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Dasavathar
1
 
Matsya2
 
Koorma3
 
Varaha4
 
Narasimha5
 
Vamana6
 
Parasurama7
 
Rama8
 
Balarama9
 
Krishna10
 
Kalki (Avathar yet to come)
 
Matsya avathar
God's first incarnation was Matsya meaning: Fish.This goes well with the concepts of evolution when theearliest multi-cell living beings were aquatic.Once upon a time a demon called Hayagriva with the faceof a horse stole all the Vedas and sasthras from Brahma- the creator when there was the deluge.He took all those and hidthem deep in the sea. When Vishnu learnt about this he took theMatsya avathar - incarnation as a fish which in time grew in size.When the deluge ended Vishnu in the form of a huge fish like awhale killed Hayagriva and retrieved the scriptures and returnedthem to Brahma.The end of deluge also marked the end of night for Brahma andthe beginning of the day. Millions of years of our reckoning form aday and night for brahma and the Gods.When the Vedas were returned and with the beginning of the dayBrahma resumed his task of creation.Another reason given to explain why God incarnated in forms otherthan human. All creatures were created by the same compassionateGod. His descent into the earth should be the same for humansand sub-humans - other wise God becomes biased and parttial - anidea that is not accepted. This why God is shown as havingincarnated as aquatic creatures and animals as also humans. Thus itwas that Vishnu took the first avathar as 'Matsya' ie fish. This isthe reason why god is shown as half-fish and half-god in theillustrations of the 'dhasa-avathara'.
 
 
Koorma avathar
God's second incarnation was Koormakoorma means turtle.God wished to create another creature one that could live inthe water and on the land.The turtle can live in the waterand land.So the turtle was his second creation in this world.This is the reason why god is shown as half-turtle and half-god.It iscalled koorma Avatharam(means his second incarnation was as turtle)Many years ago there was a war between the devas (gods) and thedaityas (demons) and the gods lost this war. They prayed to Vishnuto rescue them from the oppression of the demons. Vishnu toldBrahma and the other gods that they should have a temporary trucewith the demons. The two sides should get together to churn theocean.Vishnu would ensure that the devas benefited more from thischurning of the ocean than the daityas did. The truce was agreedupon and the two sides got ready to churn the ocean. The mountainMandara was used as a churning rod and great sake Vasuki as therope for churning. The devas grasped Vasuki’s tail and the daityasgrasped Vasuki’s head. But as the churning began, the mountainMandara which had no base, started to get immersed in the ocean.What was to be done? Lord Vishnu came to the rescue. He adoptedthe form of a turtle and the peak was balanced on the turtle’s back.As the churning continued, terrible poison named kalkuta emergedfrom the depths of the ocean and was swallowed by Shiva. Shiva’sthroat became blue from this poison and he is therefore known asNilakantha, blue of throat. The goddess Varuni, the goddess of wine(sura), came out next. The gods readily accepted her and thus they
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