22 Avatars of Lord Vishnu
Sūta said: "In the beginning the Supreme Lord assumed, for the creation of the worlds, the form of the Original Person [the integrity of the material realm] composed of the sixteen elements [of the ten knowing and working senses, the mind and the five elements] and the cosmic intelligence and such.
Resting in His meditative slumber in that water, out of the lotus that spread from the lake of His navel, Brahma was manifested, the master of the progenitors in the universe.
One believes the different worlds [as expansions] to be part of the form of the Fortunate One that constitutes the excellence of the purest existence. His form thus seen perfectly has numerous legs, thighs, arms and faces, with wonderful heads, ears, eyes and noses, all glowing with garlands and dresses.
This source of the multifarious incarnations is the imperishable seed from which the plenary portions and portions thereof, the gods, the human beings and the animals, originate."
Lord Brahma manifested from the navel of Lord Vishnu in his (Lord Vishnu) state of Yoganidra (deep meditation). The creation as well as the expansion of the creation commenced from the organs of Lord Brahma. The first incarnation of Lord Vishnu is all-powerful, which can be seen only by the yogins and sages who have attained divine knowledge. This incarnation is also the indestructible seed from which all the other incarnations manifest themselves. During the time of final annihilation of the world, every creation merges into him.
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1st Incarnation Manasaputra :
Sanat kumar was the 'Manasputra' (born by a wish) of Lord Brahma. Throughout his life, he maintained celibacy; and engaged himself in the performance of tremendous penance. He was the one from whom the Brahmins got the inspiration regarding the values and importance of penance and Celibacy.
"The sons of Brahma [the Kumaras] were first disciplined in austerity for the sake of realizing continuity.
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2nd Incarnation VARAHA AVATAR (The incarnation as a Boar) :
He next incarnated for the sake of the welfare of the earth like a boar lifting her up from the lower regions.
Lord Vishnu took his second incarnation as a boar. In this incarnation Lord Vishnu rescued the earth which had submerged in the ocean, and brought it out from the ocean. The whole creation started only after that. A demon by the name of Hiranyaksha had abducted the earth and carried it to the 'Rasatala' (the second lowest of the world). The earth is considered to be as a 'Woman' and since it is a crime to abduct a woman therefore Lord Vishnu in his incarnation of a boar killed the demon Hiranyaksha and liberated the earth from his clutches.
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3rd Incarnation NARADA AVATAR (The incarnation as Sage Narada) :
Lord Vishnu took his third incarnation as Narada. Narada by becoming a 'Devarishi' among all the sages, achieved liberation from all of his Karma's (action). Narada was the one who gave discourses to the Vaishnavas (followers of Lord Vishnu) on 'Pancharatra Tantra'.
Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Narada, showed that, the devotion is the best mean of getting liberated from all the bondages of 'Karma's'. He also said that a devotee of Lord Vishnu is the supreme among the devotees in the same way as Devarishi Narada among the Sages.
Thirdly He accepted [in the form of Narada Muni] His presence among the learned for the sake of evolving Vedic knowledge concerning the service in devotion without further material motives.
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4th Incarnation NARA-NARAYANA AVATAR (Incarnation as Nara-Narayana):
Lord Vishnu took his fourth incarnation as sage Nara-Narayan by taking a birth from the womb of a woman named 'Kala'. He performed a tremendous penance by going to Badri and Kedar. He showed the importance Penance (Labour), and also that nothing can be achieved in this world without it.
Fourth born as the twin sons of king Dharma in the form of Nara-Narayaṇa He underwent severe penances to attain control over the senses.
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5th Incarnation KAPILA AVATAR (Incarnation as Sage Kapila) :
Lord Vishnu's fifth incarnation was as sage Kapila. The objective of this incarnation was to compile all the divine knowledge that had been destroyed. He was the profounder of Sankhya Shastra (rationalism) which helped the Brahmins, who had forgotten their duties to rectify their mistakes. He also gave discourse to his own mother.
Fifth with the name of Kapila He gave an exposition to the Brahmin Asuri on the nature of metaphysics and the elements of creation because in the course of time the knowledge was lost.
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6th Incarnation DATTATRAYA AVATAR (Incarnation as Dattatraya) :
Lord Vishnu's Sixth incarnation was as Dattatraya. He was born to Ansuya and his father was Sage Atri. He was the one who had given Spiritual Knowledge to King Alarka and Prahlada. He had twenty four teachers. He believed that in the world, a man can learn from each and every thing, so he accepted twenty-four objects like water, bird, air, an unmarried girl, and even a prostitute etc.
