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May 18, 2020 · Learn about the ten incarnations of Vishnu on earth, known as Dashavatara, and their stories and significance. Find out the different versions of the Dashavatara list and the scriptures that mention them.
- Subhamoy Das
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Narasimha (The Man-Lion) As the legend goes, the demon Hiranyakashipiu obtained a boon from Brahma that he could not be killed or harmed by any means.
The Dashavatara ( Sanskrit: दशावतार, IAST: daśāvatāra) are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, a principal Hindu god. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. [1] The word Dashavatara derives from daśa, meaning "ten", and avatāra, roughly equivalent to "incarnation".
Learn about the 10 principal incarnations of Lord Vishnu on Earth, from Matsya to Kalki, and their roles and stories. Find out why Lord Vishnu incarnates to protect dharma and restore righteousness in different yugas.
- Matsya (Fish) A Satya Yuga Avatar. When the world was at the brink of extinction Manu was instructed by God to rescue the life form on earth, he chooses 1 male and 1 female from every species, also collects plants of different species and loads them all on the big ship he had already built.
- Kurma (Tortoise) A SatyaYuga Avatar. When the devas and asuras were churning the Ocean of milk in order to get amrita, the nectar of immortality, with serpent Vasuki as the rope and the mount Mandara as the churning staff, the mountain starts to sink, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise to bear the weight of the mountain.
- Varaha (Boar) A SatyaYuga Avatar. When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth (goddess Bhudevi) and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her.
- Narasimha ( half-man/half-lion) A SatyaYuga Avatar. The younger brother of Hirṇayakṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted revenge on Viṣṇu and his followers. He undertook many years of austere penance to take revenge on Viṣṇu for the death of his brother.
The Lord Vishnu appeared in 10 avatars (dashavatar = das meaning ten and avatar meaning incarnation) in different yugas (aka time periods). The first yuga was called Satya yuga where the first 4 avatars appeared. The second yuga was called Treta yuga where 3 more avatars appeared.
Learn about the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe in Hinduism. Find out their names, forms, and stories in this web page.
