhism in this country by absorbing Buddha into the pantheon of the Avataras. Hamsa, Satvata, Yajna, Dattatreya, Vedavyasa are some of the Avataras included in other lists, keeping the total as ten only. The number however, rises sometimes to as high as twenty three. Article courtsey : Sri Ramakrishna Math Mylapore, Chennai. Related Reading
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