Sixth, born as the son of Atri from Anasūya who prayed for Him, He lectured to Alarka, Prahlada and others about transcendence.
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7th Incarnation YAGYA AVATAR (Incarnation as Yagya):
Lord Vishnu in his seventh incarnation as Yagya was born to Prajapati and Akuti. He had rescued a 'Devagana' (celestial and supernatural being) named Yama and also the Manvantar named as 'Swayambhuva'. The main thrust of his teaching was based on the values of helpfulness and protecting each other during the time of crisis.
Seventh born from Akūti as Yajña, the son of Prajapati Ruci He assisted the godly, with His son Yama ruled during the period of Svayambhuva Manu.
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8th Incarnation RISHABH AVATAR (Incarnation as Rishabh Dev) :
Lord Vishnu in his eight incarnation as Rishabh Dev was born to king Nabhi and Marudevi. His mother Marudevi was the daughter of Indra. He attained that state of Paramhansa (an ascetic of highest order who has controlled his anger) which is an uphill task. He was given the title of 'Jin' which means a ' a knower'. His followers are known as Jains.
Eighth, from the wife of King Nabhi, Merudevī, He took birth as King Ṛṣabha and showed the path of perfection respected by people of all stages of life.
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9th Incarnation PRITHU AVATAR (Incarnation as Prithu) :
Lord Vishnu in his ninth incarnation as 'Prithu' came into existence after the body of King 'Vena'. Lord Vishnu took this incarnation as per the wishes of the sages. The earth had concealed all the vegetation's within her and as a result the whole land had become barren. To protect the humanity, Lord Vishnu took incarnation as Prithu by milking the cow (earth). This is considered that as a very supreme incarnation, because the earth has remained full of vegetation's after that.
Accepting His ninth incarnation in response to the prayers of the sages, He ruled [as Pṛithu] the earth for the sake of its cultivation and produces, which made her beautifully attractive.
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10th Incarnation MATSYA AVATAR (Incarnation as a Fish) :
All the oceans had unified into a single ocean in the 'Manvantara' of 'Chakshusha'. Lord Vishnu in his 11th incarnation as a Matsya (Fish) rescued the earth from 'Maya' the demon. He gave discourses to Satyavrat along with the seven sages, while they were sitting on the boat. He also showed them his illusionary powers. This was his eleventh incarnation.
Like a fish [Matsya] in the water He kept Vaivasvata Manu after the period of Cakṣuṣa Manu protected in a boat afloat the waters when the world was deeply inundated.
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11th Incarnation KACHCHAP AVATAR (Incarnation as a Tortoise) :
Lord Vishnu in his twelfth incarnation as a tortoise, held the mountain 'Mandarachala' on his back, during the time when the deities and the demons where churning the ocean. He stopped the mountain from going to the netherworld. This was Lord Vishnu's twelfth incarnation.
Eleventh as a tortoise [Kurma] He sustained the Mandaracala Hill of the theists and atheists that served as a pivot in the ocean.
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12th Incarnation DHANVANTARI (Incarnation as Dhanvantari) :
Lord Vishnu took his twelfth incarnation as Dhanvantari. He manifested from the ocean holding a vessel filled with ambrosia. He was the profounder of medicinal science.
Twelfth there was Dhanvantari [Lord of medicine]
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13th Incarnation MOHINI AVATAR (Incarnation as a most Enchanting woman) :
Lord Vishnu in his thirteenth incarnation as a most enchanting woman enchanted the demons by his beautiful appearance of a woman, and took away the pot filled up with ambrosia from them and gave it to the deities. The deities were thus protected from the demons.
Thirteenth He appeared as an alluring beautiful woman to the atheists when He gave nectar to the godly.
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14th Incarnation NARSIMHA AVATAR (Incarnation in the form of half-man and half-lion) :
Lord Vishnu took his fourteenth incarnation as Nrisimha, having upper portion of his body in the form of lion and the lower portion resembling of a man. In this incarnation he protected Prahlada from his father Hiranyakashipu the demon. He killed Hiranyakashipu by tearing his body apart by his nails. Lord Vishnu had to attain this form because Lord Brahma had blessed Hiranyakashipu, that a Human being could not kill him.
