Lucknow: The avataras of Mahavishnu are numerous. Thousands of incarnations originate from Mahavishnu like streams flow from a lake that is overflowing at all times. Whenever the world is afflicted by lawlessness and injustice, when righteousness is driven out by evil forces and misery is widespread, Lord Vishnu is said to incarnate in the world in various forms in order to reinstate righteousness and respect for the Vedas, i.e., dharma. In the various Puranas twenty-two incarnations are described but ten are taken as the main ones.
- “O Lord who took the form of a fish and retrieved the Vedas, supplying a vessel to save humanity from the oceans of the great deluge at Pralaya, may you triumph!”
During pralaya prior to the next cycle of creation, the asuraHayagrīva usurped the Vedas, thereby wanting to grab the ultimate power unto himself and hid in the ocean. Mahavishnu took the form of a huge fish, Mina, steering a small group of virtuous people safely out of the waters, destroyed the asura along the way and retrieved the Vedas.
- “When the whole earth rested on your back which is even broader, it bore a ring of wounds due to the weight; O Lord, you took the form of the tortoise”.
There was a time when the devas and asuras both wanted to churn the ocean and obtain the pot of amrta, imbibing which would make them forever young and strong. Using the Mandara mountain as a churn and the king of serpents Vasuki as a rope, the devas held the mouth and the asuras the tail end and began to churn. Suddenly the mountain slipped through the coils of the rope due to the weight and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Dismayed, the suras and asuras prayed to Vishnu for help. The lord took the form of a giant turtle and scrambling under the mountain lifted it and bore it on His back until the churning was completed.
- “The earth rested on the peak of your curving tusks, like the mark within the moon; O Lord Keshava, you took the form of the boar”.
Two rakshasa brothers, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, terrorized the world. Once Hiranyaksha went into the ocean and beating his cudgel, created giant waves that rose in high tide and enveloped the world. He picked up the earth -Bhumidevi and dived into the ocean, hiding her. Then Lord Vishnu took the form of a fierce boar and diving into the ocean, rescued Bhumidevi by carefully placing her on his snout supported by the curving tusks and challenging Hiranyaksha to battle, vanquished him.
- “O Lord, on your lotus-like hands there were wonderful weapon-like claws! They tore apart Hiranyakashipu’s body as if it were a beetle! O Keshava, you took the form of Man-lion”.
Wonder is depicted by Adbhuta rasa with glaring eyes blazing as cinder, tongue as a dagger used in piercing to death, neck with folds, eyebrows looking fierce…claws looking like having drunk blood…all combined as if the anger inside had incarnated in the shape of a man-lion.
- “You outwitted Bali in measuring the (paces of the) earth in the form of the wonderful dwarf, sanctifying all the people by the water that was poured over the nails (as oblation) of your sacred feet, O Keshava, who took the form of Vamana”.
To humble Bali’s pride, Lord Vishnu came as the dwarf Vamanato his yajna and asked for three paces of land as alms. Bali agreed. Then, wonder of wonders, Vamana began to grow in size until he enveloped the whole world. With one pace he measured the earth, with the next, the heavens. He then asked Bali where the third pace was. Humbled, Bali bowed down, offering his own head.
- “The earth was cleansed of sin by letting flow the blood of Kshatriya-s who oppressed the earth, and then soothed by the bathing with holy water; O Keshava who took the form of the chief of the Bhrgus (Parashurama)”.
Parashurama, though born a Brahmin, trained in the arms as a young boy and became a fierce fighter. In that time the kshatriya warriors were arrogant and terrorized the world. Enraged that his parents were subjected to their cruelty, he went on rampage, challenging and killing hundreds of them.
- “You scattered in all (ten) directions the severed heads of Ravaņa, as a beautiful offering to the deities of the various quarters (east, west, etc.); O Keshava, you took the form of Rama”.
Ravana had oppressed the whole world, spreading terror in all ten directions. By causing his end, Rama brought relief to all the quarters. Jayadeva ingenuously speaks of offering Ravana’s ten heads to the ten quarters, saying that Ravana created terror in all parts of the universe and therefore by valiantly bringing his end, Rama saved the whole world.
- “On your blemishless person you wear dark robes of the colour of the clouds which matches that of frightened Yamuna which was dragged near by the furrow made by your plough, O Keshava who took the form of Balarama”.
Once, when Balarama wanted water, he bid Yamuna to come near. When that did not happen, he struck his plough and pulled it to make a furrow and the river was compelled to flow to where he was seated.
- “As the compassionate Buddha, you pointed out the violence to animals and looked down upon animal sacrifice even ordained in the Vedas”.
This tradition of including Buddha in the Dashavatara indicates the merging of Buddhists into the Hindu fold which was prevalent for most of the centuries after the time of Buddha. It is suggested that Lord Buddha only discouraged excessive animal slaughter to appease the gods to further one’s own selfish motives and did not look down upon other noble tenets of the Vedas.
- “O Lord, you appear wielding the sword to vanquish hordes of barbarians, like a terrifying, indescribable comet in the sky, when you take the form of Kalki to establish righteousness in the world which is overtaken by evil”.
This refers to the tenth avatara that is yet to come. When evil takes over the earth and the righteous are persecuted, the Lord has promised to come down to the earth once more to establish peace and restore faith in the Vedas.
- “(O people), listen to this song put forth by Poet Jayadeva, that is beautiful, that gives joy, that is auspicious and contains the essence of the world. O Lord who took the ten forms, may you triumph!”
Team Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation
https://siddhantaknowledge.org/
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