Avatar

This article is about the concept in Hinduism. 

Ten avatars of Vishnu (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Krishna, Kalki, Buddha, Parshurama, Rama & Narasimha). Painting from Jaipur, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum

In Hinduism, an avatar (/ˈæv.ə.tɑːr/; Hindustani: [əʋt̪aːr]; from Sanskrit avatāra अवतार in the Devanagari script, meaning "descent") is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being (i.e., Vishnu for Vaishnavites) and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation".
The phenomena of Avatar (descent of God in human and other forms is observed in Hinduism and Sikhism only. Thus Avataravada is one of the core principles of Hinduism along with Ekeshwaravada (One Supreme Divine Reality), Veda Praman (Authority of the Vedas), Atman, Karma, Murti Pooja, Ahimsa, and Punarjanma (Reincarnation)
The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities.^[5] Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana, though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable.The avatars of Vishnu are a primary component of Vaishnavism. An early reference to avatar, and to avatar doctrine, is in the Bhagavad Gita
Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars. The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principal in Hinduism, are also described as avatars or incarnations by some scholars and followers of Shaktism The avatars of Vishnu carry a greater theological prominence than those of other deities, which some scholars perceive to be imitative of the Vishnu avatar lists.
In Sikhism, Avtar is a deliberate descent of a Soul to earth in any form^[. Guru Granth Sahib believes in existence of Dasavtara. In Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh had written three composition on Historical Avtars which include Vishnu Avtar, Brahma Avtar and Rudra Avtar.

Dashavatara

Main article: Dashavatara

Varaha, the boar avatar of Vishnu (18th century painting, probably of Pahari provenance)

The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the Dasavatara (a dvigucompound meaning "ten avatars"). This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10"11).^[26]
The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth descent in the Dvapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth, Kalki, is predicted to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.

1. Matsya, the fish-avatar who saved Manu – the progeniter of mankind from the great deluge and rescued the Vedic scriptures by killing a demon. Story can be found in the Matsya Purana.
2. Kurma, the tortoise-avatar, who helped in the Samudra manthan – the churning of the ocean. Story can be found in the Kurma Purana.
3. Varaha, the boar-avatar, who rescued the earth from the ocean, by killing her kidnapper-demon Hiranyaksha. Story can be found in the Varaha Purana.
4. Narasimha, the half man-half lion avatar, who killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee
5. Vamana, the dwarf-avatar, who subdued the king Maha Bali. Story can be found in the Vamana Purana.
6. Parashurama, sage with the axe who killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna
7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana
8. Krishna, the king of Dwarka, a central character in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata and reciter of Bhagavad Gita. However, in the original Dasavatara stotra, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, is stated as the eight incarnation, while Krishna (Lord Kesava) is the source of all the incarnation
9. Gautama Buddha
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga. Story can be found in the Kalki Purana.

In the Bhagavata Purana

Mohini, the only female avatar of Vishnu (statue in a Belur temple, Karnataka.)

As many as forty specific avatars of Vishnu are mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, though the book adds that the number is innumerable.^[41] Twenty-two avatars of Vishnu are listed numerically in the first book:^[42]

1. Four Kumaras (Catursana) [BP 1.3.6] – the four Sons of god Brahma and exemplified the path of devotion.
2. Varaha [BP 1.3.7] the Lord lifted the earth out of the ocean and battled Hiranyaksa.
3. Narada [BP 1.3.8] the divine-sage who travels the worlds as a devotee of Vishnu
4. Nara-Narayana [BP 1.3.9] – the twin-sages
5. Kapila [BP 1.3.10] – a sage and one of the founders of the Samkhya school of philosophy
6. Dattatreya [BP 1.3.11] – the combined avatar of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He was born to the sage Atri became a great seer himself.
7. Yajna [BP 1.3.12] – the lord of fire-sacrifice, who took was the Indra – the lord of heaven
8. Rishabha [BP 1.3.13] – the father of King Bharata and Bahubali
9. Prithu [BP 1.3.14] – the sovereign-king who milked the earth as a cow to get the world's grain and vegetation and also invented agriculture
10. Matsya [BP 1.3.15], he appeared to Manu and saved him from the flood.
11. Kurma [BP 1.3.16], he supported the process of amrit-manthan.
12. Dhanvantari [BP 1.3.17] – the father of Ayurveda medicine and a physician to the Devas.
13. Mohini [BP 1.3.17] – the enchantress
14. Narasimha[BP 1.3.18], he vanquished Hiranyakasipu to save Prahlada, his devotee.
15. Vamana [BP 1.3.19], he was born to Aditi and brought out the humility in Mahabali.
16. Parashurama [BP 1.3.20], he cleaned the earth of all Kshatriyas three times over.
17. Vyasa [BP] 1.3.21] – the compiler of the scriptures – Vedas and writer of the scriptures Puranas and the epic Mahabharata
18. Rama [BP 1.3.22], he vanquished the Rakshasa Ravana.
19. Balarama [BP 1.3.23]
20. Krishna [BP 1.3.23], he participated in the Mahabharata and is the protagonist of many stories and parables.
21. Buddha [BP 1.3.24]
22. Kalki [BP 1.3.25], he will incarnate at the end of the current Kaliyuga with Parashurama as his guru.

Besides these, another four avatars are described later on in the text as follows:

1. Prshnigarbha [BP 10.3.41] – the son of Prshni
2. Hayagriva [BP 2.7.11] – the horse-faced avatar
3. Hamsa [BP 11.13.19] – the swan, he expounded on the Vedas to Sage Narada.
4. Golden incarnation of the Supreme Lord as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who incarnated in Navadwip

[BP 11.5.32] – the avatara in Kali-yuga for propagating hari-namasankirtan.^[43]

In Dasam Granth

24 Avtars of Vishnu are mentioned in Bachitar Natak composition in Dasam Granth, the second scripture of Sikhs written by Guru Gobind Singh:^[44]

1. Mach Avtar
2. Kacch Avtar
3. Nar Avtar
4. Narayan Avtar
5. Maha Mohini Avtar
6. Bairah Avtar
7. Nar Singh Avtar
8. Bavan Avtar
9. Parashurama
10. Brahma Avtar
11. Rudra Avtar
12. Jalandhar Avtar
13. Bishan Avtar
14. Sheshayi
15. Arihant Dev Avtar
16. Manu Raja Avtar
17. Dhanvantari
18. Suraj Avtar
19. Chandar Avtar
20. Rama
21. Krishna
22. Nar Avtar
23. Buddha
24. Kalki

POSTED BY : VIPUL KOUL
EDITED BY :  ASHOK KOUL