In His fourteenth incarnation He appeared as Nṛsimha, who with His nails half as a Lion on His lap tore apart the king of the atheists like a carpenter splitting cane.
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15th Incarnation VAMAN AVATAR (Incarnation as a Dwarf) :
Lord Vishnu took his fifteenth incarnation as a Dwarf, when Bali the king of the demons had captured the entire three worlds. Indra and all the other deities were wandering all around after losing the heaven. To help the deities regain control over the heaven. Lord Vishnu disguised as a dwarf went to Bali when he was busy performing a 'Yagya' and demanded earth measured by his three steps. When 'Bali' agreed, he transformed his form from a small dwarf to a giant. Consequently he covered all the three world with his two steps. Ultimately he regained heaven for the deities.
Fifteenth He assumed the form of Vamana [the dwarfbrahmana] who went to the arena of sacrifice of Maharaja Bali and begged for three steps of land only, while He in fact wanted to seize the three worlds.
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16th Incarnation PARSHURAM AVATAR (Incarnation as Parshurama) :
When the Kshatriya kings became ruthless and started exploiting their subjects. Lord Vishnu took his sixteenth incarnation as Parshurama' and annihilated the Kshatriyas kings for seventeen times and consequently donated the earth to the Brahmins.
In His sixteenth incarnation [as Bhṛgupati or Parasurama] He acted twenty-one times against the ruling class that negated the intelligentsia.
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17th Incarnation VYAS AVATAR (Incarnation as Sage Vyas) :
Lord Vishnu took his seventeenth incarnation as Sage Vyasa by taking birth from the womb of 'Satyavati'. His father was sage Parashar. He made the division of Veda, and made extension of its branches. He also wrote eighteen Mahapuranas and the Mahabharata.:
Seeing the common people as being less intelligent He seventeenth incarnated as Vyasadeva taking birth from Satyavatī with Parasara Muni as His father, in order to divide the desire tree of the Veda into several branches.
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18th Incarnation RAM AVATAR (Incarnation as Lord Rama) :
Lord Rama is considered to be the eighteenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In this incarnation he constructed a bridge over the ocean with the help of the Vanars (monkeys) and after crossing over to Lankas killed many demons like Ravana, Kumbhakarna. He accomplished many astonishing feats and saved the deities. He taught the value of morality.:
Next He performed in a superhuman way in controlling the Indian Ocean having assumed the form of a divine human being [Rama] in order to act for the sake of the godly.
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19th Incarnation BALARAM AVATAR (Incarnation as Balrama) :
Balrama is considered to be the nineteenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In this incarnation he killed Pralambasura the demon and he killed many more demons. He appeared as Balarama from the Vriṣni family and thus Bhagavan removed the burden from the world
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20th Incarnation KRISHNA AVATAR (Incarnation as Krishna) :
Lord Krishna born in Mathura was the twentieth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He fought against the exploitation right from his childhood and killed many demons like Kalayavan, Kansa, Jarasandh etc. He gave a divine knowledge to Arjun during the battle of Kurukshetra.
He appeared as Kṛṣṇa from the Vriṣni family and thus Bhagavan removed the burden from the world.
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21th Incarnation BUDDHA AVATAR (Incarnation as Buddha) :
The twenty first incarnation of Lord Vishnu was as Lord Buddha. In the Kaliyuga the demons were completely subjugated by the deities. Shukracharya the teacher of the demons instigated the demons to perform Yagya so that they could regain power and authority. Fearing this the deities prayed to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu took incarnation as Buddha and dissuaded the demons from performing Yagya as it involves violence the demons stopped performing Yagyas.:
Thereafter in the Age of Kali His birth as Lord Buddha from Añjana in Gaya will take place in order to delude the ones envious of the theists.
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22st Incarnation KALKI AVATAR (Incarnation as Kalki) :
At the end of Kaliyuga, when the sins would be 80, all pervading that the kings would themselves becomes thieves then Lord Vishnu would take his twenty second incarnation as Kalki by taking birth in the village of 'Shambhal'. He would take birth in a Brahmin family of Vishnuyash. By killing and destroying the sinners, he would re-establish the superiority of Virtuosity and religiousness.
Next, at the conjunction of two yugas when there is hardly a ruler to be found who is not a plunderer, the Lord carrying the name of Kalki will take birth as the as the son of Viṣṇu Yasa."
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