Vishnu’s 24 incarnations (Avataras) – Shreemad Bhagavata Lord Vishnu’s Twenty four Incarnations (Avataras) Usually, ten incarnations (avataras) of Vishnu are mentioned in the Puranas. The Bhagavata Maha-Puranahowever mentions twenty-four incarnations. Vishnu’s first incarnation was as a celibate Brahmana, the brahmanas being the first of the four classes. The duties of brahmanas were to pray and devote themselves to the study of the Shastras. Lord Vishnu’s second incarnation was a wild boar (Varaha). In this form, he rescued the world from the depths of the underworld. In his third incarnation, Vishnu adopted the form of the great Sage Narada. As Narada, he instructed men about the virtues of being devoted to Lord Vishnu. In the fourth incarnation, Vishnu adopted the forms of two different sages. Their names were Nara and Narayana. These two sages performed very difficult tapasya (meditation). Lord Vishnu’s fifth incarnation was also as a sage. This sage’s name was Kapila. There was another sage named Asuri. Kapila instructed Asuri about the school of philosophy that is known as samkhya darshan. In his sixth incarnation, Vishnu was born as the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anusuya. The name that Vishnu adopted in this incarnation was Dattatreya. As Dattatreya, Vishnu instructed Alarka, Prahlada and others on the path to true knowledge. The seventh incarnation took place during the rule of Svayambhuva Manu, the first Manu to rule over an era (manvantara). Vishnu was now born as the son of Ruchi and Akuti and His name was Yajna. Yajna held the title of Indra during the first manvantara. Vishnu’s eight incarnation was as Rishabha, the son of King Nabhi and Queen Maru. In this avatara, he instructed even the most learned of scholars about the best form of meditation. The ninth incarnation was as a king. In fact, the sages had asked that Vishnu might be born as a king. From the word for asking (prarthana), the king came to be called Prithu and the earth is known as prithivi after king Prithu. Prithu milked the earth and obtained all the herbs and plants which were then handed over to humans. Vishnu’s tenth incarnation was as a fish (matsya). This took place during the manvantara that was known as chakshusha manvantara. At this time, the whole world was flooded with water. The Manu who ruled over this manvantara was known as Vaivasvata Manu. As a fish Vishnu told Vaivasvata Manu to build a boat and save himself and the rest of humanity from the waters of the food. The eleventh incarnation was at the time of the churning of the ocean (samudra manthana). Vishnu now adopted the form of a turtle (kurma). The gods (devas) and demons (asuras) churned the ocean with Mount Mandara as a churning rod. But this would not have been possible had there not been a base on which Mount Mandara could rest. This base was providing by the back of the turtle. As the churning of the ocean continued.Dhanvantari came out with a pot of amrita (a life giving drink) in his hands, Dhanvantari was Vishnu’stwelfth incarnation. Dhanvantari was also the originator of all medical knowledge. Together with the gods, the demons also wanted a share of the amrita. But Vishnu adopted the form of a beautiful woman and so charmed the demons that they gladly parted with the amrita. This was Vishnu’s thirteenth There was once a time when the kings on earth became evil and began to ignore the brahmanas. The kings were kshatriyas. Thekshatriyas constituted the second of the four classes and their primary duty was to bear arms and protect the world from evil. When it was found that the kings had themselves became evil.Vishnu was born as Parashurama. This was his sixteenth incarnation. Parashurama destroyed all the Kshatriyas in the world twenty-one times, so that good might once again prevail. Thereafter, the seventeenth incarnation (avataras) was born. This was Vedavyasa, the son of Maharishi Parashara and Satyavati. Vedavyasa recompiled the sacred texts of the vedasso that they might become more easily understandable to men. It was thus that there came to be four vedas. Vedavyasa’s real name was Krishna Dvaipayana. He came to be known as Vedavyasa because he had divided the Vedas. The eighteenth incarnation wasRama, about whom we have read in theRamayana. The nineteenth and twentieth incarnations were born as Yadavas. Their names are also familiar to us, this time from Mahabharata. The nineteenth incarnation was Baladeva orBalarama and the twentieth was My Lord Krishna. The twenty-first incarnation was Buddha, the originator of Buddhism. Thetwenty-second incarnation is yet to come. It will be Kalki, the son of a brahmana named Vishnuyasha. Kalki will arrive at the end of Kaliyuga and destroy the evil of the world. And a new righteous order will be established. The Bhagavata Purana actually lists only twenty-two. It however points out that such incarnations occur whenever there is evil on earth and there is a need to destroy evil and establish righteousness. incarnation. Hiranyakashipu later became the king of the demons and began to oppress the gods. So Hiranyakashipu had to be destroyed. Vishnu did this in his fourteenth incarnation, known as Narasimha because the being was half-man and half-lion. This man-beast tore apart Hiranyakashipu’s breast with its claws. After Hiranyakashipu, Vali became the king of the demons and drove the gods out of heaven. Vishnu’sfifteenth incarnation was that of a dwarf (Vamana). The dwarf came to Vali and desired that it might be granted as much of land as could be encompassed in three of its steps. The generous Vali did not refuse. But the dwarf adopted a gigantic form and in three of its steps, it covered all the three worlds. Thus Vali had to surrender heaven to the gods.

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