Dashavatar denotes the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the Universe. They are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, and Kalki.
The purpose of Vishnu’s incarnations is to restore Dharma and thereby maintain the cosmic order by eliminating the evil forces from the Earth.
Vishnu appeared in 10 avatars in different yugas or ages.
· In the first yuga or Satya yuga, the first 4 avatars appeared.
· In the second yuga or Treta yuga, 3 more avatars appeared.
· In the third yuga or Dwapara yuga, 2 more avatars appeared.
· The last avatar of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, will appear in Kali yuga, which is the current yuga. This yuga is believed to end in another 432,000 years[A]. After the evil forces on Earth are destroyed by the Kalki avatar, a new yuga will begin. This will be called Kalki yuga.
All these yugas are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana.
Let us find out more about the 10 avatars of Vishnu or the Dashavatar of Vishnu.
Matsya was the first avatar of Vishnu. He was in the form of a big fish. In the Matsya avatar, Vishnu rescued the first man, Vaivasvata Manu, the seven Rishis or sages at the time of the Great Flood. He helped Manu take his boat to the new world with one of every species of plant and animal.
Kurma (Koorma) was Vishnu's 2nd avatar. He was in the form of a giant tortoise. When the gods and demons were churning the Milky Ocean for Amrita (the nectar of immortality), Mount Mandara, which they were using as the churning rod began to sink. So, Vishnu took the form of Kurma to hold the weight of the mountain.
Varaha was the third avatar of Vishnu, and he was in the form of a boar. When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth/Goddess Bhudevi and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu took this form to rescue her. He killed the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean. He lifted it on his tusks and restored it to its place in the universe.
Narasimha
Narasimha was the 4th avatar of Vishnu. He was in the form of a half-man/half-lion. The demon, Hiranyakashipu, got a powerful boon from Brahma, by which he could not be killed by man or animal, inside or out, day or night, on Earth or the stars, with a weapon, either inanimate or living.
He had a man’s body and the head and claws of a lion. Narasimha disemboweled the demon on the threshold of his house, at twilight, with his claws while he lay on his thighs. Thus, he did not violate the boon’s terms.
Vamana
Vamana was the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu. He was in the form of a dwarf Brahmin. This was Vishnu’s first human avatar. Vishnu took this avatar to restore Indra’s authority over the heavens, which had been usurped by the demon king, Mahabali. He asked the king for three paces of land, and the king agreed.
Vamana then assumed a gigantic form. He covered the Earth and Heaven in two paces. Mahabali had to offer his head for the third. Vamana then kept his foot on his head and pushed him into the underworld.
Parashurama
This is the 6th avatar of Vishnu. Parashurama was born to Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. He received an ax from Lord Shiva after he did penance. He was the first Kshatriya Brahmin in Hinduism. Once, King Kartavirya Arjuna and his army visited Jamadagni’s ashram. The sage fed them all with the help of the divine, wish-fulfilling cow, Kamadhenu.
The king wanted the cow, but Jamadagni refused to give it to him. The king became angry and took it by force. He also destroyed the ashram. In revenge, Parashurama killed the king and destroyed his army. Kartavirya’s sons killed Jamadagni. Parashurama then took a pledge to kill every Kshatriya on earth twenty-one times over, and their blood filled five lakes. Finally, his grandfather, Sage Rucheeka, stopped him. Parashurama is one of the 8 immortals or Chiranjivis.
Rama
Rama was the 7th avatar of Vishnu and is regarded as the ideal man. The epic, Ramayana, is based on his story. Rama was living in exile with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshmana, when the demon king, Ravana, kidnapped his wife and took her to Lanka. With the help of Hanuman, Rama was able to defeat Ravana and recover Sita.
Balarama
In the Sri Vaishnava lists, Balarama was the 8th avatar of Vishnu. But some believe that it was Buddha. Balarama was Krishna's elder brother. Some consider him to be the Sankarshana form of Vishnu.
Krishna
Krishna was the 9th Vishnu avatar. He was the 8th offspring of Devaki and Vasudev. He is a popular Hindu god. He appeared along with Balarama. Krishna killed many demons and his tyrant uncle, Kamsa. He has a prominent role in the Mahabharata epic, where he helps the Pandavas to achieve victory in the Kurukshetra war.
Kalki
Kalki (destroyer of evil) has been predicted to be the 10th avatar of Vishnu, and he will manifest towards the end of Kali yuga. The Puranas say that he will ride a white horse and carry a drawn, blazing sword. He will herald the end of this yuga and usher in a new one.
