The Incarnations of Visnu
The Incarnations of Vishnu, known as the daśāvatāra, represent a series of ten distinct forms that the Hindu god Vishnu takes to restore cosmic order whenever evil threatens the balance of the universe. As the preserver among the holy trinity of Hindu deities—Brahmā the creator and Śiva the destroyer—Vishnu manifests in various avatars to combat malevolence and protect dharma. His first incarnation, Matsya, is a fish that saves humanity from a great flood, while subsequent forms include Kurma the tortoise, Varāha the boar, and Narasimha, who is half-man and half-lion, each addressing different challenges posed by demons.
The narrative continues through Vāmana, a dwarf who cleverly regains control of the universe from the king Bali, and progresses to heroic incarnations like Rāma, who defeats the demon Rāvana, and Krsna, a divine prince whose life embodies moral teachings. The final recognized avatar is Buddha, acknowledged for his spiritual insights, while the prophesied tenth incarnation, Kalki, is believed to herald the end of time by vanquishing evil. The stories of Vishnu’s incarnations not only illustrate his divine role but also reflect the evolving cultural and spiritual landscape of Hinduism, showcasing a rich tapestry of mythology that promotes themes of righteousness, redemption, and coexistence among diverse beliefs.
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Subject Terms
The Incarnations of Visnu
Author: Traditional
Time Period: 1 CE–500 CE
Country or Culture: India
Genre: Myth
PLOT SUMMARY
The blue-skinned god Visnu (Vishnu) is the supreme being, residing in Vaikuntha, the eternal home of enlightened souls. Alongside the great gods Brahmā, the creator of all things, and Śiva (Shiva), the destroyer, Visnu is the preserver, and as such, he is intimately tied to all aspects of the cosmos.
On occasion, the forces of evil become more prominent. When this happens, it is necessary for Visnu to take another form, or incarnation, so that he might make things right again. The first time this occurs is when a horrendous flood overtakes the earth. Before the rains begin, Visnu takes the form of a fish called Matsya and informs the first man, Manu, of the coming disaster, advising him to take shelter on a large boat. When the rains fall, Matsya pulls the boat to safety. Soon after this, a sage curses the gods so that they lose their powers and immortality. Visnu tells them that the way to regain their power is to churn the enormous ocean of milk, using a mountain to stir the waters. When the mountain proves too large to move, Visnu takes the form of Kurma, a giant turtle, and carries the cliffs on his back.
After restoring the powers of the gods, Visnu faces an even greater challenge. A horrible demon steals the entire earth, hiding it in swirling, dark waters. In order to retrieve it, Visnu takes the form of Varāha, a ferocious boar, and slaughters the demon; he then carries the earth between his tusks in order to return it. However, the brother of the demon is furious about the slaughter, and he causes volcanoes to erupt and rivers to run violently. He even tortures his own son, who is a follower of Visnu. Unwilling to accept this, Visnu takes the form of Narasimha, a powerful creature that is half man and half lion, and kills that demon as well.
The deaths of these demons mark the end of the first age, but the second age is no more peaceful, as the tyrannical king Bali, one of the Asuras (counterparts of the gods who are in constant conflict with them), reigns on earth. Visnu cleverly takes the form of Vāmana, a dwarf, and asks the king to give him as much land as he can cover in three steps. When the king agrees, Vāmana transforms into a giant and takes three enormous steps that cover all of the land and the sky. After winning the world back from Bali, he appears as Paraśurāma (Parashurama), a sage armed with a gigantic ax, and uses his power to overcome wicked armies, even holding back the advancing seas in order to keep them from flooding the lands. After this, Visnu takes the form of Rāma, an ideal human who is able to triumph over any temptation that might bring him to evil and who is strong enough to defeat the powerful demon Rāvana in battle, ending the second age. For his next two avatars, Visnu likewise takes forms that resemble humans. First, he appears as Krsna (Krishna), a divine prince and warrior with many wives, whose life initiates the third age. After that, he appears as Buddha, the enlightened spiritual leader who founds the transcendental practice that is today called Buddhism.
These nine incarnations of Visnu vary wildly from one another, yet they are not all the forms that he will take. Someday, the end of the current era will come. At that time, Visnu will take the form of his tenth incarnation, Kalki, a powerful being riding a white horse. With his flaming sword raised high above his head, Kalki will defeat evil and usher in the end of our time.
SIGNIFICANCE
The Hindu god Visnu is one of the most widely worshipped deities in world history, and over thousands of years, the sacred Hindu texts that describe him have had a significant impact on international culture, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. In part because his mythology has spread so far in both space and time, the stories of the incarnations of Visnu are varied, with some sources listing many more forms of the god or including different incarnations within this set of ten, called the daśāvatāra (dashavatara). The particular version of the daśāvatāra listed above is perhaps more widely worshipped and accepted than any other form, and the oldest incarnations come from the authoritative Purānas, ancient Hindu texts that describe the creation of the universe and the origins of the gods.
Even within this daśāvatāra, there is incredible diversity among the incarnations. Some reference fanciful and entertaining stories, such as his incarnations as Varāha and Kurma, and seem to speak primarily to the might and power of Visnu and, by extension, the strength of the religion built around him. These earlier incarnations help establish the nature of the universe, with Visnu promising salvation and spiritual enlightenment and overcoming the wickedness of the demons. Within the Purānas, they also weave together Hindu cosmology with historical information, philosophy, and politics. Later incarnations steer away from mythological beasts and instead take their inspiration from adjacent religious traditions and actual leaders. This is perhaps most evident with the eighth and ninth incarnations. It appears likely that Krsna was a living person, a political leader who, after death, slowly grew in influence until he was absorbed into the daśāvatāra. This absorption allowed Hindu political and spiritual leaders to consolidate power while maintaining religious cohesion. Today, Krsna remains the most widely worshipped Hindu deity, and because many traditions consider him to be a part of the daśāvatāra, that worship is also directed toward Visnu. Buddha seems to have entered the daśāvatāra through a similar path. As the influence of the historical spiritual leader and his teachings spread, different Hindu practices accepted him as an incarnation of their supreme being rather than as a competing and incongruent force, allowing both spiritual traditions to coexist and preserving the power of Hinduism.
At one point slaying world-ending demons and at another teaching compassion, the forms that Visnu assumes can differ radically from one another. Within the complex Hindu mythology, however, the preserver god remains a consistent force of righteousness, and the variety of his incarnations is a reminder that the universe itself is a place as much of contradiction and violence as of redemption.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Lal, Vinay. “Avatars (Incarnations or Descents) of Vishnu.” Manas: India and Its Neighbors. UCLA, n.d. Web. 1 July 2013.